Denizen Merchants Reserve 8-Year

I have drank various Jamaican rums for years, and decided to try this based off the reviews here and other places. What a find. It has the wonderful Jamaican funk and the interesting impact from the 20% Martinique rum. Together they make a rum which is excellent in a Mai Tai, but need very little adulteration to be enjoyed.

This is a blend of aged rums from Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad. The fascinating thing about about the rum from Martinique in this blend is that it is a molasses based Grand Arome and not a cane juice based Agricole. That would make sense since the original Mai Tai blends used Grand Arome and not Rhum Agricole as we know it. This rum is famous for making a solid Mai Tai, but how does it stand on its own?

The nose here is fairly simple but fascinating. By that I mean it is not overly complex but the notes it promises are some new ones to me. Here I smell Marzipan, Oak, Macadamia Nuts, and Vanilla. Yes the Oak and Vanilla are common. But I am not sure I have ever gotten such clear notes of Marzipan and Macadamia Nuts on a rum before.

The palate is a bit surprising given the nose. It is richer than the nose would suggest and is also different in profile. Taking a sip I am taken aback by Pineapple and Caramel joining the Marzipan and Vanilla notes from the nose. I did not quite expect to get tropical fruits on the palate given the more nutty vibe of the Nose.

The finish is short and a bit lacking, though not disappointing by any means. The finish is a very brief mix of the Nose and the Palate. Here I get Macadamia Nuts from the Nose and Pineapple from the palate. Nothing more but decent enough.

Overall I would say this is pretty good. It holds up indeed quite well on its own even if unspectacular or complex. This rum can definitely be enjoyed on its own even if it won’t blow you away. It’s solid if unspectacular.

Short Description: Marzipan and Macadamia Nuts meet Pineapple in an interesting and pleasant if unspectacular combination.

Nose: Marzipan, Oak, Macadamia Nuts, Vanilla

Palate: (Richer than the nose suggests), Marzipan, Vanilla, Pineapple, Caramel

Finish: (short) Pineapple, Macadamia Nuts

ABV 43%

Country of Origin: Bottled in Trinidad; a blend of rums from Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad

Wow what a blend. This along with their recipe for a Mai tai makes for the best starter to Friday happy hour.

This is both a grassy rhum and a Jamaican rum with a good bit of hogo all blended together and finished off with a smoky oak layer. It should be really good in a Mai Tai a la Smuggler’s Cove!

I recently learned that this rum was produced in collaboration with Martin Cate and is the house Mai Tai rum at Smugglers Cove. Being a total fanboy, I drove over an hour to the closest store that had some and bought three bottles.
Happy to say it lives up to the hype. I’m very satisfied with how it works in a Mai Tai, and I will be testing it in other recipes that call for an aged Jamaican rum. Yes, I know it’s not entirely Jamaican, but the Martinique Rhum Traditionnel (molasses based, med-high ester) portion of the blend is similar to Jamaican rum from what I’ve read.

Found this from Martin Cate's book, and it makes a fantastic mai tai, replacing the no longer available 17-year Wray & Nephew plus a grassy AOC Martinique rum all in one bottle. Normally, combining two rums in a single bottle would be a bad idea, but it works perfectly here. Brilliantly balanced.

On the nose it’s smells like brown sugar and over ripe bananas which I love. The flavor is well balanced between nutty Jamaican funk and smooth. I went out of my way to find this and was not disappointed.

I don’t enjoy mixed cocktails or watered down rum—but for those who like mixed drinks, this one is good.

Bought it for the Mai tais thanks to Martin cate. Turns out to be a lovely blend of argicole (which I generally dislike) and demerara. A perfect blend I guess because I love the grassy medicinal notes of the Agricole with the proper burnt vanilla molasses of demerara rum. This stuff is fantastic neat, rocks, and makes a damn fine cocktail. Lovely value. I keep several bottles around at all times.

This is not a sipping rum review. The Martinique grand arome and Jamaican pot still rums in here up the hogo and general funk in a way that features best in a Mai Tai or grog-style tiki cocktail. Much like Smith & Cross, this is best if used as intended!