Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year

You can really taste the vanilla and sugar. I’ve had worse. Not bad at this price

Line this up next to rums that are two to three times the price, do a blind pour, and have people you respect rank them. The Zaya will be in the running every time. I did this with Ron Zacapa XO, Appleton Estate 21, and Ron Abuelo Centuria. People picked Zaya in their top two and three. It never beat the Abuelo. The taste along with the price, elevates the rating for me.

I like the taste of vanilla, caramel and others. A good rum but with some artificial tone.

This review is for the old formula which they have apparently changed . This was my favorite rum until I tried Plantation XO. If you didn’t know any better and picked up a glass of this blindfolded you could be forgiven for thinking you were drinking a vanilla cherry coke float. My only issue with it is the finish. Towards the end of a glass it leaves a slight pucker but otherwise an outstanding rum. I have heard the new formula is not nearly as good and is overly sweet. This review is for the original formula which Zaya should return to, hopefully.

風味は非常にエレガントで、鞣し革や、ウッドのニュアンスが特徴的です
甘めなので、葉巻、モンテクリストと一緒にやると最高です。

Wenn es noch gehabt hätte, hätte ich auch einen gekauft, aber der Erich hat ihn mit weggekauft.

En meget fint rom, men den kommer aldrig helt op at ringe.

Fin rom, dejlig sød som jeg kablede det. Lidt anderledes hvilket ikke gør noget. Ganske fin til prisen

If you want an alcoholic version of Vanilla Coke, try this one.

Amazing vanilla on the nose. Smooth going down but not very complex.

Finished the list with an old classic. Easy to find, cheap, but wonderful.

Velmi mne nadchl, nasládlý, voňavý, výborný, top, má své jisté místo v baru

This rum is great for mixing and the price. If you like sipping rums I guess this could work but I like it with a splash of mexican coke. It has added sugars and is a bit thick but it’s a great value rum.

A solid rum. But there are many others I’d spend my money on besides Zara.

What i can say.... vanilla... vanilla... vanilla... spicy and sweet... sweet and rich....i like it ...i like it a lot.

Pour les débutants, mais pas pour les amateurs de rhum. Facile a boire avec des arômes de vanille très prononcée. Rhum foncée assez rond et parfumé. Beaucoup trop sucré.

This is a commonly seen rum in local bars, so I decided to give a bottle a shot. I ended up using this exclusively as a mixer, and not my favorite at that. There are other rums out there for the same price which are much tastier in either situation.

trop vanille, sucre brun, pas subtil comme saveur, doit être pris avec de la glace

The rating of this rum was very good, I bought this with hope, but it was not my style.

A very good rum but almost too sweet and spicy. A must have for the cabinet but no longer my first choice.

The sugar cane in this is gorgeously developed, I love every sip of this. I prefer this rum neat most often than not, it is so smooth and bold with age that it should really be meant with nothing added to it.

Ratings are all over the board on this one. It really depends on your taste. Sweet cane nose. Very sweet flavor with hints of caramel and vanilla. Not terribly complex but not at all as bad as some of the ratings make it out to be. I think this is more of a middle of the road rum. Not world class but definitely not swill. Warming approaching hot. Slightly bitter finish but not unpleasent. A decent sipper if you really like it sweet and simple but it would be much better served with cocktails wanting a fuller bodied sweet rum.
Edit 9/25/19 - rating above is for old Guatemala rum. Recently tried the new Trinidad version. Not at all the same. Over sweet and artificial. No depth just sweet vanilla. Sadly this is giving rum the wrong reputation. I lower my rating for the new formula from a 6 to a 4. If you like real rum do not spend $30 on this.

Too sweet and this for my taste. I had it to sip at a celebration but was not impressed.

After opening the bottle, I was immediately assaulted by a strong smell of imitation vanilla extract. My wife was observing and immediately asked " Do I need to go and buy something else?" without me even saying a word. Despite my better judgement, I poured a taste. The first thought that came to mind was "Why did I put this in my mouth?" I struggled through another sip. I did get the lightest hint of oak, but then an annoying astringency on the back of the tongue. This is now going to my mixer well.