I recently reviewed two bottles from Flor de Caña, and this one comes from the same distillery (probably) as an independent bottling. It is an 18-year-old release, and it costs about five times as much as Flor de Caña 18. Does that extra money get you something five times better?

Note: ExcellenceRhum lists the origin as CLNSA, Chichigalpa, Nicaragua, while The Old Barrelhouse lists a “restricted (secret) distillery”. Honestly, I trust ExcellenceRhum on this one unless there is more evidence of another secret distillery in Nicaragua.

Note: ExcellenceRhum and The Old Barrelhouse list 10 years tropical aging, and the rest in Scotland. Some sources list it as 19 years old, but it was distilled on December 31, 2004, so by September 27, 2023, it had not yet finished its 19th year.

Review

Smell

The nose is dominated by oak. On the nose I get strong wood, vanilla, and a light floral note.

Taste

The palate is deep, rich, and very tannic. I get oak immediately, followed by vanilla and coconut. On the back, there are light fennel notes, and the finish is long with green apple and floral character, a bit like a Dominican rum.

At first I compared it to Flor de Caña 18 Year, but it honestly tastes like Bacardi in comparison. It comes off as flat and flavorless compared to Samaroli’s stronger presence. So, instead I reached for Ron Abuelo XII Two Oaks, and it was much better point of reference. Both rums share the same general profile of wood, tannin, vanilla, coconut, and a slight sourness. Of course, the Samaroli is higher ABV and delivers a bolder flavor in general.

Verdict 8/10

I am very impressed by this rum. It feels technically excellent, and it reminds me of Foursquare ECS in that it is rich, balanced, and clearly well made. Still, I do think a low-ester column still rum has a ceiling for me, and that ceiling is probably around here. Within that style, though, this is about as good as it gets.