Facundo’s Paraiso is arguably the brand’s best: Paraiso is Latin for “paradise” and this bottle doesn’t fall short of the title. It’s the most expensive in the brand’s rum collection and has the most depth. White, dark or spiced, there’s something for everyone when it comes to enjoying a good bottle of rum. Havana Club uses Cuban culture to influence its rum and it’s a firm favorite for Americans and Europeans alike. It’s a staple brand that’s found in many bars across the world.

For some people, a powerhouse brand like Zacapa means reliability and a trustworthy, loyal choice for their home bar. Others might shy away from these large-scale manufacturers and global brands that appeal to a large range of consumers. Given the oily signature of this sipping rum, the pairings for me are rather obvious. You could easily drink this velvety spirit with an equally luscious dessert: given it’s not a sweet overkill for you. Now, I did do something that perhaps might be seen as... erm... wrong? But it works for me and always brings out more flavors in basically any spirit I'm enjoying. A great example would be a Don Carlos from the Fuente family, using that distinct wrapper from Meerapfel in Cameroon. There you can also find an intriguing combination of sweetness, with just a hint of spice, further elevated by the characterful blend of the filler and binder tobaccos.

Upon tasting, the rum is not as sweet as I was expecting. The nosing suggested it could be as sweet as XM or El Dorado. The Zacapa is actually quite dry and oaky. I find the flavour builds if you leave the rum in your mouth for a little longer allowing it to coat the palate. You then get some of the cocoa flavour and a little bit of tropical fruit. However, I’m not getting as much of the fruitier sweeter side I have found with other rums. The rum is very smooth and has very little aftertaste or alcohol burn. It is very pleasant to sip and I can see why it is many people’s choice. Its success is continued through its rum production, with plenty of awards under its belt. Diplomatico Rum Reserva Exclusiva is one of the brand’s mid-range offerings, combining a reasonable price with a huge mouthful of flavor. The bottle alone has won more than 20 awards, making it one of the world’s most-awarded rums.

It firmly believes that this method of combining rums from different regions is a great way to offer a sophisticated and characterful rum and its bottles agree. A sip of Appleton Estate’s 50 Year offers an explosion of taste on the palate with prominent notes of maple sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and a dash of licorice. Its finish is almost endless; a rich and luxurious sip that keeps on going. Rhum agricole: A term used for rum that’s distilled in the French Caribbean islands from freshly squeezed sugar cane juice rather than molasses. It’s rare to find this sort of rum produced elsewhere in the world. And I absolutely adore how this sits on my tongue. It's sugar... which I guess is to be expected. And I love that. I finally got my hands on Ron Zacapa 23... not a 750mL bottle, unfortunately, because they were out, but two 50mL bottles. I went ahead and opened one.Given the price tag, this is a more luxurious every-day sip, but the versatility gives you plenty of options to serve and enjoy this rum. Closing Thoughts Most rum is distilled from molasses, with yeast feasting on those darker caramelized sugars. Ron Zacapa is distilled from something called “virgin sugar cane honey,” or “virgin honey,” the syrup that comes from the first pressing of the cane plant, with about 72 percent sugar content, compared to molasses’ approximate 50 percent. Combine that with the gentler aging process (see “Star Wars” below), and you start to see where the aspirational finesse of the Ron Z flavor profile comes from. It has something in common with “Star Wars.” The rich fertile soil, exotic climate and volcanic landscape of Guatemala help to produce a rum that is unique and full of flavour.

Update January 3, 2020: So... after reading through the hydrometer tests, I unfortunately discovered that Ron Zacapa is a company that absolutely loads their "premium rums" with additives like sugars and coloring such. This is something that disappointments me greatly. As noted on my recent review of Zacapa's Edicion Negra, "premium" rums with additives that aren't labeled mean an automatic three points off. That means the highest I can give this now is a 7. It won't go lower because this review is still otherwise true... I do love this rum regardless. Sadly, it's a flavored rum, not a pure rum. Hence the drop in rating.) As a brand, Banks is all about exploration. From its name, which comes from the 18th-century explorer and botanist Sir Joseph Banks, to its offering, which combines more than 20 rums of different ages from Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, and Indonesia. Hands down, the Ron Zacapa 23 is a cigar lover’s dream-come-true rum. Smoky, woody, lusciously sweet, velvety in texture, creamy in the finish. Me personally, I’d probably choose a Cameroon wrapped cigar. When it's time to start fermentation, we introduce our own strain of yeast extracted from pineapples: Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This yeast produces the precise aromatic compounds Zacapa requires, and so we ferment slowly, to give the yeast the time it needs to work. Distillation is what defines the character of Zacapa. A single column still, lined with copper to add flavour and remove impurities, is used to distil Zacapa Rum. And to ensure the correct balance is achieved, the whole process is minutely controlled by our experts. The rum is a dark amber with reddish hints. To be honest its exact colour is as complex as the rum. Light can make it appear both red and golden and dark at the same time! The rum is quiet viscous almost like a lighter liqueur, rather than a rum. The rum is very sweet on the nose. Another point which is often made about this rum is how much sugar is added. This is a slight which is often aimed at a lot of the newer breed of “Premium Sipping Rums”. Like many rum arguments its not something which either interests or bothers me. I don’t know how to distil, blend or market rum I just enjoy drinking the ones I enjoy. The Zacapa initially gives a bouquet of brown sugar, it reminds me a little of a chocolate or caramel/toffee sauce for ice cream or desserts. Upon a further nosing I am also getting a feeling for the aged rums in the blend with a little oak and cocoa coming through.I am even beginning to think that my favorite El Dorado rums are sweetened, though it is less dominant and actually compliments the robust flavors of the Demeraran rum. The same could be said for Zaya and this one, though IMO the sweetness is considerably more forward. The Zaya and zacapa are robust enough to still be interesting, while Diplomatico Reserva and Ron Fortuna 8 yr both taste flat and boring to me. Ron Fortuna 8 yr is the worst offender yet, nauseatingly sweet and bland. Both probably were decent subtle rums before being sweetened within an inch of their lives.