Ron Malecon

[Dom Costa]

I have bought a bottle of Ron Malecon 21yo, from Panama, produced by Caribbean Spirit inc,as I never tried this rum before , I thougth that a twentyone year old rum should be a shure bet, it wasn't like this, it was a total disappointment, it tasted like a 7yo rum , very pungent and I could not tatse the typical vanilla flavor that rum gets from the casks after so many years. Absolutely not worth the money , about 40$.

Has anyone else tried it ? I'd like to hear your coments.

Dom

[Dan Smith]

Greetings,

I have not tried Ron Malecon, but I had a similar experience with Sea Wynde rum. It was about $40 USD, (approx. $60 Canadian) and the biggest disappointment since I started rum collecting. In second place would be Grand Blason

Oh well, you win some and loose some! Considering all the GREAT rum that I have come across, I can't complain.

Cheers

[Jason Perlow]

Grand Blason? Thats a classic! What didnt you like about it?

[Dan Smith]

Jason,

Maybe I'm not learned enough to tell you exactly what the flavors are that I liked and disliked, but I'll tell you this; every time that I have one of those, it makes me feel sick and I can NEVER finish the glass! It's too thick and overwhelming, too caramely. No insult intended, but to me it tastes like a refined Myers.

I do not like the "Myers" tasting rums like; Zaya (the best of "those" rums), Grand Blason, Sea Wynde...

I prefer the oaky tasting rums like; Pampero Aniversario, El Derado 15 YO, Cruzan Single Barrel and the "fruity" ones like Pyrat XO and Ron Zacapa.

Cheers

[Ed Hamilton]

Caribbean Spirit certainly doesn't sound like a Panamian company. The largest distillery is Varela Hermanos whose Abuelo brands are of varying quality. Most recently at the Penthouse Rum Fest I was introduced to their Reserva Superior (7 yo) and their Reserva Especial (5yo). Both of these rums were better than a previous blend that claimed to be 10 or 12 years old. The newer rums were much more of what I expected while the older blends were disappointing. I'm not going to try to explain why this is the way it is but since the newest blends are going to be imported to the states, they may be more accurate in regards to the age statement.

[Dom Costa]

Well, as I've never heard anything about Caribbean Spirit Inc., I thought you might have known this company, but it sounds like you don't, and also my doubts grow bigger. You know this company also exports another Panamanian rum called "La Cruz", I have both 7yo and 12yo, and they also do no meet expectations , especially compared to their cost, and I also have doubts about the aging of both rums. I'd like to hear your opinion about this, do you think a distillery can claim the aging of a rum when it has not been actually aged as long as written on the bottle?

Dom

[Ed Hamilton]

If I am correct Caribbean Spirits isn't actually a distillery but more than likely buys rum from a distillery and then puts their name on it. So here's the deal, if anyone questions the age the bottler, when it isn't a distillery, will say, that's what I was told. You might recognize this as the old pass the buck game.

According to the US BATF, age statements must reflect the youngest spirit in the blend, almost all rums are blends, but enforcement is difficult at best for rums distilled or bottled outside the country. It was interesting to me that the newer Abuelo rums are much more in line with what I expected for the age claimed, but then these are going to be imported to the US.

When I evaluate a bottler I try to look at what other brands they are bottling. Sometimes the credibility is improved and sometimes well, I learn more than they want me to know.