Añejo Reserva arehucas 12 años

Rating: 11/23 N: Rich and sweet. Toasty with mellow wood and peanut shells. A hint of printer paper. My primary impression is of moderately toasted wood that just came out of the oven. There's an odd hint of chamomile too. Maybe some vanilla with floral notes. P: This is more bitter with more of a bite than I'd expected. Surprisingly, chamomile comes out the most. There's something spicy, but it's hard to pin down. There is some sweetness for sure, but it's a bit hidden behind the bitterness. This has more of a floral, herbal flavor, with a big slice of orange. There is a bit of richness that I attribute to vanilla mixed with very mellow (though not watery) molasses. Although this isn't watery per-se, its lack of sweet viscosity does make it taste kind of lacking. It's a bit muddled at this low ABV and it's really lacking something. F: Some molasses bitterness with light sweetness mixes with orange peel and light herbal notes. I'm definitely still getting some chamomile. - Conclusion - This is a weird rum. It's interesting to try and I kind of enjoy it, but it's more a novelty than something I really like. Ron Abuelo 12 is definitely better than this and so is Panama Pacific 23 (16/23). The floral-herbal-chamomile flavor here is really interesting, but I don't think I like it all that much. It's a weird profile and I think I could like it if it were better overall, but the rest of this is a bit dilapidated. I don't dislike this, but I do find it lacking. For comparison with another surprisingly light and dry spirit, I.W. Harper 15 (14/23) is more nuanced with a nice variety of spicy flavors, and even a hint of orange and cherry. This is sweeter and more syrupy in comparison, but it's also more watery. I get some more molasses, but obviously that should be the case. This tastes closer in quality to the I.W. Harper, but I might prefer the I.W. Harper a little. It seems a little bit more coherent and deliberate. Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star (12/23) is richer and fuller. It's also rougher, but it is higher ABV. There is more nuance here, but it's really flatter and less enjoyable. I didn't think I'd be going this low, but I think I'm looking at an 11 now. Probably not a 10, but maybe. Sadly, I'm going with an 11.

whisky or rum? taste like whisky :-) not so sweet