Privateer Navy Yard Rum

Rating: 17/23 So this is called "Navy Yard", which suggests navy strength to me, but I think of navy strength being around 57% ABV and this is only 52% ABV. Pusser's Gunpowder Proof is going for the same vibe as navy proof despite being lower proof at just 54.5% ABV, but that's still significantly higher than this. This was on my list to hunt for for ages. I say neither hide nor hair for years and then I found Seelbach's and found that it is readily available there. I've heard amazing things about this and I'm hopeful that it lives up to those ravings and excited to finally get to try it. N: Sweet tobacco! I'm really surprised. It's sweet yet rich and full and decadent. A mellow rum profile with caramel and wood and vanilla tobacco and something a tad musty. P: Sweet tobacco mustiness with bold vanilla and hints of cedar. Sweet caramel backing with some charred sugar and hints of orange at points. There's actually a fair amount going on and it's sweet and decadent and balanced. It's quite easy to drink, doing a great job of showing off some virgin oak, which I think is the defining characteristic here. F: That vanilla virgin oak really lingers. I definitely get some of the rum with faint tangerine hints mixed with that rum lightly burnt caramel funk. There's just enough of that to remind me that this is a rum while balancing the virgin oak. - Conclusion - I was expecting this to be in the Pusser's and Smith and Cross vein, but it really isn't. This is more mellow and approachable with greater refinement. This is an easy sipper, though it isn't blowing my mind. Still, it's easily a 15 and I think that it's probably higher. Most likely, it'll be a 16, but a 17 is quite possible. An 18 is a bit of a stretch. Foursquare Détente (18/23) is richer than this is, with more of a bourbon barrel fullness to it. It's more rounded and coherent, though it isn't a whole lot better. Considering that, I think that this is closer to the Foursquare than to the Pusser's Gunpowder Proof (15/23), so I think that this is probably a 17. I like it a lot, though it's more in that fairly-priced range than in the good-deal range. I could believe an 18 here, but a 19 seems a bit too high. Still, it's a very enjoyable dram. Coming back to this the next day, my impression is that this is definitely better than the Pusser's, but doesn't quite match the Foursquare. Considering that, my confidence that this is a 17 is increased. In a last minute comparison, I find that this is bolder and less sweet than Plantation Trinidad 2003, but it's not as complex or balanced and overall I find it to be definitely lacking in comparison. Still, that's a high bar to meet. I think that the 17 I gave this seems about right.

Despite hearing a lot of great things about Privateer over the past year or so, I resisted buying a bottle to give it a try.  The distillery is about a 40-minute drive from our home, giving me the opportunity to sample before buying,   A couple of weekends ago, while the event cancellations were starting to pour in but before social distancing was a catchphrase, my wife and I decided we needed to get out of the house and do something fun.  Off to Privateer! To summarize: the distillery tour was great, the distillery itself is beautiful, the Privateer folks are fanatical about creating great rum, and everything we sampled was exceptional.   Privateer's slogan is "True American Rum:", and they're dead set in their mission to create world-class rum.  Specially sourced molasses, no additives or sweeteners, meticulous distilling and aging processes, and weekly cleaning of the stills, for starters.  But perhaps the best evidence of what Privateer has achieved is this - Velier (if you're not familiar with Velier, it's an Italian bottler that selects and bottles rum from the world's finest distilleries, such as Hampden, Foursquare, and Caroni) will be bottling select Privateer casks soon. As for the Navy Rum, it had some stiff competition from the other rums we tried, but it was one of my favorites.  Just a bit of spice, and some great notes on both the nose and palate of brown sugar, tobacco, leather, and oak.  The oak may be the standout note.  I've seen other reviews that describe it as pencil-shavings, but to me, it's a crisp, dry oak burst that's I've never quite experienced elsewhere.  Beautiful.  My wife grabbed one of Privateer's recipe cards for a "Navy Yard Julip", and she whipped up a batch the following evening.  Although I'm really not a cocktail enthusiast, I was impressed with how well this rum held up to and complimented the mint and simple syrup. We left Privateer with six bottles, although it might have been more if not for the fact that the distillery is easily accessible (in addition to their core products, they have numerous "distiller's draw" limited editions).    Six bottles of really good craft spirits can be an expensive proposition, but our haul averaged just over $40 per bottle.   Excellent VFM, IMO. If you like rum and haven't tried Privateer yet, get some!   I also think Privateer would be a hit with whiskey enthusiasts who often find rum to be too sweet or syrupy.  Because there's no added sugar, the sweetness is kept in check while the barrel notes shine.   

US rums have not exactly been the most sought after in the world, but it would appear Privateer is starting to change that perception. I haven't actually tried anything from them yet, but I have heard good things and a couple of people have mentioned them in the same sentence as Foursquare, which is high praise indeed. The barrel number that I have is P609, which has an ABV of 54.8%. On the nose I get vanilla and spice, along with some oak. It definitely smells like an older rum. A few sips and this has a nice mouthfeel to it. It's rich, but not overly sweet (it's more on the dry side), albeit not exactly complex. I pick up some dried fruit and chocolate to go along with the oak. The finish is a touch short, but not surprising since it's in the 2-5 year range. There is a bit of heat, but overall pretty smooth with the spices returning. For the price, it's hard to complain about this rum. It may not be the most complex rum out there, but I can definitely see the hype with the brand. I wouldn't say it's that close to Foursquare yet, but it's on the right path. I can even see this being a good choice for certain cocktails if you need a rum with some strength to it. If you don't feel like shelling out $80-100 on a Foursquare (sometimes even more than that nowadays), this isn't a bad alternative for half the price.

For starters, if you see a bottle, buy one. This is great rum in a traditional sense. It's what you'd expect from a great rum, period. Actually, most people buy "spiced" rums thinking they'll get this. There are heavy heavy notes of pepper, some oak, and just the right balance of molasses sweet in the finish. The strength of this rum lies in the the mid taste that reveals the pepper notes and a slightly dry sea saltish note. If a traditionally well tailored suit were a rum, this is what it would taste like. This is for pirates and the CEOs alike.

I'll be honest, reviewing this rum is quite the challenge. Its reminiscent of rums like Ron Diplomatico Reserve with its almost desert like sweetness, but also rums like the Appleton 12 year with its slight funk and tropical notes. What sets it apart is the level of sweet wood (think fresh sawdust and fresh spring woodland) and the punch of oak on first sip. I was unsure of American rum (I do have a soft spot for Sailor Jerry due to my underage drinking days), but this really has me happy and wondering; what else does American rum have to offer?

Pours a nice copper color. Nose is burnt sugar with a slight hint of alcohol. Vanilla and wood notes on the palate with a little heat. No suprise that heat is present since it is 108.6 proof. Medium mouthfeel and medium finish. An old friend from Boston brought this down to me in NJ upon request and it did not disappoint. I started drinking rum with Thomas Tew, which has a similar flavor profile. The Privateer is like Tew but amplified. These New England rums have very clean finishes, indicative of their quality. Barrel #P474