Frigate Reserve 21-Year

One of my favorites, not too sweet and quite smooth.

Brought by a friend last Friday party with lots of things flowing. I thought a second tasting for rating was needed. I just read the cool story behind this rum and the adventurers like me from Abaco that created it. I like the true Cuban style rum roots, so different than the Don Pancho Origenes style. smooth full bodied lightly sweet but nothing like Zacapa. Great lingering depth this is truly a great rum.

Yesterday, Hurricane Dorian bore down upon Abaco in the Bahamas with 185 mph winds. Since this is where this company is based, I figured that I should finally plunk down $110 for their top of the line bottle before the day comes when I may not be able to find any more. I am sure that their casks are in Panama and not stored on Abaco.

This 21 year old is straight from Don Pancho's reserve casks in Panama. Their 15, 12, and 8 year olds all have smaller amounts of this 21 year reserve. After allowing it to breathe in the snifter for about 20 minutes, there is the pleasant aroma of caramel with no burn. There is also no burn going down the pipe. The taste was a pleasant surprise of mild oak and caramel. It is a truly fine dry rum that reminds me of Admiral Rodney HMS Princessa. Give it a try if you can still find it.

Update September 18, 2019: This company will soon send 24,000 bottles of their rums to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas. I am assuming that they will soon be available at Total Wine besides the ABC Fine Wine and Spirits stores in Florida. One dollar from the sale of each bottle goes to getting the island of Abaco back onto it's feet after Hurricane Dorian. A little goes a long way, so drink up for a very good cause!

Update September 15, 2020 while awaiting for Hurricane Sally: A few days ago, I sprung for another bottle of this 21 Year old Frigate Reserve (on sale for $95) and also another bottle of their 15 Year Old. It was now time for a taste test comparisons to my bottle of Carta Vieja Golden Cask. This is a MUCH better rum than the CVGC 18 and one damn fine rum, so it gets moved up to my rating of 9 and a few others get moved down to an 8. However, when compared side by side to their 15 year old, this one is not worth twice the price. Their best buy is the 15 year old.

By the way, the bottle design was inspired by an old rum bottle that washed up onto the shores of Abaco in the Bahamas where the company is based (their rum comes from Don Pancho in Panama). They found out that the bottle washed ashore was from the 1600's.

Frigate rum has been an exceptional find for me. I really enjoyed this selection.

Judging by color, aroma, taste and after glow, Frigate Reserve 21 is the finest Rum I've come across in my 70+ years on the 3rd Rock. I could go on, but the proof on the shelf ...

Tremendous flavor. Very smooth. Not too sweet, not too dry. Expensive, but I’ll keep a bottle in the cabinet for special occasions. Absolutely one of the best rums I’ve ever tasted.

This rum is a fantastic sipper. Woody notes with hints of toasted oak and a smooth finish. This is a rum worth enjoying!