Pampero Aniversario Reserva Exclusiva

Approx. 2 years ago, when I had tasted it for the first time at a joint tasting event, I had not quite liked it, so I wanted to see if there was any improvement since that time.

This is 40% ABV rum from Venezuela (4-6 years old), which was stored in barrels of American whiskey and bourbon. It is delivered in a nice chubby bottle with real cork, which is not standard at this price level. The package is either in a leather bag (more often) or in a paper box.

Color: Dark mahogany. Due to its age the rum had to be definitely colored.

Aroma: The actual smell of rum is not very intense, but the alcohol is quite strong. At first the smell is so sweet, but then it changes a little to musty. Vanilla, caramel, molasses, gingerbread, bitter plum jam and bitter cocoa were recognizable. For the first time, I felt something that reminded me of the smell of a leather. At the end you can scent the smokyness and wooden tones.

Taste: Not as sweet as is often written, but definetely not dry. It's somewhere in the middle. Overall, it is less substantial and more watery. Again, you can smell alcohol quite strongly, even after a few minutes of evaporation. After drinking, you can smell vanilla, caramel, raisins, dark cocoa or very bitter chocolate, dried cherries and smoky wood at the end on the tongue and palate. The finish is so bitter-sweet. The aftertaste is quite short.

After a thorough tasting, I must say that not much improvement has taken place. Rum is so immature and lacks the fineness of older pieces. But at the party to drink it is OK. Diplomatico Mantuano reminds me a bit when I evaluate the taste.

Overall rating: 6.5 out of 10

This Pampero is a rum you drink at moments you feel like needing alcohol in an average way. It is not bad but it isn't super either. For me it lacks a little bit more of sweetness to rate it a 7 or even higher.

Thus rum comes in a leather pouch, which looks great. The taste is just sweet enough to my taste, but a bit short.

Not s good to in my opinion. Maybe if you mix it with coke but straight up no way

Good, then not, then good again.
Havana Club flavours with a sour punch.
Happy to drink but can't see myself choosing it from the shelf with excitement.

Good reviews here a some good references from my friends made me to buy this rum. But it was big disappointment. It bites in the nose, bites on the tongue and bites in the throat. Maybe it is just bad bottle, ti would not be my first experience that one bottle tastes different than another. But for now i am not recommanding this rum.
Definitely not smooth with strong alcohol taste. More suitable on the rocks

Retasted: rate 4->5, but still unsatisfiing experience. This rum is not good, taste is just flat and bity.

Sugar: 16 to 20 gpl. I bought this bottle primarily because of the packaging and thought for $29 this wouldn't be that good. I sure was wrong about price equals taste. Who knew that a 4 to 6 year blend of rums could be this good. In the glass it has a great aroma of brown sugar or fudge-caramel. Oak, vanilla and spices follow. It is a sweet and very smooth rum with a pleasant burn and agreeable aftertaste. Not overly complex, but so darned easy to drink. Even the ladies tried it and that's surprising. During my first glass I thought this tasted familiar, prompting me to pull out the Zacapa 23 and the Zacapa XO from the shelf. Sure enough this one is right in the middle of those 2 rums. Maybe the blender was working on Zacapa and Pampero the same week. Both brands are controlled by Diageo....so it makes sense. It's not a conspiracy, it's a deal. It doesn't matter as this is an outstanding bargain.
I will be sure to stock up on this rum the next time I find it.

More bite than expected, but decent stuff. You're first greeted by a sharp alcohol smell, then a sweet aroma, and a large amount of oak. In the end, a great package for an OK rum.

Revisit- Still harsh, more smoke, 6

edited to add sugar test results- 12g

This to me is a great rum. Sure it's got some sweetness too it. But that's ok. It very flavorful. And great as a shot, sipper or mixer. Yummy stuff

This rum holds the best cost/quality ratio in my opinion. I love Its heavy molasses and leathery notes. Don't be fooled by the gimmicky presentation (which sometimes means a consumer trap), for the substance inside is superb.