Panamá-Pacific 15-Year

Score: 15/23 I sampled Panamá-Pacific 9 at a bar and apparently enjoyed it, prompting me to buy the 15 and 23 as they were quite affordable. Nose: Molasses, sugar, vegetal notes. It's on the lighter side. A hint of dry, slightly coated wood appears. Occasional hints of barrel spices (allspice, cinnamon, ginger, clove). The aroma isn't very complex or particularly appealing to me, but it's not unpleasant either. Palate: Quite sweet. I detect molasses, fireworks, wood, mild spices, and sugar water. The alcohol is somewhat noticeable. Nothing is significantly wrong here, but it tastes somewhat underdeveloped and lacks balance. Some vanilla transitions into a subtle sandalwood note. Finish: Coated wood, fireworks, alcohol, some spices, light caramel, a bit watery. - Final Thoughts - Regrettably, I likely overestimated Panamá-Pacific 9 (15/23) during my initial tasting. While not bad, and I don't feel I overpaid for the price, it does seem like it should be priced about $10 less. There's a solid foundation, but it never fully develops and has some drawbacks. It warrants at least a 12. Plantation Xaymaca (14/23) doesn't exhibit its alcohol as prominently and offers considerably more complexity, though it seems less polished. Between the two, I believe I would choose this one, but the difference is minor. I'm considering assigning a 15 to this, similar to how I rated the 9-year expression. In comparison to Elijah Craig Small Batch (my benchmark bourbon for a 15 rating), I find this to be highly competitive. At this moment, if forced to pick a winner, I would select this one. However, Russell's Reserve 10, my benchmark bourbon for a 15 to 16 rating, surpasses this. Therefore, a 15 seems appropriate. After extensive comparative tasting to finalize this score, I settled on a rating between a high 14 and a low 15. I ultimately decided on a low 15, though it was a close call.

Nose: molasses, butterscotch, cola, vanilla, brown sugar, green vegetal notes, peanut butter, dark chocolate, banana, allspice, clove, barrel char, earthy mint, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste: molasses, clove, spearmint, allspice, dark chocolate, dry coconut, underripe banana, brown sugar, bitter herbal notes, vanilla, butterscotch, spicy oak, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with spearmint, molasses, underripe banana, and bitter herbal flavors. This is the second day of my rum series, and we have another Panama-Pacific offering, sitting between the 9 and 23 year expressions I plan to review. The aroma is quite similar to the 9 year, but it's a bit richer and mintier. Aside from that, there's a nutty note I don't recall from the other, but the overwhelming burnt aroma is thankfully absent. The palate is very minty and vegetal. The characteristic rum butterscotch, molasses, and chocolate flavors are still present, but the addition of a Canadian rye finish has certainly made an impact. Overall this is better than the 9 year, but not by enough to improve the score for me. While the finish is slightly longer, the mouthfeel remains noticeably thin and watery. And the minty, vegetal notes on this one are a bit heavy-handed. Many thanks to a friend for the sample! We’ll wrap up the Panama-Pacific miniseries with the 23 year bottling tomorrow.