Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserva

I have been used to KS clearly labeled aged rums 12, 18, 23 and they have always satisfied depth body taste but not top shelf.

Tried to find out more about this new release but website is vague, appears they are moving to a Solara aging with Reserva and Gran Reserva aged 6-20 years. Anyway about the swill it’s not as good as the original age stated rums. Reminds me of Cubaney also from DR. Middle of the road in my book not a good place to be unless you want to get ran over.

Got this in South Carolina. It is good, but definitely has some flaws that make it my least favorite of the Kirk and Sweeney selections. It lacks some depth and does have a mild chemical taste. Just okay for me…
Oddly, the bottle I got said Gran Reserva Superior. Does anyone know if this is a different iteration than the regular Gran Reserva?

It appears K&S has changed from their 12 / 18 / 23 year names to Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Gran Reserva Superior. I rate this between the original 12 and 18 year releases from previous years. It is good, but not as great as the 18 year which I really enjoyed.

It's OK, but not as good as the 18 or 23yo. Good burn to start. Not as mellow as other versions of Kirk and Sweeney. Disappointing considering the cost.

Kirk and Sweeney has changed their branding names. This replaced the 18 year old. Under the old naming 51% per cent had to be of the aging on the bottle. This is not a requirement under the new designation. As with all Kirk and Sweeney this batch designated and will change from batch to batch. I found this similar to the 18, but a not quite as good. I still gave it an 8 as it is still a good sipping rum. It has great brown sugar fragrance, some sweetness. As this is aged in French Oak bourbon barrels, there is a slight smokiness to it. It does have a slight peppery and sharp finish. There are wonderful hints of vanilla. Note: this is not a rum you pour and drink. It needs to age to get rid of the alcohol sharpness.

I’ve had several of the Kirk and Sweeney rums but this was really lacking. Nice honey color. The nose has notes of brown sugar, some spice, and vanilla. The taste mimics the nose. The finish has quite a bit of bite and isn’t smooth like its other siblings. I expected much more from a gran reserva.

K&S have abandoned their 12, 18 and 23 year old rums replaced them with Reserva, Gran Reserva and Gran Reserva Superior, but with the exception of the Gran Reserva, they now appear to be reluctant to state their age. The GR is a blend of between 5 and 20 year old rum, so must replace the 18 year old. It is definitely a good tipple, but is being sold for the price of the old 23 year old and the Superior is being sold for around 50% more. Unless I’m missing something, I assume the reason they have changed their names was to increase their prices. I can’t comment on the comparison of this rum with the 18 year old, but it’s not to the standard of the 23 year old, despite the price. If the cost is not important, it’s definitely worth a try, but I doubt I will buy another bottle unless they reduce the price.

Picked a bottle up over Christmas, had not tried this brand before and was attracted by the bottle. Looks good on the shelf but performance just not there for me, I'd prefer a Diplomatico over this, but its worth a try, definitely not an awful rum. Can't remember exactly what I paid for it but its up in the $45-55 range.

Just that, it's ok. There are others for the same price that are much better. I'd buy it again only if those weren't available.

I have no idea how the much-rated version of the 18y tastes here. Instead, I just got a Gran Reserve and it's hard to evaluate or compare. The taste is very specific, but I don't like it very much. In addition, the round bottle takes up a lot of space. I do not recommend.

Netuším, jak chutná zde tolik hodnocená verze 18y. Místo ní jsem právě dostal Gran Reserva a těžko hodnotit, nebo srovnávat. Chuť je velmi specifická, ale moc mi nechutná. Kulatá láhev navíc zabírá moc místa. Nedoporučuji.