Bacardi 16 ans is an exceptional expression of the famous Puerto Rican distillery. The bat brand produces light molasses rums in the purest Cuban style. This rum is no exception to the usual style, and is one of the oldest in the range.
This Gran Reserva Especial has been aged for at least 16 years in American oak barrels. The youngest rum in the blend was casked in 2003, and all have benefited from fully tropical aging.
Nico's tasting notes
On the nose, the rum is immediately expressive, generous and bouncy. The fruit bursts forth in a kind of olfactory clamor, eager to escape the glass and caress the nostrils. A lovely candied woodiness also awaits its turn.
With a little aeration, the fruit continues to celebrate. But behind the spicy veil lies a well-concentrated rum that carries and pushes the aromas forward. These include slightly resinous vegetal aromas, raisins and fresh leather.
The palate is soft, and from the outset surprises with a smoky register, carried by an animal, leather and musk aspect. We weren't necessarily expecting so much character, but we're delighted in the end, all the more so as the sweetness of the rum allows us to calmly appreciate this concentrated side. A hint of stewed plums enriches this full-bodied, gourmet profile.
The finish is occupied by more classic notes of molasses and caramelized nuts.
"Bacardi definitely surprises with its most aged expressions, incorporating a fair share of concentrated rum into the blend..."
