Angel's Share Title
Located on the island of St. Croix, the Cruzan Rum Distillery was acquired by Suntory Global Spirits, formerly known as Beam Suntory, in April of 2014. The distillery ferments molasses and distills their rum in a five column still system. They then age their rums in used bourbon barrels before blending to proof and bottling. Cruzan is known for producing a line of flavored rums, cocktail-focused ingredient rums, and a few aged sipping rums. New to the sipping lineup is the Cruzan “Island Reserve.” The 13 Year old rum blend is comprised of 13 year old rum (48%), 16 year old rum (22%), and 20 year old rum (30%), and they use approximately 800 barrels of rum to create the final product. After the aging process, the rums are transported to Bardstown, Kentucky, where they are blended to 40% ABV and bottled.
Cruzan Island Reserve 13 Year Old Rum
Appearance
The 750 ml bottle’s front label provides a good amount of information about the rum, and the back label warns the consumer that there might be “floc and haze,” which is a natural feature of aged rum. The wooden capped synthetic cork is secured to the bottle with clear security wrap that had to be cut off to be removed. The rum holds a dark amber color in the bottle and lightens to a medium golden amber in the glass. Swirling the liquid creates a medium band around the tasting glass that slowly thickens before releasing a single wave of legs that cling to the sides of the glass and evaporate before they return to the liquid at the base.
Nose
The aroma leads with charred oak notes manifesting as toasted coconut, caramel, and allspice. After the rum sat for a few minutes, I discovered a hint of dried apricot and honeyed banana chips with a nip of cinnamon.
Palate
The first sip delivers a swirl of caramelized vanilla, charred oak tannins, and orange zest along with the burn of the alcohol. As I continue to sip and evaluate the Rum, the dried apricot and honeyed banana linger midpalate with a hint of cherry weaving in and out, while the spicy oak notes form the foundation. These oak notes manifest as toasted coconut, black pepper, allspice, and cinnamon before transitioning into a long, smoky, lightly acidic, sweet finish.
Review
It has been a while since Cruzan released a rum engineered primarily to be a sipper. I believe the closest they have come is in some of their single barrel products. The rum has an interesting complexity that unfolds during the tasting experience, and the toasted coconut and dried fruit notes were a nice touch. The blending team did a good job of balancing the flavors, as the wood notes could have easily overwhelmed the palate, making this a much simpler experience. Overall, a pleasant surprise with a good price point for easy sipping or enjoying in a classic cocktail. This is a good recommendation for bourbon fans who are curious about rums produced in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
