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Ron Zacapa Centenario
When it comes to spirits, rum is one of my favorites. It has such a varied flavour profile and is supremely mixable. It also ages exceptionally well, and a perfect example of this is Ron Zacapa Centenario. This rum is dated at 23 years old and is aged in the warm climate of Guatemala. By all account this is suppose to be an exceptional rum that could very well be one of the best in the world. Well, that’s what I’ve heard from a bunch of spirit competitions and read in other publications. The only way to determine this is to give it a taste and compare it to something like the Appleton Master Blenders Legacy rum to see how it rates.
I’ve had a few discussions with a number of people about this rum and almost everyone loves it. But the one controversy is whether this is truly a 23 year old rum. Some things I’ve read indicate that it is the average age of the rums, or that it is based on the Solera process. I had a quick discussion with Ed Hamilton, in New Orleans, about this and he indicated that the rum is pretty close to 23 years old, Solera or otherwise.
The reality is that it’s not how old the rum is, but how good it tastes.
Ron Zacapa Centenario
Appearance: Deep brown, almost like a dark rum.
Aroma: Sweet with subtle wood and sugar cane notes.
Palate: This is a sweeter rum than most in its age category. It starts off sweet and exceptionally smooth. It slowly evolves into a sweet, wood spice finish with a warming sensation.
Appleton Master Blenders Legacy
When comparing the Appleton rum to the Ron Zacapa, the Appleton is much drier in nature and has a lot more aged wood flavours. The Appleton rum has a better nose, but in terms of smoothness, Ron Zacapa wins.
If you like a sweet smooth rum then Ron Zacapa is a great choice. If you like a drier, deeper, heavy on the oak flavour then Appleton might be your choice. I personally like the Ron Zacapa, but I tend to lean towards sweet rums though.
Since I was comparing these two rums head-to-head it seemed like a novel idea to mix the two rums together to see what I ended up with. It turned out pretty good, but the Appleton is more assertive and ends up dominating the “blend”, the Ron Zacapa adds a touch of sweetness to the mix.
19 Comments on Ron Zacapa Centenario
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I'm with you although I'm a Appleton Estate fan, the Ron Zacapa is a dear, dear friend and a favourite of mine.However,we've just got a bottle of the Zaya 12yr old in to our bar(down here in Australia it takes a while to get such things) and wow I've think I've got a brand new best friend.
Linus,
I've found that the Zaya and Zacapa 23 are quite similar, with the Zacapa being a bit sweeter and smoother and the Zaya being richer and fuller. It was very tough to pick a favorite between the two. I ended up choosing the Zacapa.
hey Zapacita Centenario, i taste it all weekends.
regards from guatemala
Zacapa wins the super premium rum category!
It is just an absolutely other level of aged spirit!
I think it is just loved by everyone, because for the rum novice it is very smooth, very elegant and easy accessible, on the other hand it is for the connoisseur distinctive and complex.
Though I've recognized I change of the taste over the years. The first time I've had it in my hands is roughly 5 years ago, and the blend now tends to be less concentrated (flavor) and not as complex as the previous samples - but it might be imagination as also my taste changed.
The closest rum to the Zacapa is in my opinion the Gosling Family Reserve (which surprised me especially with its price/value).
Cheers!
Dominik MJ
Cool!
Good work Dominik!
I have been extolling the virtues of Gosling rum to anyone that would listen for a long time now and i'm glad someone agrees!
For it's price it is a fantastic rum; highly distinctive yet curiously familiar, it really elevates alot of cocktails. A pina colada made with one really hits the spot, and it's not often you'll hear me say that!
Great site BTW, keep up the good work.
Zacapa 23 is one of my fav rums, its so smooth and in my opinion a very very small ice cube makes wonders with this rum. To compare it and even blend it with Appleton Master Blenders Legacy rum was a great idea. Sadly i haven´t yet had the chance to taste the Appleton.
Tiare, I'm sure this is a taste matter, but I prefer Zacapa straight, without ice. I think cold kills some aromas, because they don't evaporate in the same way.
It's just my oppinion.
Does anyone know where I can get Zacapa in Australia? I'm dying for some....
Anyone know where I can get a hold of Ron Zacapa Centenario XO here in the US