Bacardi Ron Solera 1873

This stuff wakes you up before you even taste it. A bit strong smelling and slight medicine smell and taste, with a lot of charred barrel flavour but not too oaky. The bottle looks great and the graphics would suggest more of a top shelf flavour than it really presents. Not really a sipper, I would mix this one with Coke.

I purchased this 1873 bottle while visiting the Bacardi plant in 1996. It was listed as a dry rum so it sat unopened for 18 years until recently. It did have a pale golden color when I purchased it. It is a pleasant rum, a bit dry and clean finish. Not my cup of tea, but at least it doesn't suck.

The initial taste is ridiculously smooth... no burn and soft flavor until a pleasant dry, spicy complexity starts to build and accumulate as you progress to the finish. A little bit of funk, but noticeable molasses notes and smokey oak. With ice, or a little water, a bittersweet dark-chocolate flavor emerges and lingers on the finish. I bought it for $20, but have found it for lower. how could you complain? A good one for the shelf, as it continues to change the minds of those that believe Bacardi is no good.

A blend of rums aged in charred oak barrels using the solera method where rums aged from 1-3 years are joined together to produce a flavorful rum. Woody, smoky and fruity are words to describe this entry level sipper. Priced around $25, this rum is one of two rums produced by Bacardi that offer a nice deviation from their other standard rum line. The Bacardi 8 and solera 1873 can be enjoyed neat or mixed.

Sugar: 3- 5 gpl.
This was the "Premium" rum at the All Inclusive I stayed at in Mexico. It's not a top shelf rum by any means, but it's a decent mixing rum. Not offensive as they have far worse tasting stuff on offer to those that want Mojitos or are volume drinkers. Normal aromas and tastes of Oak, Vanilla, and caramel. Nothing outstanding and whatever taste there is fades quickly. It's not robust enough to have over ice. Mixing rum only is my call on this one.

My only reference at the moment is Bacardi Ocho. In comparisson, Solera is much stronger, and definitely not for sipping. But when mixed (particularly for Cubas), it has an almost sweet flavor. I did not feel the oak at all, to be honest, but it's good nevertheless. I always have a bottle in stock for when I feel like having a strong drink.

To be honest, I'd take an Ocho over Solera, anytime.

Was at a hotel bar and this was the only "premium" rum available. Neat, it had notes of oak and charring. Alcohol was wafting from the glass. The palette had more oak, molasses and a bit of vanilla. Burning and spreading the warmth of that oakyness down the throat. With a cube, it didn't open much. A tad more vanilla.
Not a great rum, but for a Bacardi product it's drinkable. Next time, mixing it.

Like hair spray from 1980. At the roof of my mouth, there is a displeasure too. Tried straight, on the rocks and with coke. Added more than the usual amount of coke and it became... acceptable.

As a stand alone sipper it would be not bad. I would probably use mix the next time I try it though. I purchased it because a local (in Mexico) said it was a favourite of his and he genuinely seemed pretty excited about it. I'm glad I tried it.

Es un ron fuerte en olor y sabor a alcohol, mezclado con coca colar es la única forma de tomarlo