Notes: The top selling rum in its native land, Puerto Rico, Don Q was little known anywhere else till recently. Long a producer for other rum lines they decided to get credit where credit is due by putting their own name on their products. All natural, and in the case of their flavored rums, all natural flavorings, Don Q offers a variety of rums of various ages and price points along with a few flavored rums.They include the Cristal, Gold, 151 Overproof, Añejo and this the Gran Añejo in the unflavored line and Limón, Coco ,Pasión, and Mojito in the flavored line.

Appearance: Sparkling clear straw gold color,with no hazing separation or floating sediments. Long legs and crenellated edges develop on swirling.

First Impression: Nicely understated bouquet of tobacco, leather, barrel char and oak with molasses, dried dark fruit or fruitcake notes slightly sweetish, traces of vanilla, allspice.

Taste: Sweet then rapidly drying entry,nice pepper/oak notes vanilla, molasses dried fruits, toasted nuts, minerals with some lighter citrus type flavors. As usual with this line taste is clean, distinct and spare. Nice but not overly light or at the other end, complex body. Oak, leather, and tobacco notes well developed in this their oldest expression of their rum line. Nicely dry medium-long finish is with lots of oak char and tobacco notes leaving a lasting finish. Finish and tingling on the tongue seem to be on the edges where the younger expressions it was distinctly along the midline.

Drinks: Personally I would say snifter or decent quality rum glass only. If you want to mix drinks use the Anejo for about 1/3 the cost.

Cigars: A good maduro Ashton or Hemingway or a vintage Rocky Patel.

Bottle/Packaging: Comes in a fairly fancy gold box decorated with a textured gold finished paper that has both raised and embossed gold printing and slides apart to reveal the bottle nested in a fitted inner cavity. Almost complete departure from the rest of the unflavored Don Q line. Squarish heavy glass decanter harks back to an earlier era top with a real glass stopper with a wraparound real cork seal. Flat face of domed arch bottle is the backdrop for a embossed wax family crest. Nicely done and attractive package that could be given as a gift or sit impressively on your bar. More distinctive than its chief competitors bottle giving it a premium look which might be helpful in a commercial setting.

Final Thoughts: If you want one of the best high end Puerto Rican rums this is it. If you are a fan of Puerto Rican rums it won’t get much better. As to it’s over all standing for all rums from all countries in this age range? Well not quite as high. More body, spice, and complexity than the other dominant Puerto Rican rum and about half the money to boot. But I find Puerto Rican Rums a bit to lean and spare for my personal taste – but some of the others styles are so thick and complex they almost seem like a rum syrup.

A respectable rum for an anejo in that age range  Smooth, spicy, all the right wood aging notes and just enough fire to let you know you are drink real rum. One half the money and better than the comparable Bacardi rum

Web site:http://www.donq.com or http://destileriaserralles.com/

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