Rum Review: Bermudez Anniversario 12 Anos

The fifth and last major standard style, the lighter Cuban rums pioneered by Bacardi, who left their facilities and quality, but not their politics, behind when Fidel lit up. Por Cuba Libre!
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How do you rate Bermudez Anniversario 12 Anos (5 is best)?

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Total votes: 1

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Capn Jimbo
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Rum Review: Bermudez Anniversario 12 Anos

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Bermudez Anniversario 12 Anos: "Coffee Toffee"


Sue Sea and I visited Total Wine last night and noted some interesting changes. We noted that more lower priced house brands are appearing and have almost completely taken over shelves, save for the top shelf. It wasn't always that way.

More shocking is a line of prepacked spirits, wherein you buy a "bag" of spirits containing individual, clear poly "teabags" containing single serving of rum, vodka, et al. What a dumb shit idea, but of course appealing to the idiots who really don't know better.

But not our idiots!

Here we appreciate real and pure rums, priced fairly and from long established companies with real history and real names. Not made up names bottled in Minnesota. But lately we've seen a few additions of rums worth tasting from Centenario (the 7 year), Rhum Negrita (cane juice) and today: Bermudez Anniversario 12 Anos.

Bermudez Anniversario was priced moderately at $25, and came boxed. I might not have purchased it except for the long history of the company, and but for the fact that I'd recently researched Dominican Republic (DR) distillers. It helped that our reference Cuban style rum is Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva 15, also from the DR.

Let's get to it...

Sue Sea:
Most of you know that I appreciate presentation - the setting and the bottle. Even though this doesn't count in our scores, it does add to the experience. In this regard Bermudez Anniversario was disappointing. It came in a common champagne style bottle, screw top, dark glass (hiding the rum) and highlighted by a cheesy bright gold, shiny plastic, glued on medallion and a dull rectangular silver and gold boring label. The label features what appear to be World's Fair awards from 1902 and on, but the total effect remains gaudy and cheap.

I must be fair and state that I'm a bit under the weather and not giving you my "A" game. So I've taken some extra time to draw out whatever this rum has to offer.

As far as aroma, both Jim and I had exactly the same initial impression: a mellow, classic rum aroma featuring leather, followed by vanillan, and a background of spice and dark fruits - raisin, prune, dates and figs.

The taste was consistent and smooth with an early palate of caramel and butterscotch, similar to a Werthers but with time, more like a Heathbar (toffee). Add notions of dark chocolate/cacao and coffee. This toffee melted into the mid-palate with growing spices (ginger and clove), and moving to a bitey warm and glowing finish, long and warm.

Bermudez Anniversario is balanced, consistent and easy to drink. It is a typical nice rum-lovers rum, warm but not hot, sweet but not syrupy. It is certainly pleasant and drinkable but this is also its failing.

A great rum must be distinctive as well, with more complexity and individuality, lacking here. To me, if nothing else it needed a little Cuban kick. As it is, Bermudez Anniversario is pleasant but unremarkable.

I'm really not sure if I can recommend this rum. The test for me is whether I'd buy it again, or for a friend. At $25 I'm not at all sure I would. It's simply not that distinctive, particularly when better rums like Centenario 7 Year and Santa Teresa can be had for $16.
Me:

Bermudez is an old and revered distiller of whom I've long been aware. For almost that reason alone, I had to review a rum regardless of its general unavailability. I always hope to discover another great rum.

This was not to be.

Bermudez Anniversario appears as a medium amber, not particularly clear, with a long, pearl necklace that finally releases its moderately fast legs. Added sugar? Hard to tell. Sue Sea and I agreed immediately on the open: classic rum - leather over a bit of deep orange (as the bottle aired, the orange faded into the background). Over time it's dark and deep character emerged, which I found more a spicy tar than Sue Sea's dark fruit. But we're on the same page.

My initial palate immediately reminded me of a candy apple, with it's deep red, sweet shell. But all our mutual aromatic impression come true in the palate, opening sweet and proceeding consistently toward a glowing black pepper finish.

I immediately decided on a "7", but Sue Sea wasn't quite so sure. The acid test, as always, is in comparison to known reference standards, in this case Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva. I also pulled out Santa Teresa Anejo, a superb and surprising best buy rum from Venezuela.

This settled the matter, as in comparison the Bermudez Anniversario 12 Anos didn't stand up. This review is a perfect example of the importance of reference standards. I can't tell you how many rums were about to receive better scores until tasted side-by-side with a known standard.

It keeps you honest.


Score (ten is best): solid 7.
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