We’re finally working our way through the Real McCoy Rum portfolio. Chris enjoyed the distillery’s 5-year-old flagship offering (nearly a decade ago), and next up is this bottle, the Distiller’s Proof version of that same rum. As a reminder, Real McCoy is sourced from the well-known and well-loved Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. Unlike the standard offering, this Distiller’s Proof release is blended in small batches of only 50 cases and bottled at a slightly higher proof, reportedly preferred by the Master Distiller (hence the name). We’re told by the folks at Real McCoy that this slight adjustment in alcohol should highlight more fermentation notes and add complexity. Let’s see for ourselves, shall we?

The nose is unsurprisingly hotter than its tamer brother, but unlike that bottle, the heat manages to hang around, making the wood notes a touch sharper but not entirely out of sync with secondary aromas of torched sugar, dried pineapple, and sweetened coconut flakes. The palate offers up a generally classic rum structure with notes of chewy caramel and flambéed banana that are abruptly interrupted heading into the finish with a spicy cinnamon punch. The conclusion is straightforward and sweet with a bit of latent astringency that manifests in notes of coconut husk and barrel char.

Because of how they are blended, these small batches are said to vary between a lighter, more traditional profile and a heavier, wood-driven profile from bottle to bottle. This sample seems to be the latter, and while it’s an ideal cocktailing rum, this isn’t one I’d gravitate to for sipping.

92 proof.

B+ / $30 / realmccoyspirits.com 

The Real McCoy Distiller's Proof Rum 5 Years Old

$30

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

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