Myers's Single Barrel Select

99% smooth
50% fruity
50% nuts, tobacco, oak notes
32% funky
Rye whiskey cask makes it delicious!

I've always enjoyed Myer's Dark as a go-to at the bar for mixed drinks with ginger ale or tonic water so I was intrigued when this appeared at the liquor store, and even more intrigued that it wasn't much more expensive. So I grabbed one on my regular monthly pilgrimage to get my Plantation XO 20th Anniversary in an adjoining state.

$22 exceedingly well spent. Maybe it's because I'm a big fan of dark overproofs, but I find this to be quite tolerable as a sipper neat, even better over ice, and absolutely exceptional with ice, tonic water, and a drop of lime. Further testing is required, but my first impression is that at this price point this will be something I'll always have in my cabinet.

Update 6/16/23: Upping my rating to a 9, based mostly on the incredible value that this rum offers in my area. In my humble opinion this may be the best bang for the buck out there. For $22/750ml I get a rum that needs nothing more than a bit of ice to sip. Incredible!

I have Myer's Original Dark rated as a 5, which is my cue to never keep around the house again. It is strictly a mixer rum commonly found in bars for Myer's And Coke drink orders.

Then I saw this Select Barrel version gracing the shelves of Total Wine. It even came with a medallion around the neck to show that it was selected by Total Wine. It is aged in Sazerac Rye Whiskey casks. That spirit is good for adding to coffee and nothing else. I had my doubts, but I needed another Jamaican rum in my collection, so I bought it for $32.

To my surprise, the alcohol vapors of this 86 proof rum were minimal. It is dark mahogany colored, just like it's parent. But tasting it was like wow, it is possible to turn a popular mixer rum into a neat sipper. I proudly give it my rating of 8. This rum is also an excellent buy.

Update December 31, 2022: I went looking for more bottles and only found one. Then at a second store, I saw another one for $5 cheaper. It simply said "Reserve Dark" instead "Single Barrel Select". When I got home and did a closer inspection, both are bottled at 43% and use the same shape bottle. However, the two colors are TOTALLY different. I will update this review when I open the Reserve Dark bottle and compare it side by side with the Single Barrel Select.

As promised, this one is a fantastic rum, especially for the price. However, the Reserve Dark is nothing more than an expensive mixer. Spend the money and get this Single Barrel Select for only another $5 US.

Picked this up on sale at my local store in Florida for $15.00!. Was going to use it for rum punch and thought I would taste it straight up before I mixed it. I was quite surprised with the taste and flavour profile as it's better than a lot of higher priced rum and it compares to the Appleton 12. It was excellent as a booster in the rum punch and then I ran out of mix, so I decided to give it a try over some ice. Let the ice melt and you have a decent sipper for emergencies. I would say it's an 8 for mixing and a 7 for drinking on the rocks.

I thought this was pretty good. First off, it has a higher alcohol content (86 proof) than regular Myer's rum (80 proof.) Beyond that, it tastes fairly similar but it has more funk than most rums. Taste-wise, it reminds me of Wray and Nephew Overproofed Rum with far less burn/bite. It's not quite as sweet as the regular Myers but it is more complex, delicious and fairly smooth (there is a subtle burn but not much.) I highly recommend trying it, especially since it is only $20ish.

This was a special surprise from Myers, nothing like their Tiki drink mixer rum. I taste nice Jamaican funk mild Hogo like a much more expensive Appletons aged rum. I find it easy to sip neat at a great price.

Tastes courtesy of Soto
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Aroma: molasses, grape 🍇 jolly rancher
Appearance: nice dark amber color that glows ruby
Flavor: a hot start, mellows into sweetness and yes you can taste the oak barrel aging

Barrel selected by The Still in Lincoln. Thanks to Tia Soto for the sample. Reddish dark brown. Burned brown sugar aroma. Caramels. Body is thin for all the big aromas. Still has a strong funk. The finish is very nice with woody and heavy rye flavor. Long on the tongue. Nice barrel choice.

I can appreciate Myers stepping up. This rum is a sipper. Finished in Rye casks it is burnt caramel. For price quite a value.

They made the Jamaican dark mixing rum palatable and sip-able. It’s still Myers’s, but with all the typical holiday spices mixed in. The price makes it impossible not to buy if seeing the bottle grabs your attention and curiosity. It might not blow you away, but it will definitely make you rethink what you’ve always thought of when you see Myers