896 Gold Rum 5 Year

Nose: Slightly smoky and spiced, with a hint of artificial caramel and a touch of funky tropical fruit. It also has a faint sweaty aroma. There's not much complexity here, and it's quite light compared to spirits like Appleton Estate 12, sadly. P: Smooth and well-rounded. The flavor has a bourbon-like quality, reminiscent of Ron Zacapa but less distinct and unusual. It's sweet with a spicy kick but lacks alcohol harshness. Smoke is present, along with a firework-like note (bitter and slightly tart) that signals it's a rum. It might be decent for sipping at its price point, but it's definitely young, with a noticeable alcohol presence and some artificial caramel flavor. Vanilla is abundant, accompanied by caramel leaning towards light butterscotch. It's quite sweet, but the fireworks balance it. This is an acceptably solid rum. It's a bit rough and not very complex, but it offers decent caramel and a subtle peanut flavor with baking spices and mild wood notes before hints of tropical fruit emerge. It's not very full-bodied, but it's passable and could be a fun alternative to light rum in mixed drinks. F: The caramel, smoke, and spices have a lasting presence, but so does the alcohol burn, leading to a somewhat muddled finish. This is a passable $15 rum. It's a bit young in flavor and harshness, but not too bad. The complexity and body could certainly be improved, as it doesn't measure up to Appleton Estate 12 or Doorly's 12. It's not amazing, but it's not objectionable. I could see myself sipping this, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it in a cocktail to replace a light rum, but I think I'd prefer Blackwell, Plantation Xaymaca, or Doorly's XO for slightly more, or Doorly's 12 for a bit more than that. I'm settling on a score in the 9 to 11 range. 10 seems appropriate.

A refined, aged Rum from Barbados that begins aromatically with notes of sugar cane, wood, nuts, herbs & spices; while a rich character adds notes of vanilla & caramel that led to a long & balanced conclusion. May 2018

It was a decent rum for mixing Dark 'n' Stormies, but a bit too young for sipping neat and lacked complexity