Botran Solera 1893 18-Year

It's nothing atypical of a rum. It's a very standard oaked vanilla rum with a lot of cinnamon/allspice in the back. Horrible straight. It acts like a nice guy in front of your girlfriend and then secretly tries to steal her when you're not expecting it. Basically it enters the mouth pretty smoothly and then a second or 2 later rains down like hell fire on your tongue, roof of mouth and back of throat. You must ice this one at a minimum or add cola. It makes a good rum and coke but for the price no thank you. I got this from a friend on a trip to mexico because it isn't sold in the states here. I would recommend cruzan gold over this. Very very similar, the only thing you might notice is the 40$ or you just saved.

I've always liked the younger Botran 12 as a cheap everyday sort of rum, especially during my time in Guatemala, so I had high hopes for this one. Have to say i'm slightly dissapointed. It's not that much better than the 12. Also the flavours tend to break up in the mouth, giving it a rather chaotic, confusing, filmsy feel. I like robust rums with solid flavours. The aftertaste doesn't go wel with the initial sensation. The overal taste is quite floral, like a chardonnay. Having said that: i've only tried it once and maybe I shall revisit this review. My bottle is different from the one depicted here. It's a raindrop shape now, which is nice. Very feminine and something different. The huge gold-coloured cork is a bit over the top though.

There's a lot of competition at this price range, and I'm sorry to say I don't feel this rum holds up. It's certainly a high-quality rum, exhibiting the smoothness I expect at this level. But, the complexity of flavor was simply not there for me. My only thought is that it seemed to need more time in the barrel - perhaps the length of solera-aging is too short? If it were not for the modestly-high price, I'd suggest this as a beginner-sipper - several others among my ratings beat it, though. I'd avoid paying this much for a mixer, too.

Oaky, vanilla and spice. Slightly harsh, nice aromas.

Color:Dark caramel
Nose:Strong vanilla,caramel, alcohol
Body:spicy,oak
Tail:aftertaste is long lasting and warming

Bottle: I have the old bottle,this is a masterpiece!The new one is pretty standard,under average.

I really like the old bottle, the rum is similar to Zacapa,but not as sweet,for me much more interesting! Price is very reasonable!

I read reviews of this one raising it to the skies in praise, so my expectations were way up there. But first impression was that it had a fairly weak nose. Taste is rather elegant, but it fades quickly. It has some nice tones of cane and feels like a typical rum, not very prominent. I expected a lot more from it, not only for reviews I've read, but also from the price range.

Al igual que Zacapa 23, sistema solera y sabor muy similar. Menor precio que su competencia. Se disfrutan sus diferentes sabores si se toma derecho, se aprecia sabor a madera, jerez, vainilla y caramelo.

Average sweetness, but some harsh alcohol is present. Taste of mainly oak, some smoke, with some flowers and vanilla. Quite complex taste and smell. I prefer a smoother rum...

Ottimo Rum, sapore deciso. Al palato sapore di Caramello e Tabacco quasi da Whiskey, retrogusto non troppo persistente speziato. Non consiglio l'abbinamento con cioccolato. Meglio liscio con un buona sigaretta.

It's a very good rum, not too sweet like many rums of the region. Nose I got lot of caramel and dry fruits. Mouth is more mineral which I like but I think lacks of something to get a better rating, in that price range.