Grander 8 Year Panama Rum

A dark rum from the Ingenio San Carlos Distillery in Herrara, Panama. Made from a special sugar cane, harvested and turned into top-quality molasses. The molasses is fermented using the distillery's own, locally grown yeast. Twentieth-century American Copper & Brass Works copper stills are used to distill the molasses into Rum. The result is then filtered through cellulose plates and cold filtered. The Rums in the blend can be anywhere from 8 years old and are blended to 90 proof. It is then aged in used American ex-Bourbon barrels, obtained from Kentucky. It has a rich beginning with notes of toasty oak spices and vanilla; while a rich and oaky journey adds notes of nutmeg, dried fruit, pepper, and hints of bourbon and sugarcane; leading to a long, dry, and delicate end. December 2018 / March 2019 / February / March 2021

It smells like bourbon. It tastes like bourbon. I enjoy bourbon. They've merely aged this in very well-used bourbon barrels, as the bourbon characteristics are very prominent. Caramel, oak, vanilla. The molasses flavor is actually in the background. A hint of brown spice spiciness that lingers pleasantly. It's barely a rum, but I like it.

The bourbon barrels definitely left a lot of character. The nose and palate are full of bourbon, charred oak, heavy vanilla, and brown sugar. This is a dry rum that works well neat or in cocktails.

Fantastic rum - very flavorful, with a pleasant, smooth, smoky depth from the bourbon barrels. It's not as sweet as some other aged rums, which creates a nice balance.

Acceptable, but unremarkable.