Bristol Barbancourt Reserve Rum of 2004

Bristol Barbancourt Reserve 2004 pairs two respected names: Barbancourt, Haiti's historic distillery, and Bristol Classic Rum, the long running English bottler known for closed distillery and vintage releases in a mostly purist style. This 18 year old is distilled on a pot still from sugarcane honey, an intermediate cane syrup, then matured in ex-bourbon wood and bottled unsweetened at 47%.

The extra age over Barbancourt's standard expressions tells. The nose is gently smoky with fruit and almond, the palate balanced and rounded with tropical fruit, soft sweetness from the wood and clear vanilla, and the finish is elegant and surprisingly long, carrying young oak and red fruit. Drier and lengthier than the younger house bottlings without going to full strength, it is a composed, mature Haitian sipper for relaxed neat drinking.