🥃 Bundaberg Small Batch Reserve
Bundaberg line from the Master Distillers' Collection: 40% ABV, reserves aged in brandy and cognac casks.
Bundaberg Small Batch Reserve is a dark Bundaberg rum at 40% ABV from the Master Distillers' Collection. It was previously sold as Small Batch, and today it carries the Reserve name. The rum is blended by hand to highlight fruit notes alongside vanilla, honey and spice.
According to the official website, it is a blend of Bundaberg rum with older reserves that matured in brandy and cognac casks. The Daily Pour adds that a batch is about 30,000 bottles and is released in limited volumes. The taste is described as sweet cane, Christmas spice, orange marmalade, buttery caramel and a soft nutty note.
Why this matters to you. Small Batch Reserve is the strongest of the brand's three lines on the website and the only one matured in cognac casks; Select Vat matures in American oak and Original UP is the base line. Because it is released in batches, the character depends on the specific bottle. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Legal basis | Australia: local food standards; in the EU the minimum for rum is 37.5% ABV (Reg. 2019/787) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | molasses / Australian sugarcane |
| Cask type | casks that previously held brandy and cognac (for the reserves) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Bundaberg Small Batch Reserve → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Cognac
- Made from
- 🥃 Sugar cane and molasses
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Bundaberg, 🥃 Rum
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Bundaberg Original UP, 🥃 Bundaberg Original UP, 🥃 Bundaberg Select Vat, 🥃 Bundaberg Select Vat
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Small Batch Reserve is made from cognac?
No. It is a rum; the brandy and cognac casks it matured in only add flavour.
What is the strength of Small Batch Reserve?
40% ABV, according to the official website and The Daily Pour.
Does the taste change from batch to batch?
Probably: the line is released in batches, and the producer's tasting description is general. Check the batch number.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Bundaberg Original UP — Bundaberg base line: dark rum at 37% ABV with no age statement, known as Bundy.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Bundaberg Original UP · 🥃 Bundaberg Select Vat · 🥃 Barceló Blanco Añejado · 🥃 McDowell's No.1 Celebration Rum · 🥃 Mount Gay XO · 🥃 Havana Club Selección de Maestros
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Bundaberg Rum: Bundaberg Small Batch Reserve Rum 700 mL (official shop; 40 %, Master Distillers' Collection, reserves matured in brandy and cognac barrels)
- The Daily Pour: Bundaberg Small Batch (40 %, aged reserves in brandy and cognac casks, about 30,000 bottles per batch)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I, category 1 (rum: min. 37.5 % vol.)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)