Barbancourt 5 Stars 8 Years Réserve Spéciale

"A rum tasted at the Lucerne Gin and Rum Festival 2024. A nose of bitter root, like gentian, but also sugar, yellow fruit and a herbaceous side. The palate is very bitter and alcoholic, a gentian spirit? But also with a sweet/honey side. The finish is short, leaving only bitterness in the mouth. To the untrained eye, you'd think it was a slightly sweet root liqueur rather than a rum. That said, it's pleasant on the palate and well made. I like it less than the 4-year-old."

"Considering the price tag you get a lot for your money. Beautiful colour with fruity caramel nose and sweet on the palate. Could be a good beginner rum i think."

"I tried this rum at a local bar… Very sweet, round, soft and spicy rum. I didn’t like it much, because it’s not the kind of rum I’ used to drink. I can recommend it to beginners or guys who want to make the next step 😜 Also the alcohol isn’t integrated well."

"Dégusté au salon Rhum Fest Paris, notes partielles. EDIT : trop simple et pas assez long. C’est plutôt amusant, je n’ai pas de points de comparaison avec d’autres barbancourt dans mon souvenir. Globalement trop acqueux et un peu d’alcool quand même pour ce degrés là, mais sinon on a un nez melon/pasteque puis une bouche carrément sur les épices, il n’y a presque que ça…"

"A light rum, mainly driven by sugar and caramel notes. Great price to quality, as I paid 20€ for a bottle, this could be a great entry level for beginners while rum lovers could skip it, the sweetness is too relevant and almost artificial (even if I do not think this rum does have any additive)"

"A bottle given by my sister for Christmas 2024. On the nose, quite flattering on fruit with baked apple, with a little vanilla and grey pepper. The palate is quite strong in alcohol, with an integration of the alcohol that could have been better. Few aromas apart from light vanilla and a tiny bit of oak. A very ephemeral finish that leaves nothing memorable. Not much to say about this rum, which remains pleasant but forgettable."

"Flavor very thin, but alcohol better integrated."

"Its low price and simplicity make it a good starter for someone new to rum. Still, it's a little alcoholic and slightly spicy. But it also offers some pleasant palettes of grassy vanilla sugar. I preferred it to the 15 ans"

"Something I keep on hand as a mixer, but lets see how it stands up on its own. On the nose and in the mouth a mellow, but flat profile. Sparse dried fruits, burnt sugar and barrel notes. Mineralic with rainwater, but really no complexity and nothing to excite the senses."

"Didn’t know what to expect on this one but enjoyed it in every way. Nose and palate are completely different. Tasty!"

"A very odd and unique bird in the rum world. Made from pure cane juice but you would swear it’s a molasses rum. The Limousine barrels or the second distilling in pot stills must work magic because it’s unlike any other pure cane juice rhum you’ve ever tried. My issue with Barbancourt is this: As a technical oddity I find it fascinating but if someone had told me this is just another smooth bajan or st lucian rum I would’ve enjoyed it but then quickly forgotten about it. Yes, it’s unique in cane juice rums, but the flavor of that uniqueness is not itself unique. I love it to be sure but I dont enjoy it more than I do, say, a standard bottle of chairman’s reserve. Special note must be made to their production methods where they do genuinely help a lot of small farmers in Haiti."

"Alcohol could be a little better integrated but all in all a solid Haiti rum."

"Round and very balanced. A rather "flat" nose, but full of complexity and flavor. Very pleasant"

"Sweet like cane sugar, mild bite, fairly short finish. A decent sip, not the most complex, but fair and enjoyable. Terrific in cocktails but can be drank neat in a pinch or for something new."

"Woody, but in a really sawdusty way. Refractometer: 15.0% brix"