Ron Zacapa Centenario Royal

Ron Zacapa Centenario Royal is Zacapa’s extra premium offering. It is “long-aged” in their solera system, which doesn’t actually mean anything, and then finished in french oak. Apparently the age range is 6 to 30 years. All this is then heavily coloured, backsweetened, watered down to 45% proof and sold in one hell of a gaudy-ass bottle for upwards of $260. Sure, why not.

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Distiller: Ron Zacapa (Diageo)
ABV: 45%
Age: 6-30 years
Cask type: PX Sherry, Bourbon, French Oak (from some fancy ass forest, undisclosed whether it was previously used or not), possibly others
Source: Pour at Statsraaden Bar, Bergen, Norway
Setting: Unblind

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Nose: Cinnamon, red berries, a light furniture note, some maritime funk, a really present mossy earthiness, dirty sherry butt. This is a great nose.
Palate: Thick and creamy, and sweet punch up front rolls into burnt sugar and custard.
Finish: Finishes medium-short with mango creme brulee and toasty oak. Ends with an umami vanilla note.
Overall: Sweet, creamy mouthfeel and seriously interesting dirt-filled funky nose. Pretty lacklustre on the finish, but this was a reasonably delicious pour. It would have been better without the added sugar. In no way does this, for me, command the ludicrous price tag it has been given. It is mostly show, being only a hair better than Zacapa 23.
Rank: 6