Panamá-Pacific Rum 9-Year

Nose - molasses, butterscotch, brown sugar, overripe banana, toast, vanilla, vegetal notes, cinnamon, burnt chocolate chip cookie, allspice, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, coffee, dark chocolate, cinnamon, allspice, toasted coconut, banana, vanilla, black pepper, earthy vegetal notes, butterscotch, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with molasses, dark chocolate, and black pepper flavors. As the summer is winding down, it’s high time to dive into my growing rum backlog. I’m starting with the 9 year Panama-Pacific, as I’ve never tasted a Panamanian rum before. The nose is simple, but decent. Molasses, chocolate, toast, and brown sugar. All burnt. The palate has the same burnt quality throughout with banana, coconut, vegetal notes, and some black pepper heat. Overall, this is better than average, but it’s definitely young and a bit sour. There are some nice aromas and flavors, but they’re light and cacophonous. The finish is also disappointingly short and watery. Next up I’ll be reviewing the 15 and 23 year offerings from Panama-Pacific. I’m thinking the additional aging will make a notable difference. A big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the generous sample!

The Bottle: Fairly restrained, as far as most rums go. It has some "hand-written" elements on the label that give it an upscale feel, but you could be forgiven for overlooking it on the shelf. In the Glass: Typical "Golden" Rum color. On the Nose: At 47.3% ABV and a fairly young age compared to its older brother, this one could use a few drops of water before you get into it. There are some nice brown sugar notes as well as candied citrus(I'm going with tangerine). It actually reminds me a fair bit of the Pyrat XO for Guyana. Taste: This one has a lot of "tropical fruit basket" going on for it, rather than "holiday baking" like the 23. This isn't an insult, it's just different. It's still very brown-sugar forward, as is typical of this distillery; clean and well-made. There is a fair amount of astringency on the tongue, just like there was on the nose, but it does have a nice, clean finish. Well worth the money that is charged for it, but I would be hesitant to recommend it as a sipping rum. If you're looking for a great golden rum for mixing, this is your winner right here. And quite honestly, sometimes that's all you're really looking for.

The nose is rich and full, with some vegetal elements that don't smell bad and a bit of spearmint too. It smells like an aged tequila. The palate is very interesting with a huge rich was and fullness. There's a clear mushroom flavor like in Corralejo Reposado with a good balance to the rest of the flavor. The sweetness is strong, but under control. There's sort of a nectar quality to the sweetness that mixes caramel with fruit and the vegetal flavors (largely mushroom). This may not be an all-time favorite, but it's thoroughly enjoyable. There's definitely vanilla, which works well with the mushroom and some dark-ish chocolate ties in as well. There's a fair amount of spice but it is harsh. I like it, but I don't love it. 15ish.

My sense of smell is way below average, but here is what it says on their website: "Aromas of ripe butter, subtle flan caramel custard and white raisin above dried fruit and spices. The palate opens with sweet caramel that quickly gives way to charred wet wood, with white raisin close behind before subtle coconut husk and banana leading to nice long buttery woody notes that linger in the long finish". Buying this for friends as a sipping rum to accompany my other sipping rum on their shelf, Ron Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum

I'm just really getting into the rum game, and so far this is one of the best I've had. Great sipper with aromas of brown sugar, wood, spice, and citrus and slight hogo. The taste is superb following the nose with with more pronounced brown sugar, citrus, wood and hogo with a subtle earthiness. Great rum!

Tropical fruit on the nose. Palate: woody, molasses, caramel, toffee, and fruity. very spicy in a good way with a dry finish. Not overly sweet, pp is bottled at 47.3 percent.