I finally made it to Bacardi 8 Year Old

[seabass]

I remember talk that Bacardi 8 was moving production. Has the blend changed? Or is it the same Barbados blend it was originally?

[AdOrAdam]

I tend to start with the entry level style of rum & work my way up until I find one that I really like.

Bacardi hating aside - You can taste the progression Bacardi Gold to the Bacardi 8.

When reaching for Puerto Rican rum to make a new drink I start with Bacardi Gold. If I like I drink then I upgrade the ingredients use Bacardi 8 as my Puerto Rican... great stuff for mixing!

I also sip it, nice & easy going IMO.

Has anyone got any experience of Bacardi Reserva? Its price point is higher so maybe it represents the step up from Bacardi 8?

[rumdog007]

Originally Posted by seabass

I remember talk that Bacardi 8 was moving production. Has the blend changed? Or is it the same Barbados blend it was originally?

seabass, so far, it's still the older Nassau product. I always make a point of seeing if the old supply has been exhausted by checking bottles on the shelves. I guess that it's been 3 years, or more, since The Rumelier watched the Nassau plant getting closed. They must have made a darn bunch of it. That said, it's still great!

[scottb]

I love the Bacardi 8 year, it's a very affordable sipping rum.

[Knilas]

I agree. ^^^ Had my first taste of it over the weekend and was very impressed!

[thefatrumpirate]

Originally Posted by AdOrAdam

I tend to start with the entry level style of rum & work my way up until I find one that I really like.

Bacardi hating aside - You can taste the progression Bacardi Gold to the Bacardi 8.

When reaching for Puerto Rican rum to make a new drink I start with Bacardi Gold. If I like I drink then I upgrade the ingredients use Bacardi 8 as my Puerto Rican... great stuff for mixing!

I also sip it, nice & easy going IMO.

Has anyone got any experience of Bacardi Reserva? Its price point is higher so maybe it represents the step up from Bacardi 8?

Not sure of the price point in the US. It's roughly the same as the 8 over here. Having said that its only really available in the Duty Free's. And to avoid confusion this is NOT the Reserva Limitado which is £200 plus per bottle.

My last two visit's I've bought 1 litre bottles of the Reserva for around £27 pounds. A bottle of Bacardi 8 is around £32.

Personally, I prefer the Reserva. It's drier and slightly rougher but is an excellent mixer.

Both are a huge step up from the entry level Bacardi's. The Black and Gold are especially unpleasant.

The Reserva is a product of Puerto Rico and the Bacardi 8 is a product of the Bahamas. Too very different rums. The 8 seems to have went down the smooth sipping route and the Reserva has a more robust flavour.

I've reviewed both on my site if you wish to have a look.

The White Sipper is also reviewed you may wish to try that as well!

[Edward Hamilton]

I know all alcohol is more expensive in England, we buy Bacardi 8 for less than $25 in the US, when it's on sale.

[AdOrAdam]

Originally Posted by thefatrumpirate

Personally, I prefer the Reserva. It's drier and slightly rougher but is an excellent mixer.

The Reserva is a product of Puerto Rico and the Bacardi 8 is a product of the Bahamas. Too very different rums. The 8 seems to have went down the smooth sipping route and the Reserva has a more robust flavour.

I've reviewed both on my site if you wish to have a look

I originally spotted the Reserva in duty free in the UK but still haven't brought any - I'm still a Bacardi 8 fan, I rarely sip it but I do mix it.

Ed, the UKs liqour prices are roughly what you pay in dollars in the US but in pounds (or slightly more) at best

e.g. Bacardi 8 is about £25 - £28, I have picked up a bottle for £20 previously (I think it was old stock)

[Eupraxis]

Ok, so a bit late to this thread, but it still pops up in the first page of Google hits when I search "Bacardi 8 Reviews".

In college, I was more of a vodka (mixed), and whiskey/cognac (neat) drinker, with rum being the usual college swill. However, that changed when I tried a bottle of El Dorado 12, which just blew other spirits out of the water (pardon the naval pun ;-) This was 2008.

However, El Dorado is not well stocked where I live, and I have the suspicion it's sweetened after the fact too (it almost feels like rum syrup). I was looking for something lighter/less sweet yet a good sipper...oh, and it can't cost $40+ dollars -- I wanted an everyday sipper, not something so expensive that I feel the need to re-enact that famous opening scene from Indiana Jones' Raiders of the Lost Ark (just replace the idol with a bottle of rum ;-P)

Fast forward to 2015, and I am in upstate New York, where local liquor stores are not exactly cosmopolitan. I'm in the mood to try a new rum, and I see this Bacardi 8 Anos. It's cork and packaging (not to mention price of about 25 USD) suggests this is not their usual crap. But its cheap enough that I'm willing to take the risk, so I give it a go.

I open up the bottle, pop the cork, and with some nervousness take my first sip (halfway expecting to be disappointed). However, like many of the other folks on this forum, I had to eat my words with this one! Bacardi 8 is just fantastic, especially given its price tag and wide availability. I've never seen this rum NOT available, and I can afford to drink it regularly.

It's smooth, not too sweet, and has rich flavors that come in waves. It's a nice sipping experience that won't break the bank. I suppose I could shell out twice as much for something people deem better; however, I can honestly say that I haven't found a cheaper rum that is both an acceptable sipper and generally available outside boutique/specialty shops.

Bacardi 8 for the win!

[Berbician]

You're quite right about El Dorado 12 year old being sweetened. I don't have the exact figure, but there seems to be nearly as much sugar as there is rum.