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Commander's Old Reserve rum

Commander's Old Reserve

United States | Aged | 40% ABV

6.3/10
11 ratings
Tasty, but not quite great
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11 Commander's Old Reserve Ratings

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Beukeboom 🇺🇸 | 304 ratings
Posted 8 years ago

This rum is supposed to be "small batch" and "sherry cask aged" but Capn Jimbo at Capn Jimbo's Rum Project discovered Florida Caribbean Distillers to be anything but a small batch distillery. In fact it's a massive distillery producing a whole slew of liquors including some cheap rums.

That raises red flags.

Also I don't see how the two reviewers before me (Susan and The Bazaar Traveler) concluded this rum is worthy of a 10. Not to be conspiratorial but could they be affiliated in some way with Florida Caribbean Distillers? I ask because this rum is far from a 10. It's not the worst rum I've tasted but certainly not deserving of a 10.

The back label on the bottle claims a "deep mahogany hue". Hardly. The rum in the bottle I got was more of a bright amber and nowhere near a "deep mahogany hue"...not even a shallow-end-of-the-kiddie-pool mahogany hue". Bright amber.

The aroma in the bottle and in the snifter was nice. Made me think, prematurely, that I may have discovered something special.

Nope.

The flavor is unremarkable with hints of sweetness but watery. It tasted as if someone diluted it with that "fresh water from deep within the Florida aquifer" (backyard hose?) Considering the Florida aquifer covers almost 100,000 square miles and supplies water for most of the state of Florida (along with parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi) this could be a fanciful way of saying "tap water".

Back to the flavor...

The is a bit of oak tone to it. And seems to have a bit of an oily consistency. The rum also has a rather strong and lingering burn. It's a little stronger than typical rums...42% ABV (84 proof) but the burn indicates it might be a tad higher than that.

For under $20, it's not a bad buy but for a few dollars more there are many rums that are far better.

3/1/2017 ADDENDUM: Got another bottle to try...different label and now labeled at 43% ABV. Perhaps I got a better batch this time. Just a tad smoother but still nothing exceptional. Still get a noticeable tannin aftertaste and still has a lingering burn. Since the flavor has improved somewhat I have bumped my rating up to a 6 but unless they improve dramatically I cannot see it going above a 6. The color and aroma is still essentially the same. Works best as a mixer. Definitely NOT a sipping rum. I still have suspicions as to the "10" ratings. Folks, this is far from a rum deserving a rating of 10. Trust me on this.

Susan 🇺🇸 | 1 rating
Posted almost 9 years ago

The sherry cask aging process is the icing on the cake for this unique rum. As a cane rum, the flavor and viscosity is what you would expect. But aging in sherry casks produces a wine-like flavor that is unique among rums. This rum is worth every penny of its price. I highly recommend.

Ramon 🇺🇸 | 85 ratings
Posted over 4 years ago

I try to sample an American made Rum whenever I see one. I tried this one, it wasn’t bad, had no particular distinction or character that I could speak of. It was a clear rum, I would compare it to a Kettle One Vodka to be honest. I’m glad I found it, might buy a bottle for the right price just to have as a conversation piece on my bar. Interesting picture on the bottle.

Roger Averill 🇺🇸 | 34 ratings
Posted over 5 years ago

A little lighter in color. Great bold spices balanced with a nice sweetness from sherry cask aging.

Dan Brush 🇺🇸 | 7 ratings
Posted over 5 years ago

One of my first great rums! Love the bottle texture. f

Ryan 🇺🇸 | 6 ratings
Posted over 6 years ago

Loved it. Smooth with a subtle sweetness and heat.

Aaron 🇺🇸 | 3 ratings
Posted over 6 years ago

This Rum was a target of mine when I ventured down south on Spring vacation. Was not a bad choice, however I probably would not buy more than once.

Chris Keene 🇺🇸 | 1 rating
Posted almost 7 years ago

It's a rum that tastes more mature than what they say on the bottle (2 years). Perhaps it is because they use sherry casks. I think of it as a medium bodied rum, not too sweet and not to dry. Nice that it is bottled at 84 proof.

Gerome 🇺🇸 | 43 ratings
Posted 7 years ago

The color was very close to the 5 year Barbados plantation with a light amber hue. The taste was nothing special, it didn't last and a very dry lingering aftertaste, like a Sherry wine. It was not a bad buy, but once it's gone I will not purchase again.. it makes for a good mai tai mixer. The alcohol burn is there toward the front but it concludes fast as it goes down and dries out the throat.

Justin 🇺🇸 | 15 ratings
Posted 7 years ago

Definitely not for sipping. OK as a mixer. I wanted it to be good, but it did not meet expectations.




Brand Details

Name: Old Reserve
ABV: 40%
Type: Commander's
Raw Material: Unknown
Process: Unknown
Distillation: Unknown
Women leading Rum: No