Chairman’s Reserve 2006 Master's Selection Bitters & Bottles 13-Year

taste - 9/10
smell - 9/10
sweetness - 7/10
price/value rating - 7/10

This is possibly the hardest rum I've had to describe. It's got so much going on, it's hard to nail down the deciding factor. The oak from the bourbon barrels hits your nose first, but behind it are the sugars and esters from the pot still... then the flavor of the first sip comes in and turns all of that upside down. It's got a sharp bite with a LONG, smoothed out finish. If you wanted to convert a whiskey drinker to a rum sipper, this is my top contender. It's just a bare touch - like, a thumbprint - strong, so just a drop or two of water opens this up and makes it the top of the tops.