Barbancourt Estate Reserve is the eldest of Barbancourt's four offerings: the white, 4 year (Three Star), 8 year (Five Star) and Pango (flavored). All the others have been reviewed.
This was the last of the lot primarily due to its price $38 (compare to the world class Five Star at $20 and Three Star at $18. For purposes of rationality and economy I tend to draw the line at around $30. A rum has to be quite special for this barrier to be broken. So far a mere handful have qualified: Mount Gay Extra Old, Seales 10 Year and now this special cane juice rum from the incomparable Barbancourt of Haiti.
On this night we also took the opportunity to do a flight of the 4, 8 and 15 year, along with 10 Cane and, believe it or not, Zaya 12 Year (Trinidad). But first this review:
Sue Sea:
Barbancourt 15 year Estate Reserve comes in what is the usual Barbancourt bottle - classic, unpretentious, and old-fashioned, with a screw top cap. Unlike the Three and Five Star, the amber glass bottle is enhanced by a brushed finish. Like the others it has classic, gold-leafed labels featuring the multiple (21) international medals and famous teal "star" and staff carrying maiden.
Now what was special about this night too was that we organized a flight of the three Barbancourts. Naturally, we started with the Three Star and finished with this 15 year Estate Reserve. This turned out to a terrific plan, as I learned so much more about all three and how the differences developed among them.
Estate Reserve opens with an aroma that begins to approximate a good molasses rum. A heavenly vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar maple with also a candy/syrupy honey effect. I picked up a definite pineapple, and a hint of deep orange. Unlike some molasses rums, these were not additives! And all over a nice background of caney reed and oak.
This rum is entirely consistent from aroma to finish. The taste is rich and almost (but not) syrupy, hearty and flan-like, with a nice full body. It bordesr on - but is not - a dessert rum. This rum is quite exceptional and is the full fruition of the development of its younger siblings. The finish affects both mouth and chest and is white peppery hot. Like the other Barbancourts it has what I call an exhale, or what Jim refers to as a secondary olfaction. A aroma and lingering taste and burn that is extremely rewarding and characteristic of only the best rums.
Now I did not give Barbancourt Estate Reserve quite the same rating as the Five Star, but you might well reach the opposite conclusion. This is partly due to my personal preference, but also due to the intensity of this fine product.
Me:
Tasting Estate Reserve was a rare experience. As always, I will add only my additional impressions. The aging has resulted in a nice clear amber, with a thin light olive rim reflecting its aging. Reserve opened with a nice vanilla maple over a background of reed and pungent oak. This rum features a deep orange, leathery, tarry oak (a deep oak) furniture polish aroma. The full bodied taste is entirely consistent, with early smoothness and buttery sensation and ending with a growing hot white pepper end palate and long finish. Chest and especially mouth warming. Reserve is almost syrupy, but thankfully is not. There is only very little of the younger rums astringency.
This rum has reached the practical limit of aging. It is important for the distiller to know when a rum is fully mature - but without being over-oaked - and Barbancourt has hit it on the head. What made this tasting really special was including Reserve in a flight of the three gold Barbancourt cane juice rums.
Only in this way can you truly appreciate each of them. Be sure to read the post on this flight, in this section.
Rating (ten is best): Sue Sea - 7.5, Jimbo - 8.