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Bambarra 8 Year Old Reserve Rum Wally Hunt, Costa
Mesa, California:- "I was the fortunate one this past
February when I a received bottle of Bambarra 8 Year Reserve Rum. Bob Davies, the mastermind behind the aging, bottling, and
distribution was kind enough to allow me a chance to enjoy and review this wonderful rum. Nose First impression is decidedly vanilla giving
way to faint hints of cinnamon and coconut. What really strikes me is the soft friendly aroma which invites me in and begs
me to spend some more time. Taste The promise of vanilla upon nosing is emphatically rewarded upon the first sip. Now, this is a rum where the
vanilla essence is in perfect balance with the softer undercurrents of cinnamon, oak, nutmeg, and coconut oil. Bambarra is
light to medium on the palate. After successive samplings, I was awed by the intricate dance between the delicate sweetness
of this rum and a contradictory dryness. Finish The finish is a long lingering taste of spiciness, honey, and oak melding into a
solitary comfortable glow. Overall This a gem of a rum! It is impossible for me to overstate the perfect balance exhibited between all of the
competing aspects of Bambarra Reserve. An example of this is the fact that the sweetness of the this rum never fatigues the
tongue because the reciprocal dryness is always present to rein it in. The Turks and Caicos Islands have a first class sipper
on their shores." Wally Hunt "rumdog007" Businessman, rum collector, independent spirits distributor
Bambarra 8 Year Old Reserve RumForrest Coakley, Hi-Times Liquor Store, California, USA:-
"In 1841, on the way to Cuba (South East of Barbados) the Trouvadore, a Spanish slave trading
ship, crashed on a reef just off East Caicos. One hundred and ninety-two survivors made it to the shore of this tropical island
to find that under British rule, the slave trade was illegal and they were to be liberated. Hailing from Africa, they began
a new life on the Turks & Caicos as free people and named the settlement "Bambarra" which refers not only to
the Bamberra people of Africa, and the Bambarra Empire that they were been stolen from, but also “Bambarra” can
be translated to mean: "accepting of no master". Captured from a war torn homeland, sold into slavery, and shipwrecked
on a foreign island to find freedom and hope in a tropical paradise with possibilities beyond all of their experience; from
the chaotic winds of fate opportunity emerges from tribulation and Bambarra the settlement was created on Caicos. Bambarra
the rum is offered to celebrate the spirit of these 'settlers', to commemorate their settlement, and honor the influence
I am looking at the Bambarra 8 year old, and it is good, another gift from a kind friend (who also took the picture
of the Bottle for me!!)!
Aromas
An aromatic bouquet of vanilla steeped in cane/ corn syrup is backed up by
notes of cola and honeyed lime zest with an undercurrent of fresh split oak, toasty cedar and cigar box. So soft and supple
an invitation with the earthy must of oxidized fruit dominated by wonderful vanilla (creme brulee after a lot of air) and
hinting at tobacco, new leather and gunpowder tea.
Palate
The first approach of Bambarra 8 follows the hints
given by the nosing, but shift quickly in mid palate through burnt spice, chicory, quince, rhubarb, deep extracted gunpowder
tea with honey and damp wood while maintaining its brisk pace it crosses the back palate with a bright burst of dried ginger,
cinnamon and toasty bitter almond.
Finish
Starts with a surprising burst of alcohol and a nice fade of treacle,
rich cinnamon, and spice that lingers while pleasantly enlivening your palate with subtle reminders that reveals each flavor
in turn.
Aftertaste
Is soft vanilla washed cut wood, brown bread crust and baking spice.
This is
a tasty rum that has been a pleasure to drink neat, but with an ice cube it gets even lovelier, and in an drink that demands
a strong rum presence this is perfect."
 Bambarra 8 Year Old Reserve Rum R and D Rum
Reviews, USA:- "Objective Notes
Extremely Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very
Smooth-Extremely Smooth).
Bambarra 8 Year Old Reserve Rum is medium amber to copper in color. Delicate, complex, and
very inviting aromas of sweet vanilla, brown sugar, oak, light smoke, and just a hint of alcohol lure you in for your first
taste. Initial taste reveals a full body and silky smoothness with just a hint of warmth. Flavors are muted and slightly sweet
keeping true to the aromas. The finish is sweet & spicy, long, and very pleasing.
Anecdotal Notes
Bambarra was launched
late in 2008 and is available mainly in the the Turks and Caicos islands. The bulk rum is produced by a large distiller
in the southern Caribbean, and shipped to the Turks and Caicos in plastic barrels, basically halting the aging process to
maintain batch consistency. The art of blending and marrying the rum to obtain the flavor profile desired, prior to bottling,
occurs in the Turks and Caicos.
I was
fortunate to pick up the 8 Year Old Reserve rum in Miami at the Rum Renaissance Festival event during May 2009 in Miami. The bottle is unique and handsome. It’s made in France
and is short and heavy. It has a nice colorful black label with native dancers and musicians in costume. It has a silver screw
cap topper. Bambarra
was inspired by one of the original settlements in striking Middle Caicos, it takes its name from the home of the African
settlers who were delivered, by destiny, to the Turks and Caicos aboard the wrecked slave trader Trouvadore in 1841.
Taster's Opinion
Bambarra 8 Year Old
Reserve is an outstanding rum and amazing value. Extremely smooth and favorful rum like this is only meant to be enjoyed neat
or on the rocks. The downside is its only available in the Turks and Caicos. If you find yourself in the islands there be
sure to acquire a few bottles of this nectar to bring back home with you. It will be your favorite souvenir from an amazingly
beautiful chain of islands."
Taster's
Rating (10 is best): Roger - 8.5 Flasks
Most Recently reviewed by: Roger,
July 2009, in RnD’s North Tasting Room, USA
*750ml unless otherwise stated.
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