Don Q Anejo

This is one of (3) rums I recommend to all rum drinker types and to introduce a novie to "the better stuff". At $16 it is the best rum I can find under $20. Decent to sip, good on the rocks and makes an excellent Cuba Libre.

Helles honiggelb im Glas
In der Nase ein kleiner Strauss mit frischgepflückten Blumen und frischen tropischen Früchten umgeben von einem hauch Vanille.
Im Gaumen sehr mild und ? Wer hat meinem Rum die Aromen gekaut !? Ah, doch da sind Spuren von Vanille und Früchte. Das Ganze wirkt etwas wässerig und verdünnt aber dennoch harmonisch und lecker.
Im Abgang erstaunlich lang ein wenig nach frisch gepresstem Zuckerrohr.
Ein junger Aromatischer Rum für Einsteiger oder zum Mixen.

Bright honey yellow in the glass
In the nose a small bouquet of freshly picked flowers and fresh tropical fruits surrounded by a hint of vanilla.
Very mild on the palate and? Who chewed the aromas of my rum? Ah, but there are traces of vanilla and fruits. The whole thing looks a bit watery and diluted but still harmonious and delicious.
In the finish surprisingly long a little after freshly pressed sugar cane.
A young aromatic rum for beginners or for mixing.

Not bad at all. Mild and cremy. Smooth aftertaste. Lack of intensity a bit.

I did not know what to really expect from this rum as it was not one that I had researched. It was weak on flavor. I will not buy this one again.

It is a "brown" rum, it has sweetness, wooden sourness, very little after taste. Nothing to look at here, move along.

The average Joe of rums. Nothing much there, some Bourbon-notes, sweetness (natural), vanilla. Thin.

not as codtly as the Din Q gran añejo, this 10 year añejo is a best buy. It is smooth, refreshing and served with fresh grapefruit juice makes you want to repeat snd repeat all night long in the tropical setting

Výborný rum z Portorika, suchý, bez cukru, výrobca na fľaši priznáva dofarbovanie karamelom, čo je ok. Zmes až 8 ročných rumov, vo vôni spočiatku alkohol, neskôr veľmi jemná chuť.

By labelling this a cocktail rum people think I am doing it an injustice. It's actually a lovely oak barreled flavour profile but the issue is its a very sweet so would be interested in the hydrometer testing on it ....

A high alcohol taste, but does smooth out with mild oak, vanilla flavours.

This rum mayby isn't so expressive, but is decent. In my opinion finish has some bitter tasty - that is cons for it. The biggest adventages is its smells, really nice.

Only a few flavours but a strong taste of oak and vanilla

Not very original but a bit of warmness that is really enoyable.

20ml uit een advent kalender. Te weinig om een goed oordeel te vellen. Caramel, houtig, tabak. Geen suiker toegevoegd.

It has a pretty good taste. Although it is a bit "strong". Good price for what you get

Sugar:0-5 GPL. I found nothing special about this rum. Not the best for sipping by any means. Works well in a mixed drink. There are many other rums with the same Cuban style rum characteristics. Oak, spice, vanilla with a sharp edge overall.

Don Q Gran Anejo (DQGA) is one of my top rums ever. Don Q Anejo (son of DQGA) has a similar “Anejo” taste but is clearly less “anejo”, that is, aged. When I am in the mood for Don Q and I am out of DQGA (especially since I am on a budget) i will turn to this excellent stand-in.

Nase holzig mit fruchtigen Noten
Am Gaumen Süss
Leider sehr schneller abgang

Léger, facile d'approche, sur les épices. Bon rapport qualité-prix

Nothing really special though nice for a "daily" rum! Didn't blow me away, didn't make me wanna stop drinking so a worthy 6!

Other reviewers noted the similarities between this entry level rum and their Gran Anejo. I cannot think of a rum that is this cheap and still serves as a sipper. For the money, this one wins hands down over their Gran Anejo. Very smooth! It would also make a great mixer.

Update four days later: This rum makes one of the best Cuba Libres that I have ever had in my life! Forget the blanco rums for this drink! As for the taste vs cost ratio, this one wins hands down. Sure, there are much better sipping rums, but be prepared to pay 2-3 times more than one would for this one.

On another note, I was once anti-Don Q until I gave their Gran Anejo a try and was inspired by another reviewer to try this much cheaper and more flavorful rum. I have also bumped up my rating from a 6 to a 7. This one is definitely one to keep to avoid raiding the rum cabinet filled with much more expensive ones.

On still another note, if you wind up getting stuck owning a $51 bottle of Don Q Gran Anejo that is super smooth with almost no flavors, here is what to do with it. Try a 50/50 mixture of Don Q Anejo and Don Q Gran Anejo. You can even store this magical mixture back into that pretty bottle of Don Q Gran Anejo and most of your guests would never know. The Don Q Anejo has the much needed flavor while sacrificing some smoothness due to lack of aging. Together they make a fantastic combo. Gosh, why hasn't Don Q figured this out to sell us this mixture priced between $15 and $51? Don Q, this is your hint! I also should adopt a new nickname of Senor Simple Solera.

Update March 10, 2018: I bought another brand new bottle of Don Q Anejo and tested it against four other budget sipping rums between $11 and $23. As expected, the $11 Cruzan Gold lost out right away to Cruzan Estate Diamond Dark 5 year, which then lost out to Don Q Anejo. Then this Don Q beat my old standby of Flor De Cana 7. It was then a final comparison between this Don Q Anejo and my El Dorado 8, but that is like comparing two different rums, one is very dark and one is lighter. I liked the El Dorado 8 better, but at $8 more, I would expect this to be so. Since I would have to drive 25 miles one way to pick up new bottles of either one, my budget and mood would determine my go-to budget dark sipper at that time.

Leave it to the analyst in me to calculate B/C ratios for all of my rums in a spread sheet. Benefits are basically my overall ranking from all of my ratings, which consists of flavor and no ill after effects. I don't care how good a rum tastes, if it does a number on my system the next day, then it is really crap and loses a point or more in my rating. Well, this Don Q Anejo easily won the B/C ratio test. For those new to rum drinking and those who are short of funds, I cannot think of a better place to start. It also has no added sugar. Second and third place on the B/C ratio belongs to Plantation Artisinal 3-Star and Plantation Original Dark Double Aged. These are three very different rums and all are an excellent value.
And since this one is a dry rum, the original flavors will remain after six months in an opened bottle. I can't say the same for sugar bomb rums.

Don Q makes a wide array of rums in the Spanish style, which are always going to be on the thinner, lighter side. It's a solid choice for any cocktail recipe calling for a Puerto Rican gold rum. It's an outstanding mixer.

This was an okay experience, liked the smell and taste, but not as good as others I have tasted.