Copeland smugglers reserve, Overproof

A few years ago a friend recommended I try Copeland’s Smugglers’ Reserve Overproof, and it’s the bottle that got me properly interested in the brand. I’ve had it open for a while, but I’ve not shared my tasting notes on it, so it felt like time.

Copeland is a Northern Irish distillery based in Donaghadee, and the Smugglers’ Reserve range blends their own pot and column still rum with a rum from Barbados. The Overproof sits at a higher ABV than their standard releases, which tends to amplify the funk and fruit you’d expect from that combination of stills.

The bottles are hard to miss, matte black and wax dipped, with labels that stand out as much as the rum itself.

Facts & Figures.

ABV: 57.2%

Country: Barbados & Northern Ireland

Age: No age statement

Cask: American bourbon first-fill barrels and Pinot Noir barrels

Still: Pot Still

Price: £47

Distillery: Copeland and Undisclosed

On the nose.

There’s some punch orange peel followed by some oak tannins and white pepper. Despite the dry and spicy notes and the obviously high ABV this retains some vanilla and honeycomb sweetness with pineapple juice rounding this off at the end.

On the palate.

This has a rather oily and dense mouthfeel and despite being hot and peppery this doesn’t drink like a 57% ABV. The orange from the nose is barely noticeable and is instead replaced with grilled pineapple. Old, cracked leather starts to develop with a touch of red wine (pinot noir) and some chocolate fleetingly passes.

5/10 – It’s hard to review an Overproof as a neat sipper but this is very interesting.