Don Papa Rum

I'm extremely conflicted on this one. Plainly put this isn't a rum. It can barely even qualify as a spiced rum. So it feels disingenuous that it's even marketed and sold as a rum. It's closer to a Seasonal Liqueur perfect for a very boozy eggnog than any other kind of rum. From the get go it's apparent this has been infused with a bunch of additives and sweeteners. Vanilla extract dominates the glass so much so it can be smelled from a few feet away. Cream soda, molasses, sugar and orange peel are also very much present. It tastes like a very flat root beer with hints of cream soda rounded out by a prominent vanilla bean profile. Hints of licorice and cinnamon can be found. Rum? Nowhere to be found. It's shocking to find out it's even 40%.This is begging to be poured over ice cream, pastries or eggnog. But it's most definitely not a rum. Market it as a liqueur and I'd have given this a solid 3.25.

Okay. I got a sample of this from Flaviar. It’s very sweet, but also very interesting. Has a ton of flavor on the nose, bananas, tropical fruits, candy, coconut, cinnamon. Very sweet on the palate and the only thing I seam to be getting is sugar and bananas. It’s creamy and warm with a medium intensity and a medium, enjoyable finish. I say give it a go. Listen, there are a ton of rums out there and there are several that are much better than this one, but why not have some fun and try them all.

A rich, Dark Rum by Stephen Carroll, the founder of Bleeding Heart Rum Co. in Negros, Philippines. It is aged in American oak barrels, in the foothills of Mount Kanlaon, for 7 years. It has a rich & aromatic birth with notes of candied fruits & spices; while a rich & full life adds notes of cinnamon, vanilla, oak, honey & more candied fruits; that led to a long & rich death with notes of biscuit, sugar & caramel. December 2019 / August 2020 / January / September 2021

A real left field rum, playing by none of the traditional rules. With a sweetness which would challenge a bag of sugar for the prize, this is an exceptionally quaffable rum - almost dangerously so. Definitely one for the summer sat in the garden and ideally with supervision of others... Strong fruit profiles and toffee, great long finish thanks to the sugar content - the alcohol didn’t stand a chance.

This is very sweet rum. Very distinct smell of oranges/orange peel (and bit of toffee), the taste is sweet but bitter, the classic rum sweetness is overpowered by the taste very close to cointreau (the orange peels, sweetness, burn). It's very interesting taste for a rum, but for me it's bit sweet and most of all - it lacks the typical aged rum characteristics, which I'm looking for in good rum.

I have been drinking almost exclusively rum for the last 10 years. Zacapa, Zaya. I drink it alone on the rocks. This is by far the best rum my palate has ever had. Is almost like vanilla candy. I love Don Papa rum…I like this one better than the aged one