Denizen Merchants Reserve 8-Year

At 43% ABV this rum provides a little extra kick and just the right amount of Jamaican funk. Well balanced and not a dry rum nor too sweet. Was not expecting too much when I purchased but turned out to be a nice surprise. Cheaper than Appleton 12 year and every bit as good if not just a tiny tiny bit better.

I cracked the cap open and took a whiff out of the bottle and I immediately knew I was in for a treat. The smell of this stuff is incredible, intense and full of complexity. Banana, smoke, fresh greenery, wood, and dirt, all cascading back and forth and giving way to each other in succession. The taste is equally matched, with a profile of creamy banana, citrus, and earthy green vegetation with only a slight hint of caramel or molasses. This surprised me considering this is a mixed rum partly distilled from molasses. In either case, I think the mix is very well done.

What sets this rum apart for me is the freedom and intensity of the flavors, which seem to be more unbridled and easier to discern than in many other rums I've tasted.

All in all, this rum is very intense and bursting with flavor. This could certainly put some people off in the opposite direction as I, but for those who appreciate a strong and vigorous beverage this one is definitely worth adding to your cabinet.

The Martinique rum tones down most of the funk from the Jamaican side of the blend, but the flavor is full and balances amazingly well in a mai tai

Dunder, not Dunder like the Mifflin Paper Company from the famous TV sitcom “ The Office”, gives Jamaican rums their personality that differentiates them from other rums. The so called muck or dunder intensifies the production of esters and is basically what ever is left in the pot stills after a run.
This is a decent rum that can be sipped neat or add a shot to your favorite mixed drink to set your taste buds in motion on a Caribbean journey to be revered. Being that this rum is a blend of aged pot still rums from Jamaica and aromatic Rhum Grande Arome rum from Martinique. Aged in American oak once used bourbon barrels for 8 years.

Irie!

Just the thing in a Mai Tai. I try to keep this in my cabinet for all things Mai Tai. I really like this rum for cocktails.

I love this stuff. It makes perfect Mai Tais as intended.

Reinforcing what pretty much every else has said, this makes an INCREDIBLE Mai Tai. Its hard to believe that just one rum can bring that much more complexity to a cocktail. I would say a Denizen 8 Mai Tai is more balanced than a Smith & Cross + Black Rum blend Mai Tai (my normal go to). Its pretty tasty on its own & not too harsh to sip. Very earthy with a touch of molasses sweetness & the perfect amount of funk. Very interesting rum that I will definitely be revisiting.

Tried it on the rocks and with coke. Neither grabbed me. Had the barest of molasses flavor. Ranked it as a 4.5 on my scale of 10

I guess it's made for mixing drinks but works fine as a sipper if you're in to jamaican agricole-like rum.
Interesting smell and taste with smoke, char and wood.
It's quite oily in it's consistance.
My bottle is of the later design, a shorter broader bottle.
Affordable!

I love mixing different rums in a Mai Tai. It’s fun. But if you want to just use one rum, this is the one. It has a permanent slot in my bar for this reason alone.