Kirk and Sweeney Reserva

Ressemble beaucoup au 12 ans. Rhum de dégustation dans une très belle bouteille.

This is the second Kirk and Sweeney rum i tested, besides the 18yr one. Very light and easy to drink, i will gladly score it an 8.

I can’t understand why K&S replaced their 12, 18 and 23 year old rums, although I expect it was a financial decision. Having said that, the Reserva is still a reasonable tipple and can still be found on sale at a competitive price. I don’t believe it is quite as good as the 12 year old, but it’s close.

Oh how I DO NOT like this rum! Neat it’s bland, grim from the alcohol burn and has a very weird woody like taste in the finish. Then, to make matters even worse, it doesn’t really improve that much when mixed with Coca-Cola! Nine times out of ten, Coca-Cola will improve any dreadful rum, but I’m sorry to say that this Kirk & Sweeney Reserva is the exception to that rule. Small consolation, but I’ll take it, all is not lost, because at least I can use this as a base rum when I make rum cocktails. Well it’s that, or pour it down the drain. But that’s not even the worst of it. The most galling thing about this Reserva, is that its predecessor was the much better, sweeter, smoother 12 Year Old, which was discontinued some time ago now. Beggars the question why?

Reasonably good flavor. A bit of a burn and not that good of a finish. A definite downgrade of the 12 year. I won’t buy again. Many other better options for the price. Kirk & Sweeney really made a mistake on their recent reformulations. The previous rums, 18 and 23 year, were quite nice, but the new Reserva’s are a drop in quality

A nice K&S bottle with a nice looking light mahogany rum. The nose falls short with a mild caramel and cask after resting. A mild burn and lack of depth distract from a mildly sweet and balanced rum. $48 @LCBO but their ad was for the 12 year which could have been better.

Not extremely complicated, but still gives off slight hints of a faraway island breeze

I was expecting a little more than this K&S gave. Nice aromatics. Flavor ok, molasses rum, slight vanilla, faint spice. Above average.

Disappointingly this promised so much but failed to deliver. I was really looking forward to tasting this effort and saved a night out for it. Alas, another samey rum with nothing to distinguish it from many, many others. I had high hopes of cardamom, oak, pineapple, not too much vanilla, something I could luxuriate around my palate and instead, well rather than prince buster I got Manfred man. I could cry!

Ok K & S has gone from age stated to Reserva, Gran Reserva, Gran Reserva Superior and as far as I’m concerned it’s a downhill move to hold costs or increase profits. I’m washing my hands of K & S who did great marketing and branding so why fuck it up?