Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserva Superior Rum
Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserva Superior Rum is a 40% ABV (80 proof) Dominican rum in a 750mL bottle — a blend of rums aged up to 23 years (5–23 year components) from raw sugarcane and blackstrap molasses, rested in American oak casks with select barrels adding sherried richness, produced at the historic Bermudez Rum Distillery in Santiago de los Caballeros, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: blend of rums aged 5–23 years (23-year oldest reserves)
- Production: raw sugarcane + blackstrap molasses, American oak casks, sherried select barrels
- Origin: Dominican Republic — Bermudez Rum Distillery, Santiago de los Caballeros (J. Armando Bermúdez & Co., est. 1852); brand by 3 Badge Beverage Corp, Sonoma County, CA
- Awards: 94 pts, Wine Enthusiast; 97/100, Tasting Panel
The Rum-Runner's Reserve
Kirk and Sweeney is named for the wooden rum-running schooner that smuggled spirits during Prohibition — and the bottle plays the part, a low-set jug with a raised cork and an imprinted smuggling-route map. Inside is serious Dominican rum: reserves aged up to 23 years from the Bermudez Distillery (operating since 1852, and the house behind Bermúdez, Barceló, and Brugal), blended from raw sugarcane and blackstrap molasses distillate and finished in American oak with sherried barrels in the mix. This is the flagship, the older and more premium of the two Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reservas — sherried depth, toffee, and dried fruit over the 18-year sibling's brighter profile. Explore the Kirk and Sweeney range, compare the younger Gran Reserva 18-year, or browse our rum collection.
Tasting Notes
Deep and sherried — dried fig, raisin, and toffee over vanilla, toasted oak, and a hint of molasses. The 23-year components show in the texture: round, weighty, and long, with baking spice and dark chocolate on the finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over a single cube — this is a sipping rum. It also makes a formidable old fashioned for rum drinkers, where the sherry-cask depth replaces the usual whiskey notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Gran Reserva Superior?
It's a blend of rums aged 5 to 23 years, with 23-year-old reserves the oldest in the mix — the flagship of the range.
How does it differ from the regular Gran Reserva?
The Superior is the older, more premium bottling (up to 23 years, sherried depth); the Gran Reserva is the 18-year expression at a friendlier price.
Where is it made?
In the Dominican Republic at the Bermudez Rum Distillery in Santiago de los Caballeros, founded 1852.
Why the unusual bottle?
It's modeled on Prohibition-era rum-running gear — a tribute to the schooner Kirk and Sweeney, with a smuggling-route map imprinted on the jug.
Twenty-three years of Dominican patience — order Kirk and Sweeney Gran Reserva Superior online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.