Bundaberg Small Batch

Type: Rum

Origin: Queensland, Australia 🇦🇺

ABV: 40%

Malt Mileage rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Reaction: 😐

As Melbourne’s scorching 37 degree Celsius day came to a close and the sun set, I craved sweet sugary rum over ice. A bottle of Bundaberg Small Batch had been sitting in my drinks cabinet for some time and I was worried it felt neglected. So, I decided to give it a bit of attention. 

This Bundaberg Small Batch is from batch #0013. It is a blend of Bundaberg rum and aged reserves which had been matured in brandy barrels, including Cognac barrels.

The nose of sweet, sugary, syrupy and fruity – find tinned pineapple, plump raisins, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. After a while, it smells like a ball of cotton candy and a pot of brandy preserved cherries. On the palate it is a little raw and young tasting; sure it tastes of lovely sugar and molasses, but a nagging ethanol note brings it down. Initially there is plenty of dried/preserved fruit (dates, raisins and cherries especially), honey, warming peppery spices and flashes of oak. Those flavours fade as quickly as they appear, and a disappointing finale of ethanol is all that remains.

Overall, Bundaberg Small Batch is a decent rum for its price but it did not strike me as a good sipping rum given its rawness on the palate and disappointing ethanol rich finish.