Engenhos do Norte 970 Reserva
A rum for curious explorers wanting a gentle intro to Madeira agricole. Expect sweet caramel, honey and dried fruits over light vegetal cane, mild tannins and a soft, easy 40% profile—best as a relaxed sipper or casual sharing bottle.
- Easy sipper
- Sweet fruity notes
- Good value
Details about Engenhos do Norte 970 Reserva
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How does Engenhos do Norte 970 Reserva taste?
Aggregated from 45 community reviews.
Soft, sweet Madeira agricole starter A rum for curious explorers wanting a gentle intro to Madeira agricole. Expect sweet caramel, honey and dried fruits over light vegetal cane, mild tannins and a soft, easy 40% profile—best as a relaxed sipper or casual sharing bottle.
Rum drinkers who like sweeter, gentle sippers and want to dip a toe into vegetal agricole notes without high ABV or heavy funk.
Those seeking high complexity, strong funk, or cask-strength intensity; also anyone who dislikes vegetal agricole character altogether.
How is Engenhos do Norte 970 Reserva rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict — 7.0 lands squarely in the "Good" band. 46% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 2% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Rum reviews
A selection of the most popular reviews from our community. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Stefan Persson
Tasted this rum with a good friend that bought it during a trip to Madeira which has a long tradition of making sugar and rum. The first Engenho (sugar mill) in Madeira is from 1452 and they produced sugar from sugar cane on the island until 1986. Rum from molasses has been distilled since the early 16th century and the first agricultural rum was produced in the mid 17th century. Nowadays there’s four distilleries on the island. The biggest one is Engenhos Do Norte. Established in 1927, and produces this brand among others. It’s distilled in Barbet copper columns whereafter it’s placed in French oak barrels for at least 6 years before blended, reduced and bottled. After what I’ve heard is it a very typical traditional Madeira rum.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Also an easy sipper from Madeira. Not quite as complex as the William Hinton but also great. A little too much tannin for me
Review by TheRhumhoe
A typical Madeira-style rum, which is as affordable in price as it is in taste. The nose opens with dried fruit (grapes), sugarcane, grass and a touch of walnut and honey. The wood is rather young, with more pronounced and softer spices (vanilla). A fairly classic but attractive profile. The attack is very round and mellow, with much more sweet notes than at first sight (honey, nougat, vanilla, sugar cane). The palate then develops fresher notes, followed by a spicier (pepper, vanilla) and fruitier (raisin) bent. The 40% dilution makes the whole a little flat, lacking a little fantasy. The finish is in the same key, of medium length and just as sweet. The vegetal influence makes itself felt, but a slightly roasted side on nuts and wood gives a little more appeal to this agricultural profile. While not an extraordinary rum, it does have the merit of introducing a new terroir at a very reasonable price.
Review by Tim
A young Agricole from Madeira with many floral notes. Sugar cane/caramel, fruit, some wood, spices and a dry drinking experience.
Review by Joachim Guger
Spirituosenzirkus 23.05.2025 Im Mund wie ein alter Agricole. Hat mir nicht geschmeckt.
Review by TheJackDrop
Degusté au Spirits Days à Tournai, notes rapides : J'ai dégusté une version millesimée 2016. Nez : orange amere, menthol, plus rond que son petit frère. La canne est encore présente. Bouche : Le côté vineux n'est plus présent, mais les tanins sont là. Bref : plutot sympa, meme si très atypique.
Review by Jack M
Pretty nice but nothing special. I wouldn’t guess it was an Agricola by the nose but the finish leaves you in no doubt as it is strongly vegetal. Dried fruits, prunes, cloves and honey on the nose. Sweet, vegetal, salty, spice and peppery to taste. Vegetal finish.
Review by Morgan Garet
Tasted at RhumFest, so tasting incomplete... A very (too) round rum with flat caramel/vanilla notes.
Review by Romain de L
Deep robe. Sweet nose but not very complex. Sweet taste, easy to drink but lacking complexity in my view. Great « entry » rum at a good level
Review by Jakob
Relativ vielseitig angesichts des jungen Alters und vergleichsweise geringen Alkoholvolumens. Keine Offenbarung, aber bietet definitiv ein gutes PLV.
Review by Fred SB
Delicious. Just what you need on your first evening in Madeira. Next stop, hiking then the distillery 😁🥃
Review by w00tAN
Frisch fruchtig in der Nase sonst etwas platt, geschmacklich fruchtiger typischer Agricol aber mit etwas sprittiger Note
Review by Sebastiaan Linssen
Tasted at GRF2025 Not my cup of tea. Agricole.
Review by Henry Davies
A hint of ethanol and more kick than was expecting for a 6 year old well regarded Madeira rhum. Still a little vegetal and rough around the edges which means it doesn’t quite work. Finish was more pleasant with Agricole style honey finish
Community purchases
77 bottles logged by 52,000+ RumX members. The ratio of closed / opened / emptied, indicates whether this rum is meant to be drunk or is a collector's item.
Also on the wishlist of 3 members.
About the Engenhos do Norte distillery
The Engenhos do Norte distillery is located in Madeira. Rums from Engenhos do Norte have been reviewed 729 times with an average of 7.8/10.
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