Kirk & Sweeney

Inspiration

Kirk and Sweeney was a wooden schooner, best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the Northeast during the early years of Prohibition. In 1924, it was seized off the coast of New York with a massive amount of rum abroad. The schooner was subsequently renamed “Chase” and pressed into duty as a Coast Guard trainer, serving until the late 1940’s when it was retired and salvaged.

Design

The bottle and the raised cork were inspired by the elegantly squat 18th-century onion bottles, which typically contained rum. These beautiful bottles were sometimes encased with hemp netting which could be used as a handle or to hang the bottle from a ship beam.
Playing off the concept of global navigation, an antique nautical map of the main rum smuggling route is silkscreened around the circumference of the bottle. The neck features a photo of Kirk and Sweeney and a Coast Guard styled citation with the batch and bottle number. Along with the ornate logo and the safety seal printed to look like nautical brass, the design serves as a reminder of the risk so many were willing to take for a good taste of rum during the 1920’s.

Production

Handcrafted in the Dominican Republic, this rum adheres to the very strict regulations to be called “Dominican Rum”. The process begins with hand harvested, high quality sugarcane that is pure. The byproduct of the sugarcane, “Blackstrap Molasses” is then carefully fermented and distilled. The average aging of Rum in the Caribbean is generally two years, Kirk and Sweeney is the rare exception. Aged twelve years (non solera) in ex French Oak wine barrels in brick houses at the distillery, this is indeed a rum well worth pursuing.

Kirk & Sweeney 12 Years Old

In the spirit of the Rum-running schooner Kirk and Sweeney, this Rum is well worth pursuing. Made with sugar cane and aged in oak barrels for 12 years, Kirk and Sweeney shows a rich mahogany color, smoothly capturing a complex range of flavors, from earthy sugar cane and dried fruit to vanilla and toasted oak.

Aroma: This deep mahogany colored rum presents a sweet aroma balanced heavily toward cane honey, with earthy sugar cane undertones, along with a hint of vanilla, luscious toasted oak, caramel and dried fruits.

Taste: Initial taste reveals a nectar-sweet quality, leading to a weightier body that indicates substantially aged rum that’s serious in character but no overbearing. Light notes of vanilla and wood hit the palate transforming into an incredibly smooth offering.

Finish: Bold, ripe, and sweet vanilla flavors evolve near the end, providing a smooth, long and luxurious finish.

Kirk & Sweeney 18 Years Old

In the spirit of Rum-running schooner Kirk and Sweeney, this Rum is well worth pursuing. It was distilled using traditionally harvested sugar cane and aged in oak for 18 years to fully develop its profile – an enticing scent of sherry and molasses, followed by the taste of deep vanilla with a hint of caramel and dried fruits.

Aroma: This full-bodies rum delivers an intriguing range of aromas, form intense vanillas to faint notes of sherry and raisins – all built upon a notable undercurrent of roasted cane sugars.

Taste: Eighteen years of aging and expert blending come to life with the first taste, revealing a deep vanilla flavor, followed by dried fruits, nutmeg, cinnamon spices and a hint of oak.

Finish: Immensely smooth all the way through, this rum unwinds with a gently wavering sensation of oak, sherry and raisin.

Kirk & Sweeney 23 Years Old

In the spirit of the Rum-running schooner Kirk and Sweeney, this Rum is well worth pursuing. Looking at its deep amber and iridescent copper color, it’s clear this 23-year-old Rum is uniquely charming. Its nose teases with toasty, dried fruits and a hint of honey and toffee, while the taste delights through an evolving sensation of fruit, vanilla and sherry.

Aroma: The aroma presents subtle notes of dried fruits and sweet, toasted breads, along with a base toffee, fresh honey and caramelized sugar. You can also appreciate a faint hint of almonds and vanilla.

Taste: Having spent 23 years in the barrel, this rum is as pleasantly complex as the nose and aging would suggest, offering a rich evolution on the mouth – from fresh, sweet sensations to dried fruits.

Finish: Finishing off each decadent sip, you’ll find endnotes that range from a distinct caramel, to sherry, to a well-balanced blend of almond and vanilla.