Kirk and Sweeney 12

Sometimes the bottle draws you in and draws you in with it’s mystical marketing charms. Named after a rum running schooner from the prohibition era, and with a cannonball like bottle, Kirk and Sweeney 12 has marketing in spades. In spite of this, their website gives very few details on the spirit contained within. While their suggested MSRP is $39, you can find it as low as the mid-twenties, but is it worth it?

Before we talk about the Dominican Rum contained within Kirk and Sweeney’s bottle, let’s talk about the bottle itself. The cannonball bottle seem hellbound on trying to commit roughly every possible sin I can think of. It’s round – making it hard to pour. Being round – and therefore squat – it takes up more shelf than a normal bottle. It’s got a huge freaking lip – making it dribble. It has a cork with no T-stop – making it hard to grip and pull. The cork is tapered and if you pull it hard can tear.

But it looks like a cannonball. That’ll make it all better, right?

Sight: An improbably perfect caramel brown.

Smell: The smell of caramel and oak is prevalent – giving way into a molasses and brown sugar sweetness. There’s a woodsy spicy note as well. Some dried dates and roasted plantain notes come through as well. A slight must and a touch of heat is present as well.

Sip: The palate is light and gives way to a vanilla laced caramel. Notes of oak and spice come through powerfully – drowning out subtle nuances. It is mildly sweet.

Savor: The ending is moderately tannic, and there’s a strong wood and vanilla notes with a hint of cigar.

Kirk and Sweeney 12 direct in it’s unapologetic direction toward brown sugar and vanilla. A decent amount of oak and spice comes out as well, but gives it a somewhat generic character. As a sipper, it’s nice neat and pretty smooth. For beginning rum drinkers, you might enjoy the unoffensive, straightforward character that K+S 12 has.

In Cocktails

While I’ve enjoyed sipping on this rum neat, I can’t say I’ve ever found it well suited to crafting. Part of the problem is that the flavors seem to be easily diluted, and emphasize the tannic nature of the wood at points. It particularly gets lost in Tiki drinks, where multiple strong flavors are competing. Outside of a Bombo, Ti Punch, and a Cuba Libre, there aren’t a lot of subtle, uncomplicated rum drinks for Kirk and Sweeney 12 to call home.