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Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year rum

Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year

Trinidad and Tobago | Aged | 40% ABV | Column Still (5+) Distilled

Zaya Gran Reserva Rum is a blend of molasses-based rums distilled in a five-column still and aged in white oak barrels for up to 12 years.

Zaya rum was initially distilled by Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala in Guatemala. The brand was acquired in 2008 by Infinium Spirits and is now produced in Trinidad and distilled by Angostura.

7.2/10
605 ratings
Recommendable to most
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605 Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year Ratings

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Daniel Lindén 🇸🇪 | 59 ratings
Posted over 5 years ago

Har bara provsmakat denna som är från Guatemala med petate. Herregud vilken gudomlig Rom. Väldigt söt men smooth som babyrumpa utan någon brännande känsla i munnen. Smak och doft av massor vanilj, karamell, kokos och banan. Skulle jag hitta originalet från Guatemala skulle jag köpt alla flaskor.

rum ambassador 🇬🇧 | 6 ratings
Posted 11 years ago

Aromatic notes of vanilla, caramel, with hints of banana and cocoa.
The palate is an initial taste of vanilla, cocoa and brown sugar, with a medium-sweet bodied with hints of oak and orange spice.

Scott T 🇺🇸 | 122 ratings
Posted over 5 years ago

After reading a post on the discussion board about how Zaya has become undrinkable swill under new ownership, I finally opened a bottle I had picked up last year while on vacation at what I thought was a great price of $25.

i have to say I agree 100% with the guy who made that post. This stuff basically tastes like vanilla extract. I found an unopened bottle stashed in my cellar of the old stuff with real palm leaf wrap around the neck, and though it is a sugar bomb it at least tastes good. The new stuff either has a paper wrap around the neck or a metal screw top and collar. My newer bottle has the metal, but according to the guy who wrote the post the paper wrapped bottles are terrible too.

I have heard this rum was awesome back in the days it was from Guatemala, unfortunately that was before I got interested in rum. The garbage stuff says "a blend of 12 rums" in the little round label on the bottle instead of "aged 12 years" on the older bottles. Classic bait and switch, avoid the newer bottles. I wouldn't buy this again at any price.

TC 🇺🇸 | 2 ratings
Posted over 8 years ago

Currently my favorite rum. It is a little sweet, with flavors of vanilla and caramel. Perfect for a dessert sipper. Do not waste as a mixer, drink this one neat. Great rum to share with friends after dinner. For $37 this is a steal.

Earl Elliott 🇨🇦 | 236 ratings
Posted 9 years ago

Sugar: 20 gpl. Lot's of reviewers liked this rum, but I did not finish the bottle I purchased while on vacation. It's a smooth rum with a nice finish but the Vanilla aroma and flavor dominates it from start to finish. I tried it on ice and in mixed drinks but could not come to liking it enough to finish the bottle or to even think of adding it to my collection. I would not buy this rum as there are better rums in this price range.

Michael Shell 🇺🇸 | 4 ratings
Posted over 9 years ago

This was a quite wonderful dram. The vanilla sweetness hit my taste buds first but didn't overpower a complex, bitter, chocolate nuttiness at all. Long and pleasant finish. Sip this neat and appreciate the craft!

Rick 🇺🇸 | 5 ratings
Posted over 9 years ago

A must have in your collection a golden to copper brown color nice vanilla scent nice barrel flavors with vanilla tones with a smooth finish.

Tikihead 🇺🇸 | 23 ratings
Posted almost 10 years ago

Vanilla flavor is too dominant for my tastes. Very smooth and very little after burn. A pretty good sipper.

Cool Breeze (PREMIUM) 🇺🇸 | 555 ratings
Posted over 1 year ago

Bottle purchased in Crete several years ago. I’m rating the old Zaya 12 year (note bottle neck in photo) before Diageo bought them and ruined this rum. Pours a very dark brown. Aroma of butterscotch and molasses. Mildly sulfur and sweet. Bananas and chocolate. Such a pleasantly mild palate with a pronounced vanilla. This was a great rum back in the day.

darren 🇨🇦 | 8 ratings
Posted 4 years ago

Well it has suffered some degradation with ownership making poor choices...

btmcsweeney 🇺🇸 | 1 rating
Posted over 5 years ago

All reviews from before 2016 should be ignored - this is now a distinctly different and much lower quality rum than it was previously.

The original Zaya was the rum that got me into sipping rums. Every time I finished a bottle I would get a new one. It was fairly sweet with a taste of vanilla and caramel. If you can still find a bottle where the label has cursive writing on it and there's a wicker sleeve on the neck, buy it.

At first when the logo changed, I was skeptical. The font change on the label wasn't bad, but the sticker that used to proudly proclaim "Aged 12 Years" now read "Blend of 12 selected rums". The neck was no longer covered in wicker and the cork had been replaced with a screw off cap. The taste is *very* different. It still has flavors of vanilla and caramel, but they aren't as rich as they used to be. The rum doesn't taste aged at all, as the change from 12 years to 12 rums suggests. It's still good as a mixing rum, but I wouldn't suggest it for sipping.




Brand Details

Name: Gran Reserva 12-Year
Years Aged: 12
ABV: 40%
Type: Zaya
Raw Material: Unknown
Process: Pure blend (1 distillery)
Distillation: Column Still (5+)
Women leading Rum: No

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