Frigate Reserve 21yr Rum
Age: 21 years
Distillery: Frigate
Nose: Apple, Apricot, Blackberry, Caramel, Clove, Honey, Leather, Oak, Ethanol, Pear, Plum
Taste: Creamy/Silky Mouthfeel. Cinnamon, Fennel, Licorice, Oak, Honey, Brown Butter, Maple Syrup, Strawberry Jam, Vanilla Cream.
Finish: medium length. The rich notes of molasses and maple are the foundation of this profile. That seems like a given, since it is rum after all, but this one in particular hits the nail on the head! The slight spice notes fade pretty quickly, leaving me to want just a bit more. The best thing about this finish though, is the sweet caramel and vanilla cream notes. They are so prominent, rich, and almost reminiscent of a maple vanilla cake.
Overall: This is a rum with some serious age on it, 21 years is nothing to scoff at. If you are a bourbon drinker or new to rum - you may like the look of age statements. Rum is slightly different than whiskey though. Just because this says it is 21 years on the label, doesn’t actually mean it is. 99% of all aged stated rums use what is called the solera process. That is a process in which you blend older stock with younger stock for aging, in hopes that the younger juice will take on some of those older and more mature flavors.
Frigate Reserve however is not one of those. Every drop in this bottle is TRULY 21 years old. I think this does an excellent job with the amount of flavors and the richness of said flavors with that process.
Rating: 8.9/10