Pampero Aniversario Reserva Exclusiva Rum

For the cost, this spirit is superb. If you enjoy the El Dorado character, get this immediately. Served neat or with a small addition, it's incredibly smooth with loads of butterscotch, brown sugar, nutmeg, raw vanilla, and lightly scorched barrel. It's rich and oily, with a lengthy finish full of toffee and melted butter. It also possesses a pleasant amount of funk and leathery, woody undertones that complement the sweetness. Despite being NAS, it seems well-aged. It arrives in a fabric bag for unknown reasons, but this is exceptionally good rum... truly excellent. An easy repeat purchase that exceeds expectations... rated 87/100... While many dislike sweeter spirits (I enjoy them), this is precisely what I seek in rum, the burst of buttery sweetness. If that profile isn't for you, steer clear. I need to compare it with El Dorado 12 to be certain, but they are close and both are delicious.

This rum comes in a leather sack, which is aesthetically pleasing but unnecessary – the bottle with its crest is beautiful on its own. The rum's color ranges from coffee to mahogany to hazelnut brown. The aroma is sweet, with caramel and chocolate, rich and with a slight alcoholic bite. The taste is rather sweet, featuring oak with molasses and nuts, but it's accompanied by a lingering bitter, acidic aftertaste that affects every tasting note. It's not my top rum choice, but it is tasty and intriguing.

A potent Venezuelan sipping rum, initially dry with notes of leather, beer, and tea. The palate reveals baked flavors of butterscotch, coffee, black walnut, and pipe tobacco, leading to a long, intricate, and sweet finish with hints of caramel, sugar, and fruit. Tasted October 2016 / June 2018.

Pampero Aniversario Reserva Exclusiva Rum Nose: Some oak and vanilla, toffee, chocolate, and raisins. Taste: Big wood, vanilla, distinct chocolate, and some leather. The finish is long, round, and full of both brown sugar and wood. 8/10

The aroma is very potent. Heavy notes of oak, brown sugar, vanilla, dried plums, and perhaps a trace of toffee and cocoa. The mouthfeel is oily. It's not bad, but a bit demanding.

I found a bottle belonging to a family member that had been there for 14 years (I'm not allowed to drink anymore). I'm not sure if it's the extra aging, but it's excellent if you enjoy rich rums.