Abuelo Gran Reserva 12-Year

This bad boy is a little hard on the nose. Strong alcohol smell followed by caramel and apple aroma. First taste you get the barrel flavor followed by sweetness. Has a very similar flavor profile to Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva with the addition of oak and not as syrupy. No alcohol taste but decent lingering burn. Very good rum when looking for a sweet and oaky flavor.

Benchmark for sipping rum. Smooth, sweet, complex, and well balanced. Outstanding value.

The aroma is the best part of this rum. It's quite tropical. I get ripe mango, banana, some vanilla and coconut and the inside of a cigar box. Initial sip is smooth and pleasant, but after that it quickly becomes cloying, saturating my taste buds with sugar. This is overly sweet and has been sugared beyond a doubt. Not many redeeming features beyond the sweetness. Lots of banana, honey and vanilla, some orange peel and baking spices/cinnamon, but ultimately very one dimensional, because the sugar overpowers everything else. Having said that: there's also nothing in the Abuelo 12 that's unpleasant and it's a good bottle to have on the shelf in case of visitors who like their rum sweet and soft. Finish is short with a subtle oaky bite that's somewhat pleasant. Final point of critisism: the bottle is very brown and very boring. Maybe they went for rustic, but it looks cheap

Fruit in abundance, cognac like aroma and after taste. Somewhat medicinal aroma though. Probably added sugar, color and vanilla.
sugar test results-29g

Pretty sweet rum compared to the entry level and 7years Abuelo.
Super caramely and vanila aromas / flavors with himts of orange notes.

This is one of the two top sipping rums I have tasted in my life. Mildly sweet with a long finish. Beautiful color. Please try it straight; you won't be disappointed.

This rum was my best choice since my first serious rum, which was Ron Barcelo Imperial. Abuelo 12 is very delicate, sweet and with touch of honey. I can recommend him for rum beginners and as well as a gift. Really perfect choice and decent bottle moreover.

The tastes are good and there is nothing special to complain about but
I feel there are better options even at more affordable prices.

Tested this long ago and you can definitely taste that it’s a Panamanian Ron. It has it all, but everything is weaker than in the better ones.
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Tasted it again during Birka’s rumcruise 22/3-2019 at a Master class and this time I had difficulty to distinguish from Havana Club 7yo.
So my rating will not be changed.
Picture: Brands included at the blindtest.

Vona sladka po melase a hrozienkach, chut plna rumova, primerane sladka, vyvazena sladkost, drevitost aj alkohol. Je to lepsi priemer, stoji za ochutnavku. Pripomina mi trochu El dorado 12y aj vonou aj chutou, je ale menej citit alkohol... A je aj mierne drahsi...