Review: Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserva Rum

Dominican rum brand Kirk and Sweeney has changed since last we encountered it over a decade ago. At least on the surface. The move happened sometime around 2020 with the brand trading their lineup of age-stated 12-, 18-, and 23-year-old rums for a fresh, ageless core portfolio. The new product stable consists of a Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Gran Reserva Superior, all of which purport to resemble their previous, well-aged incarnations but with the rather large caveat that younger rums are now in the mix and the age statements are out.

This was likely always the case to some degree, as age-stated Dominican rums can include a healthy portion (49%) of rum that only averages the age displayed on the label. In recent years, however, global markets have moved toward standards popularized by whiskey whereby the age-statement corresponds to the youngest spirit in the bottle, which may have prompted Kirk and Sweeney to scrap age statements altogether. Or perhaps they just decided they could achieve a better product with more freedom in the blend. We received a sample of the mid-tier Gran Reserva for review, so let’s see for ourselves.

Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserve Rum Review

As a reminder, this is rum produced in the Dominican Republic from blackstrap molasses and aged in used American oak. While not advertised on the bottle itself, a hang tang denotes that this expression includes rums aged from 3 to 18 years.

In the glass, Gran Reserva displays a slightly lighter amber hue than the 18-year-old expression that we tasted over a decade ago. On the nose, the aroma is big with caramelized sugar, buttery toffee, and vanilla frosting. Undertones of soft baking spice, oak, currants, and cocoa powder build with time in the glass and temper some of the initial sugary sweetness, coalescing with time into an elegant and inviting bouquet of Tootsie Roll, sandalwood, and chocolate cherries.

The palate is round and expressive but not nearly as sweet as the 18-year-old offering. Top notes of vanilla cream and caramel candies set the foundation but stay balanced across each silky sip. The winey sweetness of the old expression is gone for the most part from this newest iteration, replaced by a drier midpalate of grated nutmeg and cinnamon sugar with subtle undertones of brewed coffee and light brown sugar. The generous finish is gently spiced and accented with a fruity lift of candied orange peel and raisin. It’s a nicely balanced rum with a classic profile that should appeal to most, and while it strikes a slightly different tune than the age-stated offering we tasted over a decade ago, it remains a solid rum for sipping or cocktailing.

80 proof.

A- / $45 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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