Selvarey Owner's Reserve

I'm new to rum, so I'm not sure what constitutes a 10, but this came close. Its sweet, but not overly, and has a velvety mouthfeel that I've only found similar in Opthimus 25. But, I've only tried a couple dozen rums, so take that into account as well. Like Paul B, I have trouble describing the flavor in words (and to be honest when I read a review that lists 8 or 10 different flavors that were supposedly perceived, I tend to not believe it anyway) so I'll have to do my best without comparing it to other flavors.

The richness of flavors and feel on the palate is what sets this apart from all the other rums I've tried, but I have to say that Opthimus 25 came very close for a lot less money. At $150 vs. $90 I'd probably say that dollar for dollar I find the Opthimus to be a better value, but the SelvaRey was overall the better rum.

Another thing Paul B. had mentioned was the bottle shape minimizing the effect of oxidation due to the surface area increasing at a slower rate as the contents are consumed. It seemed to me that my bottle of Opthimus 25 got a little bit richer as it got older, but the SelvaRey didn't, and it may have even lost a little richness. Not sure how to quantify that, but I had both bottles open over a similar time and that's the way it seemed to progress to me. It might have to do with the fact that there's a lot of added sugar in the Opthimus, IDK.

Bottom line for me, I bought another bottle of Opthimus 25, and this will likely be the only purchase of SelvaRey for me. I switched to rum from whisky because I was tired of paying over $100 to get anything decent, so I'm trying to avoid going over $100 for a bottle of rum for now unless something totally knocks my socks off. SelvaRey was a very fine bottle of rum, but wasn't substantially better than the Opthimus to justify the extra $60 in my mind, and its harder to find than Opthimus as well.

Tested neat in chilled glass. 80 proof
Aroma in glass was milder than I expected, more golden than aged. Aftertaste was not dark aged rum, and was followed by a smooth golden finish and slight alcohol bite. Selvarey white is a 10 rated sipper (in my opinion), and the Owner's Reserve was not at the exceptional level I expected after tasting the white. The 18YO Don Pancho is a better choice at $95 including tax, compared to $160 for this. This is a good choice for those who prefer a premium golden rum sipper. Unique bottle design towers over most all the other rums on my shelves.

Nice aroma, it settles well on ice and it goes down smooth and with ease. This is a master pice.

Very smooth and tasteful. Not dry and a little on the sweet side.

Best of the best, forget the rest!
SelvaRey's Owners Reserve is my go to gifting now.