Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema Solera 23

Zacapa 23 is an absolute classic and it’s a lot of people’s entry into good rum. It pretty much needs no introduction, but I will give it one anyway. Zacapa 23 is a Guatamalan rum made in Zacapa’s solera system where things are progressively blended, creating a product where the oldest part of the blend is 23 years old and the youngest is “around 6”. Through this process the rum is aged in many different kinds of casks, bourbon and sherry apparently among these. It is then unfortunately bottled at basement proof and dosed with a small amount of sugar.

I had tasted this several times before but this is my first time reviewing it.

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Distiller: Ron Zacapa (Diageo)
ABV: 40%
Age: 6-23 years
Cask type: PX Sherry, Bourbon, possibly others
Source: Pour at Statsraaden Bar, Bergen, Norway
Setting: Unblind

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Nose: Dark cherry, some woody funk, a bourbony cornbread note, star anise and cinnamon spicyness. A really interesting earthy tone fills the background.
Palate: Sweet, raw sugar, that earthy funk makes its way to the foreground.
Finish: A cloying note. Sarsparilla, sweetly rotting meat (I don’t mean this in a bad way). Bready.
Overall: I was curious to come back to this rum. It definitely holds its own, there is a reason why it has the reputation it does. Unfortunately I think the basement proof and dosing really restrains what this could otherwise be if they just let it speak for itself. All in all, a very good rum, but not something I would keep a bottle of.
Rank: 5