Mezan 2004 Panama

Mezan comes up with another solid choice, this time rum from Panama. A bit fiery despite its modest 80 proof, loaded with aromas and flavors of prunes, dates, black currants and bananas. No age statemement, but it was distilled in 2004, so...10 years maybe? Very tasty straight up. As with all Mezan rums, this is advertised as being un-colored, un-sugared and un-Frankenstein'd with any additives. Compare it with Abuelo rums, also from Panama, which are more expensive and are clearly sugared and likely doctored with who knows what. Thanks, I'll stick with Mezan's products. All winners so far.

It is no added sugar, caramel and no CF. Smooth with some alchol burn. Easy drinking with fruity flvousr. Similar to an older Armagnac but good for sipping. £40 delivered though.

Mezan Panama 2004, 40%
79/100 score

Price: ~55 euro per bottle in Europe

MEZAN is a limited edition collection of rums. Unsweetened, uncolored, lightly filtered and aged in casks until they reach their optimal maturity.
Mezan also is independent bottler from United Kingdom. Today you can find a lots of ‘independent bottlers’, who buy different rums from around the world, with different quality and with different company politics and marketing part. MEZAN, Plantation, SBS, Samaroli and much more... some of this rums you can buy for 30 euros, the others for 3000.

This Mezan Panama 2004 is almost gone on market, but you can find new versions from Panama. But different, never the same as this 2004.
This one is 13 years old, multi-column distillation.

If you take a look on design of Mezan bottles, they are just quite simple, but they keep they style and I really like it.

Nose: it’s sweet enough, molasses, brown burned sugar, vanilla. Less dry notes, and it’s oak for sure, wood dryness. Some notes also from fruitiness, orange and mandarins. It’s not sour.

Palate: dryness absolutely priority (8-10). Lot of wood, burned wood, oak. Sweetness, some delicious home baked cake, vanilla and honey. Also nutmeg, and just small, gentle spiciness notes.

Aftertaste is not to long, and still dry.

I found this Rum little bit “heavy”. Its well balanced, no alcohol burn at all, but you can’t say about this Rum “fresh”.

This rum has everything I want. It’s complexity of flavours delights and it’s smoothness is like silk. It’s sweet but Ina quiet way and it hints at the barrels it’s aged in without tasting too much like a whiskey. This could easily be my house rum if it didn’t fetch such a steep price of $55 usd

OK, it has a bit of extra age, but this Panama is possibly their best one I have had. Before that, it seemingly was going the other way. The first one I had was the 1995 (42%) and it was great. The 1999 wasn't quite so good and then the 2006 was nice but a tad disappointing.

I have to admit that the Panama was the first of their bottlings that I came across - I was going through a Panama stage due to Abuelo - so I have a soft spot for it. I am not a great fan of their other rums, nothing bad about them, but it doesn't excite me like the Panama, so it makes me happy that this is such a nice one.

So then they pull out the 2004, which I guess is 3 or 4 years older at the time of bottling than the 2006. A distinctly Panamanian nose that isn't overly dry and dirty like Abuelo can sometimes be. Rich and spicy. There is a wonderful richness on the palate, married to a good soft dose of oak. Sweet. smokey fruit gives a fantastic mouth feel and gives legs to the finish.

A really good rum, and nice to see Mezan's Panama back on track.If I was to be hyper-critical, then it is ever so slightly too sweet and too oaky.........but I LOVE IT.

A pleasant taste. Quite oaky, even burn oak perhaps. Might go higher as I sample more.

This is amazing I its own delicious and full of flavour decent rum from Jamaica

As this is my second rum, I got some advice from the liquor shop owner. I am truly grateful for the advice, because this is something else compared to my first one...
A long lasting full taste to be enjoyed on a quiet evening.
Love it!

I like this one more than the 2006 but not enough to give it a 9.

Very pleasant aroma and flavors.

Maybe my palate is not developed enough to differentiate between all of the flavors.

I really like Mezan not adding sugar or colors and only lightly filtering their rums.

I would recommend this to my friends.

Once you get your palette on this rum, you will not want to drink anything else for the rest of the night. Loads of oak flavor, just the right amount of sweetness, and a finish that is incredible to the last drop. Be careful, you may drink this too fast due to how smooth this rum goes down. Hints of banana, prunes, and a nutty finish, I suggest this rum to anyone looking for a great Panamanian rum.