St. Lucia Distillers Chairman's Reserve Vintage Rum, St. Lucia

St. Lucia Distillers Chairman's Reserve Vintage Rum, St. Lucia is the 2009 vintage, a blend built from distillates made in three different stills: John Dore 2 and Vendôme pot stills, alongside the distillery’s Coffey still. Each component aged independently for 11 years in ex-bourbon barrels before blending and a brief return to oak. At 46% ABV, this limited vintage bottling brings aged-wood depth together with concentrated tropical fruit and spice.

Product Details:

• Spirit Type: Aged blended rum
• Blend: Distillates from John Dore 2 and Vendôme pot stills and a Coffey still
• Maturation: Components aged independently for 11 years in ex-bourbon barrels, then blended and returned to oak for a few additional months
• ABV: 46%
• Producer: Saint Lucia Distillers
• Owner: Groupe Bernard Hayot
• Master Blender: Deny Duplessis
• Vintage: 2009

Sensory Description:

The nose brings honeyed raisin, toffee, banana, vanilla, and tobacco. Concentrated candied tropical fruit leads the palate, joined by tobacco and warm spice. Buttery toasted oak gives the rum structure, while leather and dark chocolate carry through a smooth, complex finish.

Awards & Accolades:

• Gold Medal: International Spirits Challenge, 2021
• Silver: International Wine & Spirit Competition, 2021
• Score: Wine Enthusiast, 95 points, 2023

Producer’s Background:

Saint Lucia Distillers was formed in 1972 through the merger of the island’s Roseau Bay and Dennery distilleries. Chairman’s Reserve followed in 1999, created by Laurie Barnard, who championed combining pot- and column-still rums and blending components of different ages and styles. That approach continues under master blender Deny Duplessis, whose first release in the role was this 2009 vintage.

Serving Suggestions:

Pour neat into a tulip-shaped spirits glass and allow it a few minutes to open; a small splash of water can soften the oak and bring the fruit forward. Its candied fruit, tobacco, and toasted-oak notes pair well with dark chocolate, roasted nuts, or a fruit-and-spice dessert.