Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserva Superior

I am a Kirk & Sweeney fan. This cannot touch the 12, 18 or 23 but it is still damn good, especially for just 4 years old. Nice balance for such a youngster. Some vanilla, clove and oak but no complexity. Thin, with a short finish. I was ready to give this a 6, maybe even a 5 until my girlfreind inexplicably made Chai tea. BINGO! This stuff was made for Chai tea. I didn't really like Chai tea. Pretty trendy and androginous but with this rum in it I may make this a daily routine. Awesome! Try it! Improves the Chai tea for sure but also makes this rum a superstar mixer. Perfect match.

This appears to be the replacement for the 23 year. It’s the top of the line for Kirk & Sweeney. I loved the 23 year. This version has a very good taste. Lots of flavor, vanilla is strong. The disappointment is the burn. Much harsher than the 23 year. I probably won’t buy this again, not much difference from the the others of the new Kirk & Sweeney line.

Much harsher than the 23 year. As said in a previous review, I have to agree that there is a slight rubber flavor. Initially, I was hit with a woody flavor, then the bite. No burn going down. The rubber flavor lingers. Most likely will not purchase again. I loved the 23. This does not hold a candle to it.

There is something of a weird rubbery flavor to this one (I'd love to blame the cork but that is made of wood.) I'm not entirely sure how else to describe it. It has no burn or bite but a touch of light heat. It's a decently complex rum, has a good level of sweetness and is fairly delicious. It smells slightly sweet and delightful like caramel. Honestly, this is a great rum (probably a 9) barring the weird rubbery taste that I can't escape. Despite this flaw, it is still really good. I weirdly wish I could rate this a near 8 but 7 seems too low, so I am just rounding it up to an 8. Cheers!

Slightly better than the Kirk and Sweeny Reserve, the Grand Reserve Superior has a certain amount of smoothness woth a burn on the back end. This sipping rum is likely to impress your friends because it far exceeds the more readily available mass market rums, but a true rum connoisseur will find thisbto be in the mid range or your $50-65 rums. Close, but not quite as good, as a Bumbo XO, and a ways off from a Santa Theresa or Plantation XO