Eminente Gran Reserva – No. 1 [revisit]
I’ve sat down a couple of times with the Eminente Gran Reserva and found my tasting notes and score had varied significantly since my last review so I decided to revisit it with a fresh palate to see where it sits and how it compares to the 2nd edition of the Gran Reserva that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago.
The Gran Reserva 10 Year Edition N°1 is a blend of 80% aguardiente and light rum, aged for a minimum of 10 years in white oak barrels, with additional finishing in French oak barrels. The brand focuses on combining Cuban rum heritage with modern techniques, highlighting provenance, careful blending, and extended ageing to produce a premium Cuban rum that represents both tradition and innovation.
Facts & Figures.
ABV: 43.5%
Country: Cuba
Age: 10 years
Cask: White oaks ex-whisky, finished in french oak.
Still: Multi-column still
Price: £75
On the nose.
This is slightly floral with some wet nettles, wild mint and pine needles (just after it’s rained). Not overly wood forward despite the 10 years on cask. A small presence of chocolate, coffee and hazelnut. A slight fruitiness comes from Apricots. This is slightly dry with some spice.
On the palate.
The orange note that I previously found to be so prominent seems to have taken much more of a back seat – it’s more of a musky citrus rather than being bright and fresh.
Watered down honey contrasts with rather bitter cloves and sweet cinnamon. The bitterness sits on the tongue throughout the finish with the honey and apricot lingering.
5/10 – There are other bottles from Eminente I prefer; I think the french oak doesn’t quite agree with me.
My scoring system, explained
- 10: Exceptional. This is best in class and a firm favourite of mine.
- 9: Outstanding. Near perfection, a bottle I would be sad to finish (and very happy to restock!)
- 8: Excellent. An evening spent sipping this would be a very good one.
- 7: Great. Add to cart, no questions asked.
- 6: Very good. At the right price I would definitely buy a bottle.
- 5: Good. If someone poured me a glass you wouldn’t hear me complain.
- 4: Above average. Not quite good but better than some.
- 3: Average. Average at best, this isn’t offensive but equally not exciting either.
- 2: Not for me. This simply means it’s not a profile I find enjoyable; rather than a reflection of quality.
- 1: Not the spirit. This is a poor representation of the spirit.
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