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Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish Rum
Of the Bacardi line, their eight-year-old product has been one of my favorites in their portfolio due to its versatility and availability. When shopping at one of my local stores, I discovered that they had released this limited-edition version and had finally arrived in my area. This bottling is a blend of rums aged for eight to twelve years in used American White Oak barrels and then finished for three months in Oloroso Sherry casks and bottled at 40% ABV. Doing some additional research, I learned that this is the first of five in Bacardi’s new limited edition “Cask Finish Series”.
Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish Rum
Appearance
The bottle is the standard 750 ml bottle used for their aged products. The wood Bat logoed cap secures the synthetic cork to the bottle with a clear security wrap. The labels on the bottle have a great deal of information crammed on them. A bit of twine, holds a note with additional information about the Bacardi Cask Finish series.The liquid is a dark mahogany color with amber hues as the light refracts through it. Swirling the liquid created a medium band that widened and dropped a wave of fast-moving legs, then a second wave of slower, thicker legs. The ring eventually evaporated, leaving a ring of beads and residue behind.
Nose
Pouring the liquid led to the aroma of caramelized vanilla rising from the glass. After the liquid settled, it was easy to spot a bit of orange zest, oak char, rounded off by the expected hit of sweet sherry.
Palate
Sipping the rum delivers a pleasant swirl of flavors with almost a chewy texture. During the evaluation, I discovered notes of caramel, floral vanilla, light citrus (orange/lemon peel) zest, dried apricots, raisins, and roasted nut flavors of pecans, walnuts, and almonds carrying the baseline of the flavor experience. The sweetness of the sherry cask finish is much more subtle on the palate and carries the midline of the flavor experience. As the rum begins to fade, the sherry flavor fully manifests, punctuating the experience with a pleasant, lightly sweet, dry finish.
Review
When it comes to Sherry Cask finishes, over the past decade as a reviewer, I have encountered everything from sugar bombs to ones where the sherry cask finish left the lightest of impressions on the liquid. So, with Bacardi, I was curious how their product would compare to the others. I liked how the sherry flavor influenced and carried the midline without ever overwhelming the flavor experience while dancing and mingling with the well-known flavors of Bacardi 8. It only comes front and center at the finish, and even then, it is not overwhelming, it is almost a wave goodbye as the flavors fade from the palate. Easy to sip neat, this rum does well in classic cocktails like a Sidecar or Old Fashioned and makes an interesting Daiquiri if you are inclined to go that direction. Overall, I believe this was an auspicious start to this new limited edition series and will be curious to see what future releases will be like. Cheers!
