Frigate Reserve 15

Rating: 15/23 I don't know about this one. I read some review of it that tended in the direction of "tasty, but nothing amazing". Still, it's pretty rare and it seemed interesting to try, so I bought a bottle. N: Instead of focusing on molasses or fireworks or anything like that, this focuses on a more balanced rum profile. The alcohol is there, but there's a lot more going on with vegetal and earthy scents. I get a bit of sulphur, but hopefully it isn't too much. There is some dry woodiness with varnish that blends into a bit of licorice , which gives me a little vanilla. Occasional notes of molasses. This seems balanced and interesting, though the nose doesn't immediately grab me as something that I'm going to love. P: Wood, surprisingly, hits first. It has varnish and spices, as well as light caramel with a little bit of molasses. There's a swirling mix of vegetal, spiced, and herbal flavors. I get a vegetal dome with white pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. Then hints of anise come in. The balance might be a bit wonky her, but it's pretty nice overall. F: Light caramel, wood, fain molasses, light spices, clear carrots. Odd, but fine. - Conclusion - Side by side with Panama Pacific 15 (15/23), I like the slightly bolder and more bitter flavor here. It covers up the alcohol a little more and is just a little more complex too. I tried this side by side with several other spirits and was on the verge of giving this a (low) 16 until I tried it side by side with I.W. Harper 15 (16/23), which was suddenly much more complex than I'd remembered. In that moment, I realized that the sugar here was covering up the flaws that most other spirits in this range have and I was essentially penalizing them for not dousing themselves in sugar. Actually, I discovered fruit flavors in the I.E. Harper that I'd never noticed before. And then trying this side by side with Uncle Nearest 1856 (allegedly a 15/23, but I think a 16-17 seems more fair), I got so much more fruit from the Uncle Nearest than I'd ever imagined I would. Practically cherries jubilee. OK, after all of these comparisons, I'm convinced that this is a high 15 or low 16, but, sadly, I'm landing on the 15.

Alot of vanilla, great finish