Malecon Reserva Superior

This bottle was a gift from a friend. I went into tasting it with an interest in seeing how it might fit alongside some of the Panamanian rums I have enjoyed recently, and what it might add to that wider picture.

Malecón was not a brand I had come across before this. The broader style is one I am familiar with, but without any prior knowledge of the name or its reputation, I was able to approach it without much expectation and focus on how it presented in the glass.

Facts & Figures.

ABV: 40%

Country: Panama

Age: 15 years

Cask: ex-Bourbon oak

Still: Column

Price: £45

Distillery: Caribbean Spirits Panama

On the nose.

This has got a very smoky profile with acidic soil and a pleasant influence from the oak ageing. Merlot and raisins add body whilst old leather introduces the aged elements. Vanilla essence (synthetic, not fresh) and honeyed (multi-grain) cereal on the finish.

On the palate.

Green apples, cherries, dusty chocolate shavings, gentle oak spice and some soft coffee notes. The smoke from the nose is much less obvious than the nose would have suggested – more like it has infused into leather over the years. An interesting addition of dusty cinnamon that lacks any heat whilst still delivering plenty of flavour. Toffee, nuts and tropical fruits (pineapple and mango) round this off.

7/10 – There’s a wonderful complexity and balance to this. There’s lots of flavour but it’s refined rather than in your face. Price bumped this up from a 6 for me.