Gosling's Family Reserve Old

Got this at Duty Free in Bahamas and glad I picked it up. Very smooth with a great sugar aroma. Notes of dried fruits (raisins & dates), with hints of chocolate.

Love the bottle presentation (wax seal) and wood box.

I read the reviews here and gave it time to breathe.....well, the second glass I did!!

Initially as soon as I opened the bottle, I got a bit of pear drops and bananas on the nose coupled with spice, caramel and oak. This was carried through to the pallet where the caramel took on more burnt notes. Very smooth and well integrated attack from the alcohol, giving a good depth and length. Very good. After breathing in the glass, the pear drops disappear off the nose. There is a mix of spice, wood, caramel. This is carried through on the palate where the alcohol gives a firm but gentle kick. A lovely long warming finish.

For all the good packaging (even if I am not a fan of the black bottle) this is too expensive.

I started with a sample. Towards sweet, a prune and raisin xmas cake, vanilla flavours with a light oaky after-aroma. Hardly any alcohol burn and does seem to benefit from a short rest in the glass. Slightly sweetened.

This is hands down one of the most unique, full bodied rums I've had. It's a sticky, dark pour, and has a very potent nose full of aromatics. Starts off with cocao, molasses, smoke, and Oak. Finishes with a bit of a spicy cocao. Wonderful rum.

On the sweet side with oaky, spicy flavors. Almost like a spiced rum, this rum is ideal enjoyed neat or mixed, though with the $70 price tag you probably want to refrain from mixing it as you could just buy their Black Seal or gold rum instead. Nice packaging and bottle design with a wax seal. I wonder how much we are paying for the packaging?
Give it a try, you will like it.

Molasses on the nose and taste. Not overly sweet for sipping. Trying to make a Dark and Stormy now with this.

Some oak mellowed in with familiar black seal spice. A tad bitter drinking neat as it quickly overcomes the palate. Although its evidently more viscous then its younger sibling, this rum isn't much of an improvement.

The Family Reserve Old in my opinion is too adultered to enjoy neat while too expensive and tapered to sub in for other black rums in cocktails.

It wont appeal to « sippers » or black seal enthusiasts ($$). Its not bad, it just doesn't do any one thing well.

Ein würziges Nosing mit Noten von Schokolade. Am Gaumen gesellen sich dezente Vanillearomen und etwas Leder dazu.

This is truly an amazing rum. There is a bit of spice towards the end of the palate which may draw some away, but as a bourbon drinker as well I truly enjoyed it. There is a bit of sweetness, but it isn't overbearing. Found this for $68 in my area. If you feel like dropping a bit of money on a bottle, this is definitely one to consider.

Good - but in terms of price I could wish for a little more