Myers's Single Barrel Select

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ok Jamaican rum, not terrible but not great. I'm pretty familiar with Jamaican rums, but this one doesn't have the great funk that other Jamaican rums do, but I may be biased because I don't like the whiskey finish.

This rum has a stronger burn similar to whiskey. Reminds me a bit more of a bourbon or rye based on the aging in rye sazerac barrels. The burn is balanced with a slight sweetness. I’d like to enjoy this neat but is best on the rocks or in a cocktail.

I found this the other day for $22 and bought two. I did have higher expectations based on most reviews here, but maybe the two I purchased weren't from a "unique" barrel.

It starts with a mild mouth and throat burn that's reminiscent of appleton 8yr reserve. Flavors are molasses, carmel, burnt brown sugar, and raisin. Mid length finish ends with a nice funk.

Overall, I prefer Myers's reserve dark because of less burn and stronger finish. To me, this is in the entry level sipper/ quality mixer category.

It has a bit of funk, but not too much. I just didn’t find there to be all that much going on. Didn’t enjoy it on its own, so I ended up using it as a mixer, and it’s more expensive than it should be for that purpose.

Dark crimson in the glass, it smells mostly of some Jamaican funk.
First taste gives off lots of sweet fruit before the full Jamaican rum flavour comes along. I like the full flavour, it's quite nice to have a whiskey finish compared to the brandy finish that I've been trying lately. Decent price too. Well done! Would buy again.

Pleasantly surprised at this one, especially for the price - very worth it at around $23-24 at the time of this writing. Nice at 43% vs. the usual 40% - would love to see what this would be like at north of 45%! Definitely an upscale bottle as well with a nice cork top, not a plastic screw cap and the "select" badge is a nice touch.

Juice is a beautiful amber-brown, though I doubt it's natural.

Nose hints at Jamaica, more from the bottle than the glass. In the glass it evolves more into a sweet, burnt sugar note with some light fruit and alcohol. It's pleasant!

Palate knows it is Jamaican, but very mild funk. The Sazerac Rye influence is there and overall delivers fruit, spices, a nice sweetness, and an alcohol note. Light body with a fairly short finish that has a slightly bitter note and molasses. Reasonably smooth with some going down that lingers for a short time. Nothing unpleasant.

I really like this. Giving it an 8 based on price vs. performance. I find it a good sipper that I'll be enjoying regularly, and look foreward to mixing with it too. I recommend this one.