Mezan Panama Rum 2006

My experience has mostly been with common rums like Bacardi, Captain, and Morgan. After trying some cognac and tequila, I was able to sample a "higher quality" rum from a generous portion provided by a friend. With some time to open up, you can certainly detect the sweetness, with notes of toffee or dark brown sugar and fruitiness like dried pineapple and apricots. It's sweet but not excessively so. Toffee and a hint of oak with a touch of spice are well-balanced. It leaves the mouth slightly dry with a lingering hint of toffee sweetness. I wasn't sure what to expect from a "quality" rum and found this quite enjoyable. Adding a bit of water enhances the sweetness. It's a good summer sipper; light and slightly sweet, offering a nice change from whisky, though not too much of a change, mainly due to the bourbon aging. Dried glass: Faint caramel. [Tasted: 08/19/16]

I've been exploring beyond red wine and whiskey, venturing into rum. Previously, I sampled two other rums, one Kraken and another called Don. Both were intensely sweet, like artificial sweetener. It seems most rums add sugar, but this one has none added, nor coloring. Similar to the non-chill filtered and caramel coloring trends in whiskey, I suppose. This is the first rum I've found not overly sweet, with enough complexity for a hot summer night. The aroma doesn't resemble whiskey, but the taste features papaya, caramel, and tangy sweet fruits like kiwi. Quite enjoyable. At $50, I question if good rum is cheaper than decent whiskey. Likely not.

Rum is not my usual choice; I generally stick to scotch or beer. However, this rum has me reconsidering. My sense of smell isn't the best, but I'd describe the aroma as tropical fruit without being overly sweet. The flavor is also great, in a similar tropical fruit vein. I appreciate that this brand doesn't add sugar, and I'm going to purchase a few more bottles before others discover this brand.