Plantation Panama 2007 Single Cask

The Bottle: A step above the typical Plantation offering. The darker label with the flash of purple really make it stand out. As with all of the other Plantations, the back label has a wealth of good information about the actual spirit; not just marketing fluff. In the Glass: Light bronze. On the Nose: My experience with Panamanian rums is somewhat limited, but they seem to have a style that is as distinctly their own as anything from any of the neighboring islands. Brown sugar forward with a hint of spices underneath. This is not a tropical fruit bomb at all, it's actually fairly reserved. Very pleasant, even with the 46% abv. Taste: The arrival is quite soft and then the development kicks into high gear. Sweet and spicy with a noticeable alcohol punch. The finish dries very nicely without turning bitter or astringent. I'm left with this nice touch of sweetness on either side of my tongue and some heat in my throat that makes me want to go in for another sip. Again like with the nose, I don't get a lot of fruit-based flavors with this; it's seemingly all about the cane (and that's fine with me). Maybe it's not as refined as a Panama-Pacific 23, but it's certainly built well enough to either be a sipper or for any high-end cocktail that could use a higher proof aged rum. Quite good, all-around.