Chairman's Reserve Master's Selection (Renbjer Fine Spirits 20th Anniversary 2004-2024) 2009
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Not what anyone expects from Saint Lucia — tar, cold smoke and leather dominate, with earth and rubber close behind. Several members reach for whisky comparisons (Islay, Lagavulin) rather than rum, and one calls it "smoky/tar/earthy" before the fruit even shows. Ripe fruit and dry caramel sit underneath if you give it time. At 60.5% it needs air and a few drops of water to fully open.
The community says- Deep smoke and tar
- Unusual for St. Lucia
- But: Fruit stays hidden
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The look inside the bottle
How does Chairman's Reserve Master's Selection (Renbjer Fine Spirits 20th Anniversary 2004-2024) 2009 taste?
Aggregated from 40 community reviews.
Smoky, tarry pot-still that drinks like peated whisky Most drinkers rate this highly as a bold, unusual pot-still experiment — smoky and dirty in the best way. If you want the fruity Saint Lucia profile, this leans elsewhere.
peated-whisky fans and smoke lovers
anyone chasing fruity, easygoing rum
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
25 of 40 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Community voices
What does the community say?
40 community reviews
26 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 LukaŽiga
Most helpful positive review
9,1:On the nose, this rum is really complex and like a poetry, we get smoky dried and yellow fruits with apricots, maybe peaches, the molasses is herbal, minty, there are juicy, estery tropical fruits with mango and the wood is charred with caramel and roasted nuts. Balanced like a poem. On aeration, some industrial notes arise with rubber, maybe even tar, vegetal like tea, tobacco, sap and after well rest, peat.Defintely, there are some apple, banana, grape and prunes, very tasty with a combination of charred and vegetal notes. 9,1:On the palate, the attack is with smoky fruits like mango, maracuja, banana and charred wood notes like roasted nuts, dark chocolate, caramel, leather and a pinch of rubber. It is spicy with cardamom, red bell peppers, vanilla and earthy, dry and very round, especially when yellow fruits are added.Another layer of fruit notes are citrus and ripe strawberry with creamy vanilla. There are delicious honey marshmellows.Molasses is minty with tea.If we wait, there is coconut coming from underneath. 9:The finish is also tasty and balanced with the notes from palate lingering and also a new layer of notes like bacon, wax and tannins, we shall not forget Tiramisu.... Very complex and delicious.Top!😋 Edit:29.8.25
Review by Thunderbird
Most helpful critical review
Well, this bottling doesn't really have anything to do with a Chairman's anymore. It reminds me more of a Scottish peaty whisky... with a little burnt caramel and roasted nuts. It obviously seems to be an experiment and has gone wrong for me. The whisky influence is too strong, especially in the finish.
Review by Dr.Django
Would never have guessed a Chairman's here. I really like the intensity on the palate. This rum comes with a lot of pleasant warm dirty power on the palate, somehow earthy, astringent, maritime and rusty. The finish runs very metallic-citrus fruity. The alcohol could be better integrated. Totally interesting Chairman's. Tastes are debatable, this rum here has a lot of potential for debate. I find it successful and without the finish it would have gotten more points here.
Review by zabo
Edit Edit: Somehow, the more I try it, the better I find it. A wacky piece that is atypical of Chairman's, yet extremely interesting, but still too close to a whisky Edit: For me, a Chairman's outside the range I was used to, but not really bad either, just different. You have to get used to it first. Also somehow tasted a minty note after taking a longer breath. Totally confusing. I'll hold off on the rating until the samples are out. My tip is to give your dram plenty of time first. I'll add my notes soon.
Review by Serge
The nose starts unusually: dry dusty – somewhat reminiscent of gentian. Actually, it fits gentian quite exactly. Smells like French gentian liqueur (Suze or Salers). Underneath lie caramel, wood, dried fruits, some smoke, lots of vegetal notes, and after a while also some (mainly continental) fruit. The dusty hay-like vegetal gentian note is also back on the palate. Definitely an unusual Chairman’s and worthwhile for all who can be happy beyond fruitiness. I actually like it.
Review by Christian Rudt
Sample poured. At first a strong tar hits the nose. St. Lucia, really? Fruit is actually rather in the background in this bottling. It is more spicy-herbaceous with notes of rubber, smoky to charred. It doesn't seem very round but somehow unusual which makes this bottling really exciting.
Review by Johannes
In my opinion, a rather atypical Lucia. I miss the tropical ester fruit notes. Instead, there are far too many slightly peaty whisky notes for my taste. It seems a little young overall. Alcohol could be a little better integrated. After an hour in the glass, the rum opens up, but overall it's still not quite my cup of tea.
Review by Stefan Persson
Overall a very special and in my opinion quite fantastic rum with Laphroaig vibes. This very special Master’s Selection from SDL and Chairman’s Reserve is celebrating the 1st 20 years of Renbjer Fine Spirits. The specialness is that it’s 50/50 John Dore 2 and Vendome which is a blend I’ve never heard of before. The nose gives you aromas of fruits and leather but above all it’s smoky with a scent of tarred rope. At the palate and during the long finish comes the aromas and scents back as flavors together with honey and some notes of rubber, bourbon and oak.
Review by Jarek
Ha! That's supposed to be a St. Lucia? Is it even a rum or a whisky? Seriously, it is a rum and a good one at that, but a profile I would never have expected from a Chairmen’s. Smoky, earthy, peaty, dirty. But on the nose still with nice fruit that I can't quite pinpoint 100%. Dried plum with maraschino…
Review by Lukas Jäger
Caroni meets Jamaica? Exciting bottling from St. Lucia, which keeps producing good and very good stuff. A very fruity nose, where I even find some esters, but they are heavily embedded in dirty notes of tar, gasoline, and rubber. On the palate, these aromas dominate and get reinforced by wood, smoke, and roasted notes. After some time, also a bit of mint; blind, I would have placed it as Trinidad! Even though the St. Lucia character shines through, it's a rather unusual bottling. But not bad at all!
Review by Martin Spooner
Very smoky nose. Has something metallic even. Also a good load of wood on the nose. On the palate further lots of smoke and tar. Almost a bit too much for me. Not quite my guy, the mate. Doesn't make the 8.
Review by Stefan L
I like it a lot and it is really heavy! It blooms out a little extra smokyness with a few drops of water. 😋A fantastic job by Renbjer! - 260109: Quite some time later. This really is in the extreme end(in a good way) and I applaud Renbjer for having the guts to release something like this.
Review by Johnny Rumcask
Rarely had a rum in the glass that was so hard to describe in taste. Additionally, the rum tasted completely different on two different days. So here's an attempt at an approximation: some smoke, herbs, and nutty notes. In my view, the rum leans more towards whisky. At a blind tasting, that would certainly be very exciting. Alcohol well integrated. If possible, definitely try it. However, I wouldn't chase a bottle.
Review by Nils123
With water it becomes really smoky and dirty.
Review by rbfsnow
😍Love or 🤮Hate Chairmans Reserve with a "smooky" Lagavulin taste in my opinion.
Review by Buddudharma
This is really a very interesting rum. On the nose first cold smoke, behind that the typical St. Lucia profile, with rather low esters. On the palate first the analogous smoky note, then something floral (Serge’s description of gentian schnapps fits very well), plus caramel (not the sticky kind, but dry and with fine sweetness and spice) and cask. A slight astringency fits very well into the profile and concentrates the aromas. On the finish then again the smoky note paired with caramel and cask. I’m really not a fan of smoke, but here it gives the rum an interesting touch. Impressively shows the range of this distillery, although as a confessed St. Lucia fanboy I might not be completely objective. In any case an exceptional rum that one should at least try once.
Review by Alex Kunath
Today again a Chairman from St Lucia. Basically I am a huge fan of this distillery, but this bottling only pleases me to a limited extent. After 20 minutes in the air, there is an intense but quite bitter taste on the nose and palate that I don't really like. However, the alcohol is very well integrated.
Review by F.L.O.
Positive surprise from the house of Saint Lucia. The nose slightly reminds me of a Herr... at least the fruity fermented note. On the tongue there is fruit and wood. Unfortunately the finish is not so long. Still a very nice super
Review by Fuwi
Exciting rum! Very floral spicy nose, Serge talked about gentian – I don't know it, but that's how I imagine it. Slightly phenolic, somehow going towards Islay malt at the back of the nose. Very interesting! On the tongue, light hints of autumn fruits, pear, apple, plum. Drifts on the palate into a medicinal direction, a bit like surgical cleaning agents. The alcohol is well integrated but still prominent enough to convey an overall cheeky, dirty character. Great drop!
Review by Martin Švojgr
This is exactly the kind of rum you either love or hate. What's the reason? Smokiness... And I love it! Dark red color and full aroma immediately reveal earthy scent and taste of red fruit, which quickly turns into technical notes, leather, smoke/tar. You can clearly recognize the John Dore 2 distillation technique. If you like smokiness like me, you'll be very happy, if not, better avoid it.
Review by DeMaddin
Smoky, earthy, peaty, herbal. Reminds me more of a Scotch. Underlying rum comes through, interesting but strange.
Review by Dave Dahlgren
Burns but quite pleasant, a bit more farmyard
Review by Emanuel S
This is an experience. A very complex rum in my opinion. It might remind you of peated whisky but this is far from what comes out of Islay. The aroma/flavor profile is similar in that is smokey/tar/earthy. But then this takes a turn. Its fruity, with hints of apple and tropical fruits. It has rubber and petrol. Its nutty. Tobacco can be found. The finish is long with earthy/Smoky tones taking the lead with dried fruit and burnt sugar backing it up. I get a bacon vibe too. Very strange. Its complex. I can sit with this for hours just smelling it. It takes time to open up so dont rush it. At 60% it packs a punch. In my opinion, adding a bit of water makes it better.
Review by Claes Nilsson
Lots of smoke on the nose, reminds me more of a peaty whisky than rum I think. A bit of fruitiness in the background though. Smoke also when I taste, more rum-like, strong but not a very long aftertaste. Since I don't like the smoky character, it lowers the rating.
Review by Peter
Perfect when you're outside grilling. Flavorful. A bit smoky. Absolutely wonderful when the food isn't too strong 😋
Review by Motvind
Nah, this wasn't for me. A hint of caramel scent breaks through the heavy smells of smoke, leather, and earth. I can't distinguish any of the sweetness in the taste. The heavy flavors completely take over and are, in my opinion, a bit too much.
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Community shelf
24 bottles logged by 18 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
45% opened, 6 emptied.
What did the community pay for Chairman's Reserve Master's Selection (Renbjer Fine Spirits 20th Anniversary 2004-2024) 2009?
Community paid 77–82 €.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 77 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
24 purchased · 40 tasted · 3 wishlist · as of
Details about Chairman's Reserve Master's Selection (Renbjer Fine Spirits 20th Anniversary 2004-2024) 2009
A Pot Still Rum from Saint Lucia, distilled by Saint Lucia Distillers, at 60,5%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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