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Chairman's Reserve Vintage 2009
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"Best Chairman's Reserve I've tasted," one member says — and this 2009 vintage divides the room in a good way. It's the woody, smoky side of Saint Lucia Distillers: campfire char, tobacco, leather and dry pencil shavings up front, with ripe tropical fruit and vanilla sitting further back. At 46% it stays approachable, though several tasters wish it hit harder. Give it air and it opens up nicely.
The community says- Smoky tobacco depth
- Opens with air
- But: Wants more punch
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The look inside the bottle
How does Chairman's Reserve Vintage 2009 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Dry, smoky Saint Lucia with tobacco and wood Most land on a good-but-not-great verdict: dry, smoky, tobacco-forward and pleasant to sip, though a few want more punch and find the char turns bitter.
Aroma profilefans of dry, smoky, tobacco-driven rum
anyone wanting bold proof or heavy fruit
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neatCocktails & mixing
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
43 of 88 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Rated better
Foursquare ECS XXI 2010
8.5/1099 €
Milder
Chairman's Reserve Vintage 2005
8.0/10
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First choice: 29 of 33 tasters who tried both prefer it.
Community voices
What does the community say?
88 community reviews
28 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
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Ranges include their upper bound: “7–8” means above 7 up to and including 8. See the full rating guide
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by Stefan Persson
Most helpful positive review
Overall an powerful, complex, fruity, spicy and smoky rum. Bought two bottles of this rum from Svet Nápojov in Slovakia. The brand Chairman’s Reserve from Saint Lucia Distillers (SLD) saw the day of light in 1999 under supervision of Laurie Barnard, and is today their most appreciated rum if you ask me. SLD use molasses imported from the Dom. Rep. and some sugar cane juice from sugar cane grown in Saint Lucia. They use open tanks for fermentation and four different stills, one Coffey column and three different pot stills. All their rum is tropically aged on site mostly in ex-Bourbon casks, but sometimes also in Port casks. The 2009 is their second released vintage. It’s entirely molasses based distilled in their Coffey Still and two of the pot stills (John Dore II & Vendome). Thereafter the different distillates was aged separately for 11 years in ex-Bourbon casks whereafter it was blended and married for some more weeks before bottled at ABV 46%.
Review by Rumpalumpa
Most helpful mixed review
A chairman that I like less. It's hardly fruity, quite smoky in the direction of charcoal. Then you think it's somehow salty. The cask is also a little bitter. Scotch fans would definitely like it.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
31.08.2025 Retasting at the German Rum Fest 2025. Smooth and floral. ----------------- #5169 28.03.2025 Running through some samples at home. Nose Medium intense, wood, light roasted, spice, faint smoke, light leather, dried fruit, light plum. Palate Warm, medium dry, wood, light roasted, faint chocolate, raisin, light leather, light tobacco, faint caramel, light nutts. Finish Long and warm, medium dry, wood, faint smoke, dried fruit, light leather, light nutts. Empty glass Chocolate, light caramel, vanilla, light prunes, light banana.
Review by Boletus
When the bottle was freshly opened, I found this Saint Lucia a little tiring. One or two alcoholic peaks were noticeable and I found it almost overtaking in the mouth. However, as the level dropped, these waves smoothed out more and more. The rum still has a strong oak influence and the alcohol still flashes through from time to time, but despite the somewhat thin and dry finish, it develops a harmonious and surprisingly complex aroma structure with pleasant drinkability.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,5:The nose of this rum brings us nougat garnished with fatty nuts. Among them, peanut, almond, walnut with a light layer of varnish. The vanilla, caramel and some sweet spices continue to fill the wood, giving it a definitively melting side.Aeration gives us more roasted side with iodized, smoky/tobacco, resinous, even briny notes, then herbal notes and very ripe exotic fruits, whose fermentation releases a certain acidity with some orange peel. These fruits become thicker, dried and sweeter, complementing pastry notes in the end. 8,5:The palate is perfectly balanced between the two facets from the nose, but also from the point of the power of the attack. The heat is delightful and quite gourmand. The very ripe exotic like banana and dried, red fruits(especially prunes are intense)give way to oily citrus peels, which feed on sweet spices, candied roasted nuts and nice earthy peat, bacon along the way.There are also some vegetal, medicinal, metallic, briny notes and finally milk chocolate . 8,2:The finish is fruity, syrupy as pastry-like, buttery, with cherry pits and raisins, dry, the wood is toasted, some smoke stays, the chocolate is dark now. Really nice rhum🙂👌. Edit:8.6.25, a really nice sipper
Review by Tim
Lots of smoke, tobacco and wood on the nose, less fruit than the 2005. In the mouth spicy, smoky
Review by cigares
A rum tasted at GRF in 2025 at the Chairman’s Reserve tasting. Ripe tropical fruits, vanilla and a soft fermented side, spices (cinnamon and pepper) and vegetal notes, we have a beautiful nose here. The entry on the palate is voluminous with spices (cinnamon, pepper and vanilla), fruits a bit too ripe and a slight smoky side. The finish is rather short even if the spices linger for a long time.
Review by Henry Davies
The nose is fairly inviting, some glue and nail polish alongside woody and barrel influence. On the mouth it has some fire power, with iodine, salty olive brine and some caramel taking a back seat. The finish has more olive and salt with a woody spicy element that builds as the finish tapers off. It’s better than the 2005 for me as more brash and interesting but lacks the finesse of the Master’s Selection picks. Solid youthful SLD rum
Review by Christoph
Lots of tobacco and coal paired with some lime. Not mine, but qualitatively good rum.
Review by Skyfly
Fair evaluation: Thought I had a misbottling in the glass. For me, super much sugarcane and floral influence. Alongside some wood, spices and sweetness. Alcohol reduced but clearly noticeable. Sample is enough.
Review by Jussi Piirainen
Finally decided to open this bottle and i dont know why i didnt open this bottle earlier. On the nose: Such a good aromas in the nose, but the abv should have been higher. Woody, tobacco, leather, dried fruits and a good aroma of vanilla Taste: Woody, tobacco and charred notes dominate, but due the abv not a much of intensity, this is a easy sipper and approachable. Caramel and vanilla notes bring nice sweetness in to the palate. Finish: Woody, tobacco and leather notes, but nutty notes do appear aswell. Charred notes. Dry finish. If this rum had a higher abv and therefore stronger flavours, the final score would be higher. Still, not many rums in that abv range can offer such good experience. I believe this rum offers great value especially for its price.
Review by HenryL
Tasted at the Hanse Spirit 2024 Solid rum, but in comparison to other vintages such as the 2005 bottlings, this one has to take a back seat. There is too much of a charred note for me. Bacony on the nose, iodine on the palate. A citrus note similar to the German Edition.
Review by Thomas Renoud
One of my all-time favorites
Review by w00tAN
Brussels Rhum Festival 2024 Nose is rich and spicy. Taste first sweet then tobacco and strongly burnt/roasted. Medium-long bitter, toasty, salty finish with herbal tea at the end. Definitely behind the 2005 and for 60 euros the competition is no longer so small.
Review by Martin Švojgr
Terribly interesting tobacco taste with a sweet slightly sour skin. In the aroma I smell tobacco together with a floral fragrance - could it be roses? In taste, the sour skin reminds me of bacon after a while. A very interesting sample.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
on the nose still relatively fruity
Review by Roman Staroń
Good quality. Fairly short xapach and flavor finish. To sit with a cigar but of low strength.
Review by Nivius
Unfortunately, not as good as the 2005 that got me hooked on St. Lucia. However, the St. Lucia glue is nicely present, as are the first woody notes, which are already becoming more complex. It's great in drinks and it's also delicious when drunk neat.
Review by Stepan Sonnar
Definitely a good rum, but I must admit I was expecting it would be better, after tasting Chairman’s cheapest rum in the lineup. Pretty interesting on a nose, but a little to alcoholic. Not as intensive flavour as you may expect from 46%. Doorly’s 14 is much more intensive on the nose with similar strenth (47%). Interesting taste with some smoky notes. Not as strong as in Lag or Laphroaig, just a comfortable amount of smokiness for the rum. Also has some wood and leather. Tastes good, but the taste is hiding behind tha alcohol burn. There is a plenty of overproof rums with much more % that don’t bother you with alcohol fighting with taste notes. So, definitely a good rum, but not the one who can steal your heart. :)
Review by Vojta
Very pleasant rum, Saint Lucia is one of my favourite destinations when it comes to rum. There is lot of wood, tobacco and spice followed by fruit. Litte bit of menthol as well. Overally to me, this is an excellent bottle
Review by Matej
After long pause finally I have time to sit and try my newest bottle. Aroma is very sweet at first, I noticed hints of honey, raisins and banana. What I like about this one is that smoly/woody/tabacco tones, which males this rum much more “gantleman-ish”. But…. Taste is something different. It’s acts like this is not the same rum at all. There is hint of some fruit (really do not know which one), but there is much strong flavor of spice, tabacco, smoke, cigars, I would like to say almost charcuterie (smoked meat), but in a good way. Finish is quite long with buttery/creamy hints but those tabacco/smoke flavors are still dominant. Very nice “come back” for me. It is very nice rum for sipping.
Review by Filip Heimerle
Pleasant, gentler cream transitioning to vanilla with the onset of candied fruit.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Mild with huge soil taste. Interesting
Review by Sebastiaan Linssen
Tasted at German rum festival Best of chairman's reserve I have tasted so far.
Review by Anonymous
Woody fine but very strong
Review by DJ Wolfson
I’ve enjoyed just about every bottle from Chairman’s Reserve but this is my favorite sipper. Very smooth and easy to drink. The smell is sweet and almost confectionery, but not in an additive way. The kick of alcohol is short and quickly overpowered by a rounded blend of roasted nuts and fruits. So far I’ve tried it in a El Presidente (my goto for aged rums) and it was good. But the subtleties of this drink are expectedly drowned out. So that’s probably the first and last time I’ll use this for that spec.
Review by Richard Krupa
First comparison with 2005 and that was a flop Then compare it to the Legacy and there is a significant rider difference, but I will still look for a way to it
Review by Mateusz
Simply one of the most enjoyable aged rums I tried. Complex flavour notes and lovely balanced. Quality aged. Dry, sour and smoky. Incredible value!
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Community shelf
100 bottles logged by 95 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
38% opened, 14 emptied.
What does Chairman's Reserve Vintage 2009 cost?
Community paid 44–76 €.
Current best price: 47.79 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 49 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+7 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
100 purchased · 91 tasted · 48 wishlist · as of
Details about Chairman's Reserve Vintage 2009
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Saint Lucia, distilled by Saint Lucia Distillers, at 46%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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