The rum is aged in ex-bourbon and French oak barrels. The color is a dark mahogany. On the nose, the rum shares many of the same aromas of its sibling. It’s seems sweeter. The butterscotch and vanilla notes are more pronounced, as are the floral and citrus zest aromas. It’s less herbaceous and peppery and there is a slight raisin note. The look and color is nice with a reddish mahogany glow in the bottle and a light yellowish amber in the glass. I let it sit for about 5 minutes before smelling and there was a strong presence of vanilla, caramel, sugar and oak. I occasionally got some mild fruit but nothing substantial, maybe a hint of orange rind and apricot, really not sure. The finish is long, with dried fruit sweetness, tropical spice and a mild but lingering pepperiness.

On the palate, the flavors are sweeter and more intense, with pronounced butterscotch and vanilla notes. There are tropical fruit notes of pineapple, mango and melon, along with a hint of dried apricot and raisin. The coffee and milk chocolate notes are also evident, along with cinnamon and nutmeg and just a hint of oak. The rum is satiny smooth, with a noticeable palate weight.The rum is aged in new American oak barrels. The color is a rich dark amber. On the nose, it seems drier, with the expected butterscotch, vanilla, floral and dried fruit aromas, along with a distinct pepperiness. There are also additional notes of dark chocolate and a hint of coffee.

The stated ages on Kirk and Sweeney rums are in accordance with Dominican Republic rules. In response to ever changing regulations in markets where the rum is sold, the company is going to transition its core range to non-age reserve statements. It’s expressions are blends of variously aged rums.

Recipes

The finish is long and nuanced. It’s silky smooth, sweet, with noticeable tropical fruit and milk chocolate notes and a mild but lingering pepperiness. Kirk and Sweeney, is imported by the 3 Badge Beverage headquartered in Sonoma California. 3 Badge is owned and run by f ourth generation vintner August Sebastiani, a member of one of California’s legendary wine producing families, the Sebastiani. On the palate, the rum is sweet, with more dried fruit notes and a mild but persistent pepperiness. There are some milk chocolate and coffee notes, along with tropical spices of cinnamon and a bit of clove. I also have to wonder whether it is still a 12 year old. 12 Reserva might well imply it is, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were much younger rums in the blend.

In the U.S., the stated age on a bottle represents the number of years that the spirit has been aged. In the case of blends, it represents the age of the youngest spirit in the mix. In the Dominican Republic, 51% of the blend must correspond to the stated age on the bottle. The other 49% must be a blend whose average age is equivalent to the bottles stated age.These are all excellent rums, incredibly well priced and offer outstanding value. Both the 18 YO and 23 YO make excellent sipping rums. The 18 YO seems more intensely flavored to me, while the 23 YO is smoother, with a more subtle and nuanced complexity. If you are a rum drinker, both of these would be excellent additions to your bar. If you are new to rum, or if you find many molasses based rums to intense, then these expressions are an excellent alternative and a good place to start. Kirk and Sweeney’s core rum range consists of 12, 18 and 23-year-old expressions. Tasting notes are listed below. Recently it also introduced an XO rum that is aged for a full 25 years and is bottled at a cask strength of 65.5%.