Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish is the company’s first innovation forr the premium range and marks the start of a five-year collection, which will see Bacardi unveil a new cask finish offering annually through 2025, with the cask finish changing each year based on the type of barrel used for the additional aging.
This year’s inaugural release has been aged in American oak barrels for eight to 12 years and finished in an Oloroso sherry cask for just over two months. These additional few months in the sherry cask allow the blend to take on a sweet, smooth velvety texture with notes of caramel, vanilla, and orange, along with hints of walnuts and almonds.
The result, the company says, is a deep mahogany flavor that gives off the aroma of dried fruits, raisins, walnuts, and almonds. This luxurious libation is best enjoyed neat in a room temperature tasting glass to bring out the full flavors of the finish.
“We could not be more thrilled for the launch of Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish to add to our Premium portfolio for a limited time. This is our first innovation for the Premium range since the portfolio first launched in 2018, and we are excited to introduce four more innovations over the course of the next four years,” said Lisa Pfenning, Vice President, Bacardi for North America.
“We have seen an increased popularity in Premium rums throughout the years, namely sipping rums, and we hope our rum enthusiasts will appreciate the care and craftsmanship that has gone into blending the Reserva Cask Finish series – which will add new layers of beautiful and bold flavors to our smooth aged rums. Not only will the taste appeal to rum drinkers, but we believe that whiskey drinkers will find themselves reaching for a bottle of Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish as well.”
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., the rum category revenue increased by 5.9% in 2020, with most of the growth attributed to High-End Premium (8.7%), Premium (7.5%) and Super-Premium (3.7%) categories.
According to Nielsen, Rum Cask Finishes revenue is growing by over 190%. As Cask Finishes are most commonly found within the whiskey segment, Bacardi said it is seeking to entice whiskey drinkers to explore outside of the category through the launch of its new five-year Reserva Cask Finish Series. Be sure to keep an eye out to see when the next four finishes will be announced through 2025.
To accompany the launch of this new product, Bacardi teamed with famed celebrity photographer, Cam Kirk, to create an original NFT (non-fungible token) inspired by the Bacardi Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask Finish.