
July 3, 2016

Looking for malternatives
in Central and South America

And Central America. Well, there isn’t much hope, as we won’t have any artisan cachaça, or mezcal today, rather some of these sweet and thick rums that some call ‘Spanish style rons’. But you never know, with a little luck, we might come across some gems.

Medellin 8 yo (37.5%, OB, Colombia, +/-2016)

From Antioquia Distillery, some rum that’s supposed to be made from cane honey, which isn’t bee honey but rather concentrated cane juice, or ‘light molasses’. Colour: deep gold. Nose: I’m finding it rather simple, yet pretty pleasant, a little floral, and indeed slightly honeyed. What it hasn’t got is a huge vanilla-ness, or these notes of coffee that are really ‘too much’ in many others. So, so far, it’s rather fine. Mouth: indeed, pretty fine, light and probably a notch too sugary for me, not really flavourful, and with some honey and maple syrup, plus touches of oranges. Sadly it tends to lose steam, and to become thin. Finish: short and sugary. Candy sugar. Comments: average, but what’s good is that it doesn’t quite feel ‘doped’ or ‘boosted’, unlike so many others. Rather honest and loyal. SGP:630 - 72 points.

Colombia done.

Fortin 8 yo (40%, OB, Paraguay, +/-2016)

Another one that’s made out of light molasses. Colour: gold. Nose: even less aromatic than the Colombian, a little grassier and earthier, with less molassy/honeyed notes. Perhaps green bananas? Certainly a little butterscotch. A rather shy rum so far. Mouth: it’s quite funny, starting with quite a lot of aniseed and liquorice, not unlike some pastis or ouzo. Some pinesap too, apples, a touch of our beloved tar liqueur… It’s really different, but I’m wondering if these flavours haven’t been ‘added’ at some point. Like this caraway that tends to come out. Finish: short, with a little burnt caramel. A little crème de menthe, which keeps it pretty fresh, and even a pinch of salt in the aftertaste. Comments: a different rum, and maybe some kind of spiced rum. In truth I find it quite good, and I’m sure it takes ice very well. SGP:540 - 74 points.

Colombia and Paraguay done.

Centenario 9 yo ‘Commemorativo’ (40%, OB, Costa Rica, +/-2014)

What this bottle commemorates, I’m not quite sure. What’s sure is that previous Centenarios have always been too sweet for me, let’s see if this younger one is more distillate-driven. Colour: gold. Nose: I have to say it’s got a little sugar cane, and touches of earth. Other than that, not much I’m afraid. Some burnt sugar, perhaps. Potato peel. Mouth: thick and syrupy. Moves like oil in your glass. Caramel, coffee liqueur, and traces of oak, plus some kind of concentrated sugar cane juice. Not my thing, really not my thing. Finish: short and thin, apart from the oily texture that remains. Perhaps some gingerbread and a few oranges in the aftertaste, which is better. Comments: drinkable, and technically acceptable, or it would have get less than 50 points. But as they say, why bother. SGP:720 - 60 points.

Colombia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica done. Yeah, things aren’t going too well, are they…

Mombacho 12 yo ‘Reserva Especial’ (40%, OB, Nicaragua, +/-2015)

I had found their 8 yo extremely coffee-ish, but that was seven years ago. It’s molasses rum. Colour: orange amber. Another one that moves like if it was oil. Nose: ah, this is quite nice. Nice vanilla and orange juice, Nutella, butterscotch, café latte straight from you-know-whom, banana liqueur… All that is extremely easy and, I have to say, seductive. Mouth: but this is a liqueur! Feels glycerined, thick, sticky, with too much coffee liqueur, too much banana liqueur, too much cane syrup, and actually not enough body. Very ‘peripheral’, if that makes any sense. Now while it’s very thick, it’s not very syrupy. Glycerine indeed? Finish: short, candied. Burnt sugar and burnt coffee. Some vanilla in the aftertaste. Comments: no my style at all, but let’s be honest, within that style, it’s far from being one of the worst. SGP:530 - 68 points.

Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua done.

Zacapa 'Centenario XO Solera Gran Reserva Especial' (40%, OB, Guatemala, +/-2016)

Ah. We tried an earlier batch and thought it was pretty okayish (WF 74). The packaging is very ‘stuffy’, so travel retail-oriented, while the name could have been more, say minimalistic. Colour: dark amber. Nose: honey, caraway, cloves, ginger liqueur, ripe bananas, litchis, rosewater, arak, molasses, super-sweet natural wine (sweet moscatel?)… Noses liqueury, but I’m finding it rather complex and fragrant. Now, it’s on the palate that things happen… Mouth: oh my, this is liqueury! Feels very unnatural, in no way can a straight spirit that would have been aged in wood and then bottled be like this. Unpleasant notes of rotting fruits, stale sweet wine, raisins, and orange liqueur. I’m finding this hard to swallow, literally. Finish: short, and yet it leaves a bad taste. Something burnt. Sugar? Comments: I was very generous a few years back, unless the quality just went downhill. A shame, I thought the nose was quite pleasant. SGP:720 - 50 points.

Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala done.

Santa Teresa ‘1786’ (40%, OB, Venezuela, +/-2016)

Poor, poor Venezuela… Apparently, Santa Teresa 1786 is one of the many rums that have been voted ‘best rum in the world’. Ha! Colour: deep gold. Nose: a bit in the style of the Zacapa, just drier, with more toasted bread and a welcome earthy touch. Old roses and benzoin come through when you nose more deeply. Also peonies, and blond pipe tobacco. Mouth: well, it is way too sweet for me, but it’s also got some kind of balance. Dried pineapples, bananas, bits of papaya, raisins… All that is covered with quite some coffee liqueur, and crumbles of toasted bread. Burnt sugar. Finish: medium, bitterish – which is an improvement, actually – and rather more honeyed. Comments: I liked the humbler and more natural ‘claro’ that we had last Sunday better! SGP:630 - 70 points.

Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Venezuela done.

Abuelo 'Centuria' (40%, OB, Panama, +/-2016)

A prestige bottling, celebrating the brand’s centenary. It’s supposed to contain rums as old as ‘up to 30 years’, which, as we all know, means just nothing. Hot air. Now, I had found Abuelo’s 12 yo pretty okay a few years back (WF 70). Colour: amber. Nose: wait, there is something happening in there! A pleasant old-bourbon like vanilla-ness, various herbal teas (honeysuckle but also greener ones, fruit stems…), even a wee phenolic touch, some tobacco, sandalwood, earthy teas, a touch of camphor… Really a lovely nose, complex and appealing, let’s just hope that, you know… Mouth: it does contain too much sugar indeed (and again), and a sugary arrival is never good news in my book, but on the other hand, this herbal/fruity combo kind of works. Pineapple liqueur, a touch of leather and tobacco, a little cumin, perhaps, green tea… Nah, it’s kind of fine. Finish: medium, a little more molassy. Corn syrup and marmalade. Comments: again and again, not my style, but within this style, it’s very far from being one of the worst. Where have I already heard that? SGP:740 - 78 points.

Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Panama done. May I take this opportunity to remind you that we’re tasting rum from a malt drinker’s point of view? So in our world, dry is good, sweet is bad. Very roughly, and this is only an opinion. Let’s move on…

Millonario ‘Solera 15’ (40%, OB, Peru, +/-2016)

Of course it’s not 15 years old, contrarily to what the labels tries to make you think. Nasty tactics. Colour: orange amber. Nose: interesting. It’s got a steely and tarry side, all for the better. Even something like black olives coated with burnt sugar and coffee, imagine. And something extremely unusual, fresh cut turnips and beetroots. A funny nose, really. Have we found a winner? Mouth: immensely sweet and sugary. And yet, some flavours emerge, such as stewed roots, most certainly raw carrots (amazingly carroty, this!) and roasted peanuts. Really unusual, I’d kill someone to be able to taste this ‘au naturel’, that is to say without the insane amount of sugary stuff that’s been added. Finish: medium, very sugary, but the raw carrots are standing up, so to speak. Comments: very unusual. We might buy a few cases and redistill them to get rid of all this killing sugar. I’m sure we’ll come up with a great spirit. SGP:930 - 65 points.

So, where were we? Ah yes, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Venezuela, Panama, and Peru done. Let’s move north…

El Ron Prohibido (40%, OB, Mexico, +/-2016)

Ah yes, pure marketing. A gracious old-style label that looks like if it was found at a flea market, the moniker ‘Habanero’, plus a name that will make you feel like a rebel as soon as you’ve bought one single bottle, and some buzz that suggests that it is 12 years old – which it most probably isn’t. So, just another Don Papa? Let’s see… Colour: coffee. Nose: ah, no, it’s nice. Cane-y, dry, full of cigars and other tobaccos, with some mocha, bitter chocolate… It does have something of the excellent Mocambos, stars of Mexican rum (according to this humble taster). Mouth: well, there is some sugar, but there’s also a much unexpected – and unbalanced – winey-ness, with some kind of pinot noir, cassis, black cherries… Really very bizarre, as funky as possible, and it’s not this kirschy side that will offset this feeling. Having said that, it’s totally fun. Free rum as in free jazz. Finish: medium, bitter, a little sour, and certainly winey. Old style aperitifs, Gancia, Dubonnet… Comments: I’m not finding it good, but all this fun makes it un-boring. Hoch is already quite a lot, given the ‘pedigree’. SGP:551 - 78 points.

Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Venezuela, Panama, Peru, and Mexico done. Look, we haven’t found one single 80+ amongst all these officials, better put an end to this lightly depressing tasting session. Excuse me? Ask the independents? Not a bad idea, I have to say, especially since the good indies won’t add any sugar or other nasty additives. Yeah, good idea, but just one if you agree… And let’s say… Panama? (to celebrate the new canal!)

Panama 11 yo 2004/2015 (60%, Compagnie des Indes, for Denmark, cask #MRS265, 365 bottles)

The distillery’s ‘secrete’ here, which may mean that it’s either Glenfarclas or Lagavulin (oh come on, S., what a stupid joke!) Colour: gold. Nose: kills the Abuelo, instantly. Green bananas, hay, patchouli, apple peelings, ‘green’ leather, more apples, Indonesian green cigars (no, not those), eucalyptus… It’s all very refined and subtle, actually, it doesn’t shout. With water: fresh, citrusy, grassy… It’s really light spirit, but there’s some profoundness. Does that make any sense? Mouth (neat): there, this is ‘good’ sweetness. It’s a sweet fruitiness that’s been imparted by the spirit, and that’s supported by a lovely mentholy grassiness. Oh and sugar cane! Shouldn’t any rum be at least a little sugar-cane-y? With water: bonbons, herbs, teas, and indeed freshly pressed sugar cane juice. Finish: rather short, light, fresh, with some citron. Perhaps. Comments: this goes to show that even light ‘columny’ rums can be very pleasant, provided you don’t bury them under tons of caramel, sugar, glycerine, and any other unavowable substances. SGP:341 - 82 points.

We made it, we made it!

Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far

Looking for malternatives in Central and South America

Looking for malternatives
in Central and South America