Bacardi Reserva Limitada has long been Bacardi’s most “Premium” offering.  As seems to be the way with “Premium” rum producers rather than do anything remotely interesting, different or innovative they tend to just re-hash the same old thing.  Repeating the same things which initially gave them success.  Which kind of becomes a bit boring.

Every so often Bacardi seem to release another “Premium” rum to their range.  Most recently we saw the Facundo range.  Whose “Super Premium” offering Paraiso was as pricy as this offering at just over £200.  This followed closely on the heels of a rather failed attempt at a “Super Premium White Sipping Rum” Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron which has recently been re-packaged and re-branded as a Premium mixer……

Bacardi Reserva Limitada is as the name suggests a Limited Edition rum.   Originally this rum was only to be savoured by the Bacardi family. In 2003 it was made available at the Bacardi visitor centre in Puerto Rico.  In 2010 it began making its way into the United States.  Since then and following a “re-packaging” this year it is now widely globally available.

Bacardi Reserva Limitada is a blend of rums aged up to 12 years or 15 or 18 depending on where and what you read and aged in lightly charred oak barrels.  It is bottled at 40% ABV.  Aside from this we get little information direct from the horses mouth.

Bacardi produce column distilled products in a lighter Latin/Cuban style.  I’d struggle to write anything about Bacardi that hasn’t been written before.

Presentation wise Bacardi have moved on from the more “traditional” Bacardi bottling. The rum I am reviewing is an older release not the newly repackaged version to the right. I’ve seen nothing that would make me believe the base rum has changed all that radically since the re-packaging.  Bacardi Reserva Limitada is now quite readily available in Duty Free at Airports worldwide. As a result you may well find a few different presentation boxes floating around.

You can currently pick up a 1 litre bottle on Amazon for just under £100.  It is the old style bottle though.  It is still £200 for 1 litre bottle on Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange.  Its pricy stuff.

In the glass Bacardi Reserva Limitada is a golden brown.  It’s not as dark as I might have expected – this being “premium” rum after all.

The nose is very light, gentle with a nice but not overpowering oaky profile.  Familiar sweet Cuban like notes are present.  It reminds me a little of Havana Club in that it has a sweet tobacco like note – which isn’t always to my liking.  Prunes, Muscatel wine and an almost sherried note.

It’s not a huge nose but what is there is relatively well integrated.  I wouldn’t say its the oldest smelling rum I’ve ever nosed.  Elements of it do seem a little more livelier than I had expected.

Sipped Bacardi Reserva Limitada is initally very sweet – brown sugar and caramel this quickly leaves the palate though leaving a more artificial like note – a touch of Aspartame which isn’t great to be honest.  It’s reasonably oaky but it never really gives you much of a spicy kick. Bacardi Reserva Limitada is quite well balanced but it all seems a little muted. A competent Cuban style light, dry rum but its no world beater.

It’s quite easy to drink but it is for me just far too soft.  It makes something like Flor de Cana or Botran seem almost aggressive. At £200 here in the UK its not a rum that I would be looking to buy.  If it was £40-50 it would be a fair enough purchase. At that price though you are looking for something much better or just silly rare.

It doesn’t do a lot wrong barring the slightly bitter artificial sweetener like note.  The tobacco and tar notes on the nose transfer nicely to the sip and it works quite well alongside the light oaky notes.

But its all just a bit too light, a touch to dry, the finish is a reasonable length. Unfortunately it doesn’t really do anything to exciting.  It bored me by the end, to brutally honest.

I can understand people enjoying this but for me when it comes to Bacardi you may as well just stick with the Reserva, as its their best effort.  At tenth of the price!