Kirk and Sweeney 18-Year

I was super impressed by the Kirk & Sweeney 12 Year Rum, so I bought their 18 and 23 year rums. Those are even better! What's more impressive is that they are both primarily based on sugarcane (agricole), which I've never cared that much for before these. The 18 is pretty close to the 23 in taste; in fact they're almost equal. The 18 is just a bit sweeter, while the 23 tastes just a bit more aged (much like the difference between the El Dorado 15 and 21). I like both sweet and aged, so I'm torn between the two. I'll give the 18 a very slight edge over the 23, just like I give the ED 15 a very slight edge over the ED21. But I definitely believe they are both very good. Vanilla, sugarcane, caramel, nutmeg, oak, and just a hint of sherry. The nose is incredible. You've GOT to try this!

En super rom til at sippe, den smager af chokolade - vanilje og sherry.
Desværre syntes jeg den forsvinder hurtigt i munden.

A nice smell of vanilla and roasted almonds. And while it tastes like that as well, it has some oak to balance out the sweetness. And it has a long, nice burn to the finish.

Kirk & Sweeney 12 year rum was one of the earlier premium rums I sampled on RumRatings. Less than a month after that I found a bottle of K&S 23 and rated it as well. Since then I've educated myself somewhat on rums and have K&S as one of my favorite brands. All three in the K&S line get a "9" from me. This one is simply delicious. Wonderful aroma. Beautiful amber color. And a outstanding flavor with vanilla, toffee, and even a butteriness to it. Very, very smooth with no harsh burn. Just a mellow warmth with oak tones that add no bitterness.

One day...perhaps soon...I'm going to line all three up and sip a little of each in order (12, 18, 23) just to see the differences between them. I'll try to remember to add to my reviews what I find. IMHO you cannot go wrong with any of the K&S rums.

Kirk and Sweeney 18-Year har en virkelig god duft og smager også godt dog syntes jeg eftersmagen mangler.

We tried this because my wife liked the K & S 12 year. I thought this was even better and so did she.

There is a very strong aroma of vanilla in this rum. One of the strongest scents of any rum I have ever had. You can smell it as soon as you open the bottle. The rum is very smooth and you have a hint of vanilla in the taste. Very good sipper.

I drink it on the rocks with with one ice cube,.

Mmm... Burnt sugar, brown butter and caramel right away. Drifting away quickly as well and leaving a semi-dry briny finish.

Got this for Christmas and everything about this was wonderful. The bottle itself is just a great piece of art

One of the best smelling rums I've had. Very sweet smell of butterscotch and vanilla. Not overbearing or heavy, just sweet and delicious. The first taste starts with a subtle essence of sweetness that is quickly followed by a distinctive agricole flavor of vegetable and grass. The finish is a nice caramel flavor that matches the aroma but accompanied by a sharp but short burn. Not my style of rum but I found myself continuing to sip it to experience the unique sweet and harsh flavor. Clearly a quality rum. The aroma alone will have me pouring another glass.

Once again, anything less than a 9 for this rum is unconscionable! It is just as good as the 23 with some small differences. This one is a little less sweet, a little less oaked, and has a tiny bit of a dryer almond taste. Other than that, its pretty much the same review I wrote for the 23. Next stop, the 12 year. Yeah, I did this one totally backwards...