896 8-Year

Total Wine and Spirits had this rum available for $21.99. Advertised with a 93 rating from the Beverage Testing Institute and 4.5 stars from customers. As a fan of Barbados rums I thought I'd give 896 a try. It's very good for the price, but as others have said here it's more of a mixer than a sipper. Expected a little more complexity for an 8 year rum.

Good rum, much better than the 5 year. Especially good flavor for the price.

Was tempted into this by the sleek labeling and the on-sale price tag of a mere $18 (if memory serves).

Mild, bordering on unexciting, but quite smooth. Moderately sweet as well. Gentle and caramely on the nose with only a slight alcohol nip. Maybe just a touch of vanilla, but flavors are really quite muted.

I do think this is quite a nice mixer, and have enjoyed a couple of great rum'n'cokes with it already. For sipping it's a bit uninteresting but fine for a quick dip now and then, as it's hardly unpleasant.

Nose is pleasant
Feels a bit watery and cheap
But has some upside might make a better cocktail rum then a sipper

The flavor is what I’m looking for but it doesn’t com through enough

I purchased this to be a mixer and it does quite a nice job. I would not consider it a sipper.

Too strong for 8-year aging, but 896 has a nice flavor once you can feel your tongue again.

After having just tried Old Brigand Black Label, also from Barbados, this one falls several rankings below. It still rates as a 7, but is in a crowded field in my rankings with Don Q Anejo and Flor de Cana 5 Year Anejo. It is a mixer, but can marginally pass as a sipper. Nothing offensive, but nothing memorable either. I don't regret buying this one, but probably not again, with too much competition and others being much more readily available. It also has no added sugar.

Update 02 SEP 2020: This rum has finally passed up my former cheap favorite of Old Brigand, which has also really sunk down in my ratings. This one is still a very good budget rum. It has now risen about Doorly's XO as my favorite Bajan rum that is still readily available. This is one of the very few rums that have improved in my likings over the years.

On the nose, noticabley hotter than comparable bottles (Doorlys 8, etc) and less complex. Some caramel and vanilla up front, oaky almost bitter on the tail. Lacks the depth and fruity richness you'd expect from an 8yr Barbados rum.

This rum has a nice Golden brown hue I tend to love in my rums. It starts out with a full bodied scent, somewhat similar to Demerara rums from Guyana but it stops short. I have purchased it several times and for around $20 bottle I consider it a value as a mixer rum with full bodied flavor and can occasionally sip it like now.

I gave it a 6 as comparing to my staple table rum Pusser’s that clearly is a bit superior.