Rating:
Rhum Barbancourt 8 year
www.barbancourt.net

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from Internet Wines and Spirits

In light of the recent happenings in Haiti, I figured I should try a Haitian rum. No, it doesn’t do anything to ease their troubles, but it makes me feel good. It’s as if I was doing something special and helpful, even though I’m not. Fortunately, Rhum Babancourt had more of an impact on me than my purchase of said rum had on the economy of Haiti. Unfortunately, it wasn’t THAT much more of an impact.

I found this rum to be a bit lacking, but that’s not to say Rhum Barbancourt doesn’t have some personality. While in the bottle it carries a distinctive smell of maple syrup. But in a glass that smell is replaced by the more traditional rum aromas – albeit faint, and buried beneath a thin layer of alcohol. The flavor matches this second smell – alcohol first and rum second.

The funny thing is that at 43% alcohol, this isn’t a particularly strong rum. Nonetheless, it both tasted and felt potent – going to my head faster than others. Which I guess puts this rum on the map in at least one respect – if I’m looking to get toasted, I just might reach for Rum Barbancourt. But if I’m looking to savor something, I’ll likely reach elsewhere.