Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year

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

I hear this used to be a great rum. Sadly, I never got to drink that rum. The Zaya I had wasn’t overly sweet but did have a fake sweetness about it. It has a rough finish and an alcohol burn that I wouldn’t expect in a 12 year rum. That finish makes this a terrible sipper. The fake sweetness contrasts poorly with sweet mixers like colas. It is particularly delicious in black coffee, where the strength of the coffee covers the imperfections in the finish and the sweetness of the rum provides a nice balanced sweetener to the coffee.

That being said, this is too expensive to be a 1-trick pony and I don’t expect I’ll buy it again unless I hear rumors that the old blend is back.

Pretty enjoyable in a cocktail but too sweet for sipping

Cloyingly sweet when drunk neat with overpowering notes of vanilla. Would use it in moderation mixed with other headier rums to add a layer of spice and depth to mixed drinks.

I was a disappointed with this tasting after reading a number of reviews. The vanilla caramel aroma was good but the flavor just wasn't right. Could be me being influenced by another really good rum I just sampled.

..because on one hand I can't deny that Zaya has a very nice nose of vanilla and caramel and goes down very easy and smooth. But then on the other hand I'm not a fan of how much they pumped up the artificial flavoring and added sugar. Don't get me wrong, I'm not that guy who thinks all and every rum needs to stand on it's own with only the barrel adding flavor but there is a point with you start to think that maybe this is too much and unfortunately Zaya might be that one for me. With all that said, I still can't deny that I do enjoy drinking this for a dessert rum.

I used to like this a lot until I really started tasting more rums. It is really sweet and manufactured to my palate now. Candy in a glass.

I heard good things about this rum so I picked it up while on vacation in maine...I had to drive 40 miles to find a liquor store that had rum other than Bacardi Silver. Even then, I couldnt get past this taste of the topical gel the dentist puts on your gum before giving you a shot. But then I had a root canal a few weeks later and realized that topical actually tastes better. The sad part is that I could tell it was a nice tasting smooth rum under the blanket of that weird medicinal taste, but I couldnt get past it. Wont be buying again unless I'm forced to pick it or pick Bacardi Silver.

It's pleasant enough although maybe over sweet with a bitter end. Lots of caramel and sugar on the nose and a vanilla kick in the background. Here is the nub - at this price point, I would never choose this one ahead of many other rums. For me, it just hasn't got the complexity of an El Dorado, to name but one.

Smooth but very very sweet and some aftertaste. There are better sippers available in the price range.