It hails from Sugarlandia (I kid you not), Phillipines and Don Papa is a tribute to Papa Isio. His legend was instrumental to the independence of the island during the Revolution of the 1890s. The figure of Don Papa on the bottle is inspired by Papa Isio. In the glass Don Papa 7 Year Old is a classic golden brown with an orange and red hue. It’s glistening and inviting.

You can use a heavy Jamaican rum instead of scotch, a medium-bodied Barbados rum instead of Irish whiskey, a Venezuelan rum instead of cognac, or a light Puerto Rican rum instead of vodka." What is the best rum? As other R um focused reviewers have rightly pointed out this is fake rum – I would even question if legally it should be available as “Rum” in the EU. Some retailers have taken to listing this as Spiced Rum. Maybe enforcement of the EU directives would see this re-labelled but don’t hold your breath on that.Unsurprisingly, the rum has an extremely sweet smell, which is representative of the sugar canes of Sugarlandia. A little further exploration will reveal some deep vanilla notes, which pair marvellously fruitier notes of coconut, mango, and banana. This trio of fruits lends the rum the exotic touch that is often so coveted in these types of drinks, in addition to showcasing why this rum is perfect for summer. Wether you like it or not, Don Papa has helped MASSIVELY in getting people to understand that rum can be more than that. Don Papa Rum carries the long-standing traditions of Filipino rum making as a first-rate, expressive liquid that has amassed a cult-like following with spirits enthusiasts and industry insiders – a testament to its ability to transcend the rum category. The complex and delicious tasting rum offers a new taste that rum drinkers, brown spirit aficionados and newcomers to the spirit category can all enjoy. The brand recently released a new premium bottling, Don Papa 10, which is aged for 10 years in re-charred American oak barrels. The aged rum is darker and bolder, offering flavors of dried fruits, cacao, and vanilla. To highlight the maturation of this rum, the image of the man on the label now has a longer beard to signify the extended aging. Some of Don Papa’s label designs come from an art competition.

Well that depends on how you plan to drink it. The tropical flavours of white rum are typically used to make mojitos, or simply enjoyed with a splash of juice. While a good quality dark rum is better suited to sipping, just as you might enjoy whisky.As much as we love Italian wines, there’s no denying that an occasion sometimes calls for something a little different. If so, they were mistaken. Even bumping it up to 43% for some added bola ng bakal didn’t do much. It had the same nasal profile of sour cream, yogurt, some sweetish fruits, and over-generous helpings of vanilla, bubble gum and yes, there it was again, that distasteful excess of soda pop sprite and fanta and pepsi masquerading as “rumminess”. And no tart raspberries this time, but some dampened down dark grapes, overripe ones, plus a twist of licorice. Oh joy. My glass runneth over. Look, the truth is that this is industrially produced cane sugar/molasses-based (I'm being generous here) ethanol which has been gussied up with all manner of sweeteners, artificial flavours, colours and god knows what else (glycerol and vanillan at least, according to lab tests) to make it palatable -- and it isn't! Bad enough that they call it rum, but it commits an even greater sin than playing fast and loose with the truth -- it tastes bad!