Santa Teresa 1796 Rum

MR David’s Birthday rum. Smooth Carmel and vanilla. I will do again. AKR- not my favorite

I have a bit of a soft spot for this rum since it was the first aged rum that I ever tried neat. The only reason I picked it up is because I got a cocktail book that called for it in a few recipes and I never really heard of a solera rum before (plus the bottle and packaging are pretty unique and have that cool old time look to it). My prior rum experience was Bacardi or some other cheap rum, either mixed or in a shot. Anyway, long story short, I may overrate this a touch, but I still think it's a good rum regardless. The bottle that I'm tasting is only about half full so it may skew the notes. The nose is a touch light, you get the hints of sweetness, along with dark chocolate. On the palate, you have a good amount of complexity, with cherries, orange peel, sherry notes, oak and prunes. I will say, it goes down very smooth, albeit can be a touch thin when compared to more barrel proof rums. I found it unique years ago and even now it doesn't disappoint on the complexity front. On the finish the sweetness takes center stage with some honey notes. There is virtually no burn whatsoever. I may have originally stumbled on this rum because of a cocktail recipe or two, but I find that I drink it neat more often than using it in cocktails. It may not be a rum that you show off to your friends, but it gets the job done and is more than satisfactory as an everyday sipper. If you are interested in trying a rum that has a little bit more going on then the usual rich sweet rums that are often marketed to the masses (and often at even more elevated prices than this), then I would recommend this rum for sure.

Neat, it has a very smooth finish with notes of toasted caramel and hints of oak

Not sure why there are any negative comments about this rum. It's smooth, tasty, and plenty of flavour. Straight or mixed.