Notes: This rum is made from sugar cane honey not molasses – which makes a huge difference in taste – for the better. Distilled in a four column still then aged in used bourbon white oak casks and bottled with a age statement. They use a blend of rums to make this product the minimum age of which is seven years old. This rum is part of a series, portfolio, or flight, (depending on your personal linguistic taste ) the others being the Ron Abuelo Anejo and Ron Abuelo 12 Year Old. This is one of the few rum producers who grow their own sugar cane which allows them a bit more control over the sugar cane they use in their product for both consistency and taste

Appearance: Luscious translucent light copper gold color clear with no hazing separation or floating sediments. Long legs develop on swirling along with droplets, then changing to mostly droplets.

First Impression: Slightly heavy, nice mix of sweet, woody and spicy, cane juice and molasses, spicy but dryish nose, nicely complex.

Taste: A luscious spice bomb of a rum . Spicy, medium bodied, touches of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, butterscotch ,cocoanut and mace. Nutty and spicy, with a touch of sweetness, oak, vanilla, tobacco and char all leading to a pleasantly lingering finish.

Drinks: Damn nice rum good enjoy to enjoy on its own but cheap enough to mix with if you want to go a bit upscale. Nicely complex with lots of naturally occurring spiciness from the rum itself. Great for Tiki drinks where you need a complex but somewhat dry complex rum not some black syrup. Makes a very respectable and adult dry daiquiri. Excellent in almost every rum drink we tried including ones that called for (shudder) spiced rum.

Cigars: A nicer grade of cigar – like a La Gurkha, Rocky Patel or Hemingway series natural wrapper.

Bottle/Packaging: Deep brown clear glass with pseudo parchment paper label separate label band below main label. Unlike it’s younger sibling with a screwcap closure, Abuelo 7 has a dark red/brown foil capsule and has a real cork seal/ closure. Pommel shield area has small illustrated paper medallion. Bottle is also shorter and rounder – more like a Spanish brandy bottle and even has a more pronounce pommel or punt on the bottom – again more reminiscent of a higher class spirits bottle.

Final Thoughts: A excellent rum that is much better than it’s younger sibling – which to be fair is excellent for it’s price point – but a great step up from it . Well made,complex and a great bargain in rum.

Web site:  http://www.ronabuelorum.com

Alas, This page is under construction but there is a link to the Panamanian site (which has a English version which is quick loading, and somewhat informative. Easy-to-read and navigate if a bit skimpy on details.