This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Kirk and Sweeney’s core rum range consists of 12, 18 and 23-year-old expressions. Tasting notes are listed below. Recently it also introduced an XO rum that is aged for a full 25 years and is bottled at a cask strength of 65.5%.

The stated ages on Kirk and Sweeney rums are in accordance with Dominican Republic rules. In response to ever changing regulations in markets where the rum is sold, the company is going to transition its core range to non-age reserve statements. It’s expressions are blends of variously aged rums.This rum is aged in barrels of American oak. The color is a rich reddish-brown mahogany. On the nose, the rum is sweet, with notes of butterscotch and vanilla and just a slight hint of herbaceousness and pepper. As it opens up, subtler dried fruit notes of banana, melon, mango and apricot emerge, along with some citrus zest and some coffee notes. In the case of a 23 YO Dominican rum, for example, at least 51% of the rum would need to be 23 years old, the other 49% can also be 23 YO or it can be a blend that consists of a mix of rums whose average age is 23 YO. That means it can consist of rums that are both older and younger of the bottles stated age. I also have to wonder whether it is still a 12 year old. 12 Reserva might well imply it is, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were much younger rums in the blend.

Kirk and Sweeney 12 Year Old Rum earned a score of 95 points from Wine Enthusiast, which named it one of the Top 50 Spirits of 2013, and was called one of the Best New Rums of 2013 by Liquor.com. The rum is aged in new American oak barrels. The color is a rich dark amber. On the nose, it seems drier, with the expected butterscotch, vanilla, floral and dried fruit aromas, along with a distinct pepperiness. There are also additional notes of dark chocolate and a hint of coffee. The look and color is nice with a reddish mahogany glow in the bottle and a light yellowish amber in the glass. I let it sit for about 5 minutes before smelling and there was a strong presence of vanilla, caramel, sugar and oak. I occasionally got some mild fruit but nothing substantial, maybe a hint of orange rind and apricot, really not sure.The finish is long and nuanced. It’s silky smooth, sweet, with noticeable tropical fruit and milk chocolate notes and a mild but lingering pepperiness. On the palate, the rum is sweet, with more dried fruit notes and a mild but persistent pepperiness. There are some milk chocolate and coffee notes, along with tropical spices of cinnamon and a bit of clove. The finish is long, with dried fruit sweetness, tropical spice and a mild but lingering pepperiness. The finish is medium length, sweet with notes of butterscotch and vanilla and a mild lingering pepperiness. On the palate, the rum is drier, although it still retains some of the dried fruit sweetness of its younger siblings. There are the expected flavors of butterscotch and vanilla, dried tropical fruits and a mild pepperiness, along with spice notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and some clove.