Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish 8-Year

This is genuinely good sipping rum. The sherry finish is very good. One has to wonder why it took them so long. Nice entry, very smooth and a very nice sherry flavor. Good balance. Not a lot of complexity or this would easily score 8. A little thin. Short finish. But all in all a very nice rum, especially for the price.

A standard Bacardi 8 y.o. style bottle with a different red label contains a great rum that is a few shades darker than the standard 8 year. After resting, the nose is rich and barrel forward with just the right amount of Sherry. This rum does not make a good rum and coke like the regular 8 y.o. , the favour is so much better and made for sipping. Only $36 @ LCBO is the same rice as the regular 8 and a great deal.

Sugar: Estimated at 14 GPL. I got this bottle in Ontario for $29 which is a bargain! It's got the standard profile of vanilla, oak, spice, and caramel, but this rum also has the taste of the sherry barrel it was aged in. Smooth and well balanced rum. No harshness to it at all and for the price it's got as much flavour as some more expensive rums. Really good on it's own over ice and a very smooth mixing rum.

I really expected to like this, as I really like sherry. However, this didn't quite have as much sherry as I expected, but it does have a fair amount of oak.

Smells and tastes of oak and molasses with a light hint of sherry and spice.

Given past experience with Bacardi I had low expectations but this is an exception. Nice openning spice and trailing caramel. A very flavourful and easy drinking rum. At this price point everyone should try this.

Tasted at Laka Lono on 11/29/21. A bit oxidized. Sweet peppery spice. Aroma is rich in fruity raisins. Harsh palate. Stings. Plums and grapes, wine-like flavors. I think a prefer regular Bacardi 8 without the sherry cask aging.

Let the record show I'm willing to give credit where it's due. I hate giving a Bacardi product a high rating out of principle. I really do. However, this is a great sipping rum for the price. It's Bacardi 8, which is a solid product as well, with subtle sherry notes and a touch of added sweetness. I've broken it out quite a few times since I purchased it and enjoy it every time.

It tastes exactly as the label implies.....basically the regular 8 year blend but, with sherry overtones that soften the initial oak taste. Not better or worse than the regular 8 year old, just different. Needless to say, the sherry cask offerings is for sipping, so wouldn't use it in a mixed drink.

Tasted 11/29/21 at Laka Lono, not long after a sip of Flora Cana 18 year - so that may not be fair to this poor tired ol rum. I'll also note that I have learned over the last 3 years that I just am not a friend to sherry cask-aged rums. So someone who loves a sherry cask finish might feel totally different than I do about this rum.
I tasted this in the form of a Daiquiri, aka SotoDax. Notes indicate I was concerned it might have been oxidized, it certainly tasted that way. Other notes: "this smells like an old sofa" and "I am uncomfortable supporting this rum."

This rum was better than I expected. The thing that surprised me the most was a nice licorice taste. Licorice is my jam.