Context

Grander Rum is an independent bottler of Panama Rum. Distilled, aged, and bottled in Panama at Las Cabras Distillery, the rum is aged in a variety of casks, including ex-bourbon American white oak, ex-sherry casks, ex-rye whiskey casks, and ex-scotch casks. The rum is without any added sugar or additives. The age statements on the bottles denote the minimum age of rum in the bottle. The Grander line contains an 8 year-old, 12 year-old, Barrel Series finished in a variety of casks (including ex-rye whiskey), a Trophy Release containing a blend of 8-15 year-old rums, and finally a variety of single barrel offerings.

The Bottle

The bottle is beautiful. It is a sloped obelisk, with a tight cork enclosure. The bottle has a heavy glass base, and feels sturdy. The bottle is informative, with a lot of details about the rum, including its distillation, origins, and age. It clearly states that the rum has no additives, no sugar added, and that the age on the label is the true age of what is in the bottle. The embossed graphics of “Grander” and the symbolic Marlin are a nice touch. This feels like a “premium” product by the bottle alone. Most important is the information on the bottle allowing the purchaser to have an understanding as to what they are buying.

Into the glass

In the glass, the rum is a pretty mahogany color, similar to the 8 year-old offering. It has a light-medium body. On the nose, the aroma is quite light, which is surprising for a 50% ABV rum. Despite the proof, there is no presence of alcohol on the nose. There is some vanilla, but the aromas are dominated by caramel and brown sugar. The aromas are balanced out by some spice notes, including baking spices and black pepper. The black pepper presumably comes from the ex-rye whiskey casks. The black pepper and spice notes are enjoyable and balance out the sweeter notes.

The Mouth

On the palate, the rum has a medium mouthfeel. Although vanilla is here, the rum has more of a spiced caramel presence. There is some brown sugar, but the rum is dominated by the caramel with baking spices and pepper. It is a very well-balanced rum between the sweet tastes of caramel and the spicier rye elements. There is no alcohol on the burn, especially for the 50% ABV. The finish has a slight balance of pepper and baking spices and leaves your mouth coated nicely. The ex-rye whiskey casks were a great choice for this.

Conclusion

Grander Barrel Series Panama Rum Finished in Rye Whiskey Barrels is a delicious rum. Despite being 100 proof, the rum has no detectable presence of alcohol on the nose or palate. The rum is more caramel-heavy, with vanilla taking a supporting role. However, what allows this rum to stand out is the balance of sweet caramel notes with baking spices and black pepper notes. It is pleasant and well-balanced. There is a welcome complexity to this offering, as it allows the consumer to experience both spectrums of sweet and spice together. Despite this being aimed as a light-style rum from the column stills at Las Cabras Distillery in Panama, the blending is well done and the choice of casks really shines nicely. Although more complexity would be welcome, this serves the purpose of offering a balanced, well-crafted rum that is pleasant and can easily be enjoyed neat.

Disclaimer: Grander Rum graciously provided samples for this rum to us.