Nose - molasses, butterscotch, brown sugar, overripe banana, toast, vanilla, vegetal notes, cinnamon, burnt chocolate chip cookie, allspice, moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - molasses, coffee, dark chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, toasted coconut, banana, vanilla, black pepper, earthy vegetal notes, butterscotch, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with molasses, dark chocolate, and black pepper flavors.
As the summer is winding down, it’s high time to dive into my growing rum backlog. I’m starting with the 9 year Panama-Pacific, as I’ve never tasted a Panamanian rum before. The nose is simple, but decent. Molasses, chocolate, toast, and brown sugar. All burnt. The palate has the same burnt quality throughout with banana, coconut, vegetal notes, and some black pepper heat.
Overall, this is better than average, but it’s definitely young and a bit sour. There are some nice aromas and flavors, but they’re light and cacophonous. The finish is also disappointingly short and watery. Next up I’ll be reviewing the 15 and 23 year offerings from Panama-Pacific. I’m thinking the additional aging will make a notable difference. A big thank you to
@jonwilkinson7309 for the generous sample!