Chairman’s Reserve 1999 Single Cask Concierge Sales 21-Year

This is a rare rum (bottle 54 of only 230) that is exclusive to Concierge Sales at Total Wines & More. It sounded like it should be great based on the description: https://concierge.totalwine.com/concierge-offers/saint-lucia-distillers-chairmans-reserve-21year-fred-minnick-cask-selection-rum-saint-lucia-caribbean

But like so many expensive rums, I'm just not a fan. Way too dry, even slightly bitter. I don't mind the 68% abv, as I've rated many rums at this strength 9s and 10s. But super dry rum isn't my style.

Smells and tastes of leather, spice, oak, and tobacco.

Very rare very expensive not on the money for me. Lots of strange flavors going on hints of metal, way to hot for me neat, very dry with lingering medicinal after flavors. Not sure what they were thinking when TW concierge .picked it. Hit or miss with these rare rums, this one’s just not for me.

7/27/24 Update this rum has been on my shelf since my first rating. I’ve sampled it a few times but tonight I tried it again as a double Tott to kill the bottle.

This is close to poison to me even when my big ice ball melted. I’m not sure if it’s heavy esters or too long in oak 21 years. I really can’t stand it but I think there is a natural tendency to rate an exclusive rare 21 year old spirit high. But for my pallet now a 3 v

Son of a motherless goat this is good! Chairman’s Reserve 21 year old pot still for Total Wine. 67.7% abv.

Nose: banana, molasses, dried apricots, peach, some funk and brine.

Palate: very creamy mouthfeel with brown sugar, molasses, over ripe fruit, the slight funk again, cinnamon, ginger, and pepper. There is another flavor I can’t place that is a little sweet.

Finish: extremely long, tobacco, oak, leather, cocoa, coffee, and a slight burn.

Now I just have to keep from buying another bottle to put away.