Zaya Gran Reserva 12-Year

More spice and bite than I generally like but very good for the price.

Yes, it’s sweet. Yes, when sipped beat the flavors seem a little off. But if you’re given a bottle of this as I was, accept the sweetness and go with a diet cola. It marries rather well.

This and the 16 year are both great sippers, easy introductions to rum and a great price (under $25 where I am). Heavy on the sugar, so bear that in mind... it's definitely not unadulterated, but that may fit your palette well or not.

As stated in the title, to avoid any misunderstanding, and be specific about the "version" being reviewed, current rating reffers exclusively to Zaya Gran Reserve 12 YO aged rum (as shown in the photo).
That been said ...
Nice bottle, elegant and simple .... to start with,
Proper packaging that highlights the rich color of rum.
Soft, rich, oily and full bodied rum. Medium to sweet, quite balanced though. Profound aromas of caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar.
Easily and very enjoyalbe afterall.

Besides the fact that of being totally ripped-off in a Bratislava bar just to taste it. 34!!! euro for a drink - Seriously now?? Would have bought a whole bottle instead (aggggrrrrrr....!!!!). Nevermind...

Interesting sweet rum, not my first choice but good quality overall.

pretty one dimensional in my opinion, too much vanilla. a bit flat finish. really didnt like it

This mixture of five types of rum is exceptional. It has a nice and intense cocoa aroma.
Thats why it's something special for me. But this cocoa flavor doesn't overlap other flavors like the Companero Panama rum.
It has a spicy finish and a good sweetness in the taste.
If you like chocolate aromas and spices go for it.

Smell: First you can smell cocoa, then some coconut with vanilla, burned sugar, dry fruits (plum), oak, also some spices like cinammon. Overall it's on the chocolate/coconut side. If you are a chocolate junkie this is for you.

Taste: It starts with burned sugar, then chocolate rises and vanilla with coconut appear. The sharpness is low.
Then I get some oak aroma, dry fruits towards the finish and again dark chocolate.
In the background is cinnamon and some other spices.
Finish: spices (clove), chocolate, vanilla

It's a nice rum overall. I like this different aromas, the complexity is good. Rums with coconut aromas are seldom. It's still intensive at 40%. A good blend that I would recommend for beginners and for those who like this aromas.

Overall rating: 82 points (it needs time in the glas btw)

Sweetness: 3/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Fruits: 2/5
Complexity: 3.5/5
Value (40€): 4/5

Country: Trinidad & Tobago
Story: Blended Rum of five different rums, most of it is Angostura rum. Before 2008 it was made of Guatemala rums, but Zacapa grows too big and the company moved to Trinidad & Tobago.

Reasonably priced. Has a hint of vanilla and goes down smooth. Great with coffee as well. Not always available at Liquor Store.

While sippably smooth thanks to its high sugar content, it's basically a glorified vanilla extract. It desperately lacks the depth one would expect for a rum of this age (and price).

In my honest opinion this is the best bottle of rum on the market. It’s absolutely perfect. The 15 is very nice but doesn’t quite capture the same profiles. Don’t let the price fool you (if you can find this bottle) it drinks like a $250 bottle. 5 stars from me all day long.