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5 Years Old Grande Reserve certainly fi ts the bill. The pot-distilled rum is aged fi rst in Barbados and then shipped to the esteemed Cognac Ferrand estate in France. There it’s transferred to used French oak barrels for further maturation in the domaine’s chais. The rum has a rich amber hue and is brimming with the fl avors of vanilla, roasted coconut and fl ambéed bananas. Modestly priced at under $20, this highly acclaimed rum is bona fi de pleasure from start to fi nish. Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask Selection is another world-class offering from the oldest distiller of rum on the planet. Retailed for around $100, this ultra-sophisticated spirit is a blend of rums ranging in age from 10 to 30 years drawn from the impressive Mount Gay cellars. Its bouquet alone is well worth the price of admission, which means that the lingering fi nish of oak, caramel, ripe banana and spiced fruit is thrown into the deal for free. Clearly a rum created with a snifter in mind. The same can be said for Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum. It’s crafted from a premium blend of continuous- and pot- distilled Caribbean rums and marketed in hand-numbered champagne bottles sealed with black wax. Extended aging imbues the rum with a luscious bouquet and a bittersweet palate of chocolate, butterscotch, honey and baked apple pie. Little wonder the Gosling family reserved it for themselves. Those looking for something more exotic should consider El Dorado Special Reserve Demerara Rum from Guyana. This maritime favorite is produced in a series of stills unique to El Dorado and is comprised of a blend of rums matured at least 15 years in small oak casks. The Special Reserve has a burnished gold appear- ance, a fl oral, spice and tanned leather bouquet and a sumptuous palate of vanilla, fruit and toffee. While made far from the shores of the Caribbean, Prichard’s Fine Rum is every bit as mesmerizing as those from the islands. The rum is handcrafted in Kelso, Tennessee from Louisiana sugar cane molasses and limestone-fi ltered spring water. The dark rum is distilled in copper pot stills and aged in small, charred American white oak barrels. Prichard’s is highly aromatic and chock full of long lasting fl avors including honey, spice, vanilla and barley malt. It’s an unqualifi ed pleasure. Rum Elegance Comprised of a blend of older reserves, Brugal Extra Viejo from the Dominican Republic makes it easy to understand why sipping rums are so popular. The top-shelf añejo immediately commands attention with its bouquet with notes of raisins, toasted oak and pipe tobacco. It delivers a payload of mouthwatering fl avors, including roasted coffee, hot cocoa with hints of nutmeg and anise. Priced in the mid-$20s, Extra Viejo is a shinning example of affordable luxury. Flor de Caña Grand Reserve is distilled from estate- grown sugar cane and aged in charred American white oak barrels for 7 years in the often oppressive heat and humidity of Nicaragua. Flor de Caña does not blend its rums, so each marque is aged for the exact amount of time stated on its label. The mahogany colored Gran Reserve has a generous, semisweet bouquet of vanilla, caramel and molasses. One of the truly memorable rhum agricoles, Martinique’s Rhum Clément V.S.O.P. is initially matured in re-charred bourbon barrels and then transferred to seasoned cognac barrels for further aging. The mahogany-hued rhum has a soft, medium-weight body and voluminous bouquet of spicy, semisweet, bakery-fresh aromas. Its breadth of fl avors includes chocolate, fi g, ripe plums, amaretto and red wine. Equally engaging is Haitian Rhum Barbancourt Estate Réserve, a museum-grade agricole rhum double-distilled from fresh cane juice and aged in Limousin oak for 15 years. Best sipped neat, the rhum is a delectable postprandial dram graced with a voluptuous body and Mata Hari–like charms. What a sublime way to go. Salud! march 201 1 / the tasting panel / 99