Ron Abuelo 12 Años

Rating: 17/23 N: Fairly rich and sweet. At 40% ABV, I thought it would be a bit watery. There's some really nice mature woodiness going on here, with a surprising bit of peanut shells. A little molasses and vanilla. I'm surprisingly not getting tropical fruit. Something a little tart, kind of like faint sour mash. I get some minerality that turns into sort of a kettle corn sweetness. Honestly, I'd have thought this was a bourbon if it weren't labeled as a rum. P: Very rich and quite sweet. A touch on the thin side, but the richness makes up for that. How nice a higher proof version must be, though I am getting a faint burn even at 40% ABV. Heavily watered-down molasses with a bit of char, peanut shells, minerals bringing in a bit of herbal spiciness that makes me think of rye, lightly floral vanilla, faint orange peel. From the spices and light char, I'm able to pick out some barrel flavor, but it's fairly hidden and doesn't have a lot of nuance. Still, this is a well-balanced and decently complex rum that carries heavy bourbon characteristics. The main spice is black pepper, but in a rich way rather than a spicy one. There's some cinnamon and ginger too. There's a vegetal touch here that adds just a bit of richness without making this too funky. I also get a little cola, but nothing metallic. F: The mineral definitely still lingers and there's a very faint prickle from the burn. Elements of that watered-down molasses carry through. Faint sour mash and some vanilla still linger. Late on the finish, it gets really toasty and that peanut shell comes back out. - Conclusion - Although I like the nose on this better, I think that overall Panama Pacific 23 (16/23) is a better rum. This is just a bit too sweet and watered-down. Still, the two are not far apart. Like, they're really close. I can't imagine going below a 14 for this. It's going to be in the 14 to 16 range. I'm thinking that a 15 or 16 is the most likely. Honestly, this is really close to the Panama Pacific, so I'm going with a 16 here too. Actually, coming back for my last sip, this seems a bit better that the Panama Pacific 23. I think I'm going to up this to a 23. I'm very surprised, considering its proof.

Very smooth on the finish and a wonderful soft sweet taste at the end.