Gervasi Spirits Rum Barrel Bourbon Review

Distillery: Gervasi Spirits—Canton, OH

Proof: 94.0 (47.0% ABV)

Age: Two+ Years

Mashbill: Undisclosed—typically 70% or more corn with remainder a mix of barley, wheat and rye

MSRP: $61

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A Composed and Slightly Sweet Pour

At first glance, Gervasi Spirits might seem like an outlier in the bourbon world.  But those who’ve encountered their know better.  This Canton, Ohio distillery is tucked inside a 55-acre winery estate, complete with restaurants, villas, and a full-service spa.  It’s an unconventional setting for bourbon, but that’s precisely what makes Gervasi interesting.  They’ve already earned accolades, including two Silver Medals at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and nine medals at the US Open Whiskey and Spirits Championship including Grand National Champion for the Spirits Division.

Their Rum Barrel Bourbon adds a new layer to their portfolio of spirits.  This is a Kentucky-style straight bourbon finished for an extended period in freshly emptied South American rum barrels.  The process is not an effort to disguise flaws—rather, to introduce nuance.  It’s a technique that continues to gain momentum in the bourbon world, yet one that can feel uneven in the resulting expression.  

In a bourbon landscape that’s often overrun with tired bold claims and sourced spirits, Gervasi Spirits Rum Barrel Bourbon takes a more low-key approach.  It doesn’t announce itself with high proof or aggressive flavor.  Instead, it is a composed and slightly sweet pour—refinement over flash.

Gervasi Spirits Rum Barrel Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes

Nose – 3.8/5

The Nose offers caramelized sugar, vanilla, and dried fig.  There’s also a faint note of cloves giving an expectation of spice complexity.  While pleasant and composed, the Nose doesn’t leap from the glass in the way higher-rated expressions might.  It’s balanced but somewhat restrained.

Palate – 3.9/5

The Palate builds on the nose’s sweetness with crème brûlée, molasses, and spice.  It remains gentle in intensity.  There’s no major flaw, but also no standout “wow” moment or lingering flavor that sets it apart from top-tier expressions.

Finish – 3.7/5

The Finish is moderate in length, clean, and leaves behind a sweet spice and gentle barrel char.  It fades a bit too quickly and doesn’t carry much into the aftertaste.  The sweetness doesn’t evolve or deepen; it simply tapers off.  Finish is a limited depth or not much memorability.

Value – 3.8/5

At $61 and 94 proof, this bottle delivers thoughtful secondary finishing, a non-sourced craft product, and a relaxed flavor profile.  However, in the $55–65 range, competition includes cask strength expressions, bottled-in-bond options, and more intensely secondary finished whiskeys.  While Gervasi offers it as a fair price for a craft-distilled, rum-finished bourbon, it simply doesn’t deliver enough to break into Gold Value territory.

Gervasi Spirits Rum Barrel Bourbon Review: The Verdict

Gervasi Spirits Rum Barrel Bourbon delivers a rum barrel finish with some finesse.  While it doesn’t dramatically deviate away from classic bourbon characteristics, added layers of sweetness and spice do provide a pleasant variation.  It’s a commendable effort.

Verdict – 3.8/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.5 – 5
• Gold – 4 – 4.5
• Silver – 3 – 4
• Bronze – <3