Old St. Croix Family Reserve Superior Spirit Drink 70 cl 42%

Every five years the Riise family gathers for a big reunion, and in 2015 the glasses needed something special. Not something to sell, something to pass around the table. That is how Family Reserve began, far from any shop shelf.

Expert Description

Old St. Croix Family Reserve is a Rum-Based Spirit Drink blended from selected casks in the West Indies and Central America and bottled at 42%. It was first put together in 2015 for the Riise family reunion and was originally kept for the descendants of the pharmacist Albert Heinrich Riise. Today anyone can taste it.

It belongs to the Ultra Premium range and is a Limited Edition, bottled in small batches of no more than 2,000 numbered bottles. This one comes from batch B3, one of 1,711 bottles. The brand was called A.H. Riise until 2025 and now carries the older name Old St. Croix, which the pharmacist himself used in the 1800s. The label says Superior Spirit Drink rather than rum, but the character is unmistakably rum. Family Reserve has won gold at the International Spirits Award.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fruit candy first, then something deeper with a little leather and cardamom.

Taste

Dark spices and a hint of smoke, with pickled orange peel and umami. The colour is red-gold.

Finish

Lemon and vanilla cream with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Specifications

Name: Old St. Croix Family Reserve Spirit Drink
Distillery: Old St. Croix
Region/Country: West Indies and Central America
Type: Rum-Based Spirit Drink
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Number of bottles: 1,711
Edition: Limited Edition Batch B3
EAN no.: 5744005060632
Serving suggestion: At room temperature in a tulip glass, or in a Riise Negroni

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Lightly smoky · Fruity · Citrusy · Leathery

Did You Know?

Old St. Croix works with the board of the Albert Heinrich Riise and Wife's Family Scholarship to digitise the large family archive, so the public can benefit from it too. The brand also supports scholarships for family members in education.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Old St. Croix Family Reserve

What does Old St. Croix Family Reserve taste like?

Dark spices and a hint of smoke, with pickled orange peel and umami. The nose opens with fruit candy and moves into light leather and cardamom, and the finish recalls lemon and vanilla cream with cinnamon.

Is Old St. Croix Family Reserve a rum?

Officially it is a Rum-Based Spirit Drink, not a rum. The label reads Superior Spirit Drink, yet the character is clearly rum, and the blend is made from casks in the West Indies and Central America.

Is Old St. Croix Family Reserve a Limited Edition?

Yes. The bottles are numbered and each batch holds no more than 2,000 of them. Because the master distiller picks from different casks every time, the taste can shift slightly from batch to batch.

Why was Family Reserve created?

It was made in 2015 for a big Riise family reunion, held every five years. Back then it was only for the descendants of Albert Heinrich Riise, but today anyone can buy it.

How do you serve Old St. Croix Family Reserve?

At room temperature in a tulip glass, so the spices and the smoke have room to open up. It also works in cocktails, and the brand suggests a Riise Negroni and a Family Boost with blackberry, lemon and ginger. Browse more in our Rum range.

Is Old St. Croix Family Reserve a good gift?

Yes. It comes in a box and carries a story that is easy to pass on: a bottle made for one family and now shared with everyone. Numbered and limited, it suits a collector too.

Why can there be sediment in the bottle?

The back label says sediment may occur because of ageing and light filtration. It is not a fault, just a natural result of how the spirit is made.