HSE Black Sheriff is a blend of 3-4 year old rums aged mainly in American bourbon barrels from the states of Kentucky & Missouri.
This is a rum that can be enjoyed in cocktails or neat, ideally in a tulip-shaped glass, like a true tasting rum.
Nico's tasting notes
Most HSE rums have a fairly pronounced white woodiness on the nose. Here, the usually mellow raw woodiness is much more pronounced, almost tasting of roasted walnuts. But don't forget that this is an agricultural rum, as the cane is also present. The nose opens with ripe exotic fruits and spices. The toasted wood is always at the center, spreading its warm waves of vanilla, honey and beeswax.
This nose comes into its own when it's a little aerated, when it's quite lively, fresh and a little minty. It's also fruitier, or at least more integrated. The rum is less tannic, and the cane now seems candied. With rest, the spicy licorice and dried fruit add depth. And let's not forget the gray pepper, which energizes the whole with a dry, powdery edge.
On the palate, the rum is very supple at first, with well-rounded sugarcane. The woodiness lives up to its promise, smoky and toasty, dominating the tasting. It is supported by a very stimulating and tasty pepper. The rum, which has never lost its suppleness, now melts into caramel notes.
Vanilla and dried fruit linger on the palate, and of course the woodiness is in the spectrum right to the end.