Bristol Barbancourt Reserve Rum of 2004

Bristol Classic Rum, the long-running English independent, bottles this Barbancourt reserve from Haiti, drawn from the 2004 vintage with eleven years of age and reduced to 43%. Barbancourt works from cane syrup, or sugar cane honey, which sits between fresh juice and molasses and gives the house its particular softness.

Matured in ex-bourbon oak, it noses on caramelised notes, figs and sweet, fruity character, with a palate of honey and a light, warm, slightly alcoholic feel, and a dry finish of spice, herbs and dates. In honesty the body runs on the lighter, thinner side and the cask influence is restrained, so it reads as a gentle, easygoing aged rum rather than a deep or funky one. It lacks the wild edge of a true Haitian clairin. For drinkers who like a soft, dry and lightly fruity sipper, it offers an accessible taste of older Barbancourt at a sensible strength.