Brugal 1888 Rum

I was gifted this bottle many years ago, likely in 2014 or 2015. My bottle's appearance differs from the one displayed here, suggesting an earlier design and potentially distinct liquid, given the cask details listed. Here are the specifics from the bottle. Year - 2013 Batch No. 3 Cask - White oak, American oak, Spanish oak The nose is abundant with brown sugar, molasses, and dark fruit sweetness. There are hints of baking spice and oak, but they are overshadowed by the sweetness unless inhaled deeply, at which point the oak maturation and age become more noticeable. This sweetness persists on the palate, yet it's surprisingly light. Based on the aroma, I anticipated a richer mouthfeel, but I attribute 90% of that to the diluted 80 proof final product. The flavor profile shifts dramatically on the finish, almost mirroring a sweet bourbon finish. It becomes less sweet and considerably drier towards the end. The oak, tannins, and baking spices are more prominent than on the nose and palate. I detect a stronger hint of ethanol here, but it quickly fades. Overall, I've enjoyed this bottle despite rum not being my preferred spirit. It's a good sipping rum that many would appreciate neat. My limited experience with fine aged rum has led me to believe this is an excellent introductory spirit for transitioning friends who typically only consume hard liquor in cocktails, on the rocks, or as a shot. If a friend is hesitant about whiskey neat, consider offering them an aged rum first.

Sampled neat from a small snifter. The pour is a deep clear mahogany, strongly showing the sherry cask influence. My nose immediately detects sweetness. It smells like the hot caramel topping from a Dairy Queen sundae. There are notes of spun sugar and hard candy made from corn syrup. There's the faintest hint of latex paint, but no harsh methanol. The sherry doesn't impart much fruitiness to the aroma. It's a very pleasing, though not exceptionally complex, profile. This has a creamy texture, and my initial thought is that it's a very silky, easy sipper. It's not nearly as sweet as the aroma suggests. There's a fleeting taste of egg white, dark chocolate, yellow cake, and a suggestion of maple with orchard fruit. The flavor profile doesn't entirely escape the slightly chemical note detected in the aroma, with a mild layer of ethanol providing an unwelcome roughness. It's certainly not overpowering, but this flaw prevents this spirit from being a top contender. I enjoy this, but I wouldn't spend $45 on it again. I just don't find it to be a great value, although it is a reasonably good rum. My rating scale ranges from 1 (a drain pour) to 5 (a near-perfect example of the expression). Most competently made spirits should fall around a bell curve with the average being 2.5. I'd place this a little above average, bordering on 3.0 to 3.25, in my opinion.

The aroma is pleasant and distinctly rum-like, without being overly alcoholic, featuring brown sugar, maple syrup, some butter, a touch of oak, tobacco flower, and subtle baking spices such as clove and nutmeg. It's sweet on the palate, with minimal heat and a peppery bite, offering a refined flavor profile. It presents notes of dark sugar syrup, not quite molasses, gentle warming spices, and faint hints of oak and sherry, even dried cherries. The body is substantial and full, with a velvety but not heavy texture. In the glass, it takes a considerable time to develop legs, and while sparse and irregular, delicate teardrops form and trail down the sides at a moderate pace. The finish is slightly dry, revealing more pronounced oak, suede, cigar wrappers, and evoking a memory of cherry Twizzlers. Nose: 9 Taste: 9 Body: 9 Finish: 8

Wow, this really hits your palate hard. The aroma is potent, filled with spices, chocolate, and wood. Even though this is 40% ABV, it tastes stronger. The palate offers more dark notes, wood, spices, and burnt sugar (perhaps), with a long finish. Even after 15 seconds, my tongue tingles like fireworks. If you enjoy bourbon, this might be a good try, as this rum appears to be heavily influenced by its former bourbon casks.

The nose definitely has burnt sugar and tropical scents, with banana being quite prominent. The taste immediately goes to burnt sugars, which is preferable given the lower proof. Tropical flavors and banana, true to the nose, emerge afterward. Finally, bourbon wood notes accompany the finish. This would be a very good budget rum, assuming a bottle is as inexpensive as this sample.

My preferred expression from Brugal, offering a quite distinct flavor profile – not excessively sweet, just the right amount of oakiness, spicy, and well-balanced. It's very smooth yet possesses the ideal bite to maintain interest. I've finished several bottles already. Regrettably, the price has increased in various markets since its initial release, but it remains worthwhile.