Oliver & Oliver Cubaney 5 Years

Oliver & Oliver is the well known Dominican blender behind Cubaney and Opthimus, working with molasses based rum in the soft Spanish style. This young Cubaney expression sits at the entry level of the range and shows some rough edges that the older, more polished bottlings smooth away.

At five years the profile is unsettled, with a medicinal note on the nose and a palate that turns earthy and oaky with whisky like and rubbery notes that sit oddly together. The low 38% strength leaves it thin and does little to round things off. The sugar status is undeclared, and this reads as a young, work in progress ron rather than a finished sipper. Better suited to mixing than neat drinking, it is a reminder that the soft Spanish style depends heavily on age and blending to find its balance.