Denizen Merchants Reserve 8-Year

This aged, blend is a little bit Appleton, a little bit Smith and Cross and a little bit Agricole that sort of make it in category of it’s own. The aroma instantly reminded me of a traditional quality Mai Tai and of course, this makes outstanding cocktails. I also like to sip this on a occasion when something a little lighter and drier is in order. A little brown sugar lingers on the lips with a nice medium long, warm finish. Very unique and nicely done.

I was actually hoping for it to be a bit more intense than it actually is.. The funk is there, but not at the dramatic levels I was expecting from the description. It is, however, a classy rum that deserves a great deal of respect - It is the closest imitation for the legendary W&N 17yr.
Initial nosing is of caramelized ripe banana. It has a very pleasant velvety mouthfeel, and a nuttiness that I assume comes from the Grand Arome. Some tropical fruits mix in as it progresses to a very smooth, warm finish. I would love to see what this would showcase at a higher strength...
Its a go-to rum for Maita'is. Though I would argue a superior drink can be had by blending Smith & Cross with an aged agricole.

Sipped - neat
Jamaican and Martinique rums, 8 YO
Nose - medium
In mouth - bold aged gold rum with grassy linger
Mouth linger - slightly sweet, very pleasant
Blended for a one rum Mai Tai, and am anxious to mix one shortly.

OK, here's the mixed Mai Tai cocktail (30% ABV before ice shaking). Added Whaler's for the woody funk. Smooth and easy drinking,,,

2 Denizen 8 YO (Jamaican-Martinique 86 proof)
½ Whaler's (Kentucky 80 proof)
¾ Pierre Ferrand orange curacao (France 80 proof)
¾ lime juice
½ Giffard's orgeat (France)
Lime wedge squeeze

If you're familiar with those, than you should be able to see exactly what I mean! But assuming your don't:
N- Hot prunes, jet fuel and fruity FUNK all layered on top of creme brulee.
P- Musty, fruity, creamy, chewy
F- Funky and spicy
Also, throughout the whole thing theres something... cachaca-y.
Both LS and S&C are known for their fierce, unique overproofs, and this rum manages to bring everything from both worlds and cram it into one beverage AND somehow dial the strength all the way back down to the usual 40% (compared to 60-something and 55 from the "parents"), which makes it way more approachable, and even pleasant! Whoever the maker behind this wonky creation is, they deserve many a pat on the back.

This comes close to my favorite rum combination for a mai tai, if somewhat flatter. I have yet to find a better combination than 1:1 Appleton 12-year and Ron del Barrilito 3-Star. This has that same combination of refined column still flavors (toasted oak, vanilla, etc.) plus raw Jamaican pot still funk. However, while the initial taste of the Denizen is a good match, it lacks the delicious, lingering finish of the above combination.

While it's formulated with the help of Martin Cate specifically for the Smuggler's Cove Mai Tai, do take note that you'll want to bump up the amount of orgeat in the standard recipe to balance out the lack of finish. I personally use 2 oz rum, 1/2 oz orgeat (up from 1/4 in Martin's recipe), a heavy pour of 1/4 oz mai tai syrup (basically demerara syrup + vanilla extract); 1/2 oz orange curacao; and 3/4 oz lime juice. You can use a bit more of the syrup if you prefer a sweeter & more vanilla-y mai tai, but I wouldn't go over 1 oz of lime juice as it overpowers the rest of the flavors.

You can't really beat the price of this bottle at about $30. However, if you're willing to shell out a bit more, you can get Ron del Barrilito 3-Star for about $35 and Appleton 12-year for about $40; that means the average price for your Mai Tai is about $37/bottle, so only $7 more than a bottle of the Denizen. (As a bonus these 2 bottles form a really great base for a ton of tiki drinks - Zombies, Jet Pilots, Coronado Luau Special, and on an on.....)

Having said that, if you're looking for an all-around good mixing rum with a good bit of Jamaican funk plus some of the more refined flavors you find from Spanish-style column stills, you can't go wrong with this. It's not much more than your average bottle of random "gold" rum, and it has a ton more character.

I've only ever made Mai Tai's with this rum, since that is what it was specifically made for.

Tried it on the rocks and with coke. Neither grabbed me. Had the barest of molasses flavor. Ranked it as a 4.5 on my scale of 10

Many people in pursuit of authenticity prepare an "original" Trader Vic's Mai Tai using a blend of aged Jamaican and rhum agricole from Martinique. And the result is delicious. But Martin Cate of Smuggler's Cove has done a bit of research (and lots of rum tasting) and makes a solid case that the Martinique rum used by Trader Vic in his original recipes was not, in fact, an agricole, but a rhum traditionnel/industriel—that is, made from molasses, rather than sugar cane juice. (Shocking! But people forget that the French and former French colonies did and do make their share of molasses-based rhum.)

Mr. Cate then collaborated with the makers of Denizen to produce the first blend of aged rum that approximates that featured in trader Vic's "Second Adjusted Mai Tai Recipe" (the one he used after depleting world stocks of W&N 17 and 15), and released it to the world.

The resulting is rum is really astounding. The bouquet is intensely aromatic and floral. The taste is dry. Sugar-loading has not smoothed out this 8-year-old's rough edges; from start to finish, this is a rum with character. It's not the most refined sipper, but it's still quite sippable. Try it in a Daiquiri. Swap it into your favorite classic tiki drinks that call for Martinique, Jamaican, or "gold" rum. And while its very existence hinges on its not being a rhum agricole, it still makes for a darn good Ti' Punch.

Of course, where this bottle really shines is an "original recipe" Trader Vic's Mai Tai—rum, lime juice, curacao, orgeat, and sugar syrup. Preferably garnished with a spent lime shell and a mint sprig. Thank me (or Martin Cate) later.

I have to say that sometimes we try to make more out of a rum than its intended or perhaps better expressed; hold it to a standard to to which it is obviously not suited. Merchant 8 is not a long aged pot distilled rum and was never really intended to be a "sipper" (but regardless, to some of us it is!). As mentioned here Martin Cates uses M8 as his house Mai Tai rum at Smugglers Cove house. What isn't mentioned is that he collaborated with the folks from Denizen & E&A Sheer to blend a rum for just that purpose. I was happy to see that at least one person here also picked up on just how successful that collaboration was; the Jamaican funk & Agricole notes do indeed come through. With that in mind I'd say that Jeff Berry and Martin Cates were both pretty much on the same page when it came to recreating the flavor of the now extinct 17YO Jamaican Rum that was the basis for the original Mai Tai. I like it straight but it truly shines when used for the purpose it was intended.

This is a rum I continue to revisit. The mix of Jamaican and agricole is finely tuned if unspecific in both categories. Vanilla bean and just a hint of mint and parilla. Lovely stuff.