Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

One of the best rum I have ever had, and I make rum for a living. Grade A stuff. Drank and entire bottle throughout the week on a cruise in April from the Rum bar on a Carnival Cruise Ship. There was only one other rum lover (from MA) that was drinking it with me.

It may be a bit on the sweet side for some, but Zacapa 23 is a very well-rounded rum and a good place to get people interested in premium rum. The aroma and mouthfeel are fine, the taste is great, and it's smooth going down with nothing harsh in the finish.

Yes it tastes great. No it is not a genuine aged rum. The XO version is IMO less sweet and more what this rum should be, but the 23 has been sweetened to make it more appealing to the American palate. Also, this is not a 23 yr old rum, it is a Solera blend of aged rum the OLDEST of which is 23 yrs, the average age is closer to 6-8 years.

The "z" rums - Zaya, Zacapa, Zafra - as well as Diplomatico and others have led people to believe aged rums should be sweet and smooth, while drier genuine rums - Appleton 12 yr, Mount Gay extra old, Flor de Cana, Seales 10 yr, any agricole rhum - are more indicative of what rum SHOULD taste like in its unaltered state, but less appealing to most people's palates.

I am even beginning to think that my favorite El Dorado rums are sweetened, though it is less dominant and actually compliments the robust flavors of the Demeraran rum. The same could be said for Zaya and this one, though IMO the sweetness is considerably more forward. The Zaya and zacapa are robust enough to still be interesting, while Diplomatico Reserva and Ron Fortuna 8 yr both taste flat and boring to me. Ron Fortuna 8 yr is the worst offender yet, nauseatingly sweet and bland. Both probably were decent subtle rums before being sweetened within an inch of their lives.

Edit : I have recently come across some info on a Swedish national site that discloses added sugar in rums. This rum formerly had 45 g/ltr of sugar added, which - along with El Dorado 12 yr - was by far the most of any rum on the list. It has recently (no idea when) been reduced to 20 g/ltr.

Nice a full taste...but unremarkable

Not one I like to mix very often. On the rocks is my preference. Can still be mixed and come out with excellent results. A nice sipping rum with interesting flavouring.

Actually the Zacapa Solera 23 was the first premium rum I ever tried and there we went... ;-)

A few years and rums later I can still recommend this one to everybody with a preference for an easy going sugary rum. It is just a high quality product and very enjoyable especially for beginners. Therefore, a great spirit to introduce your friends to rum and help grow the community of rum enthusiasts a little more.

Love it neat. But that isn't an option to choose below...

Un rhum qui trahit la tutelle du cognac dès le premier nez et pas n'importe lequel, car le Zacapa est élevé en fût qui a vu grandir du cognac français. C'est dans cet opulent héritage que grandissent les rhums de la maison Zacapa mais en solera, toujours. Et c'est bien grâce à ce process typiquement espagnol, répandu en amérique centrale, que la bouteille peut arborer fièrement un âge de 23 ans. Mais le résultat n'en reste pas moins délectable avec un nez vanillé passant en bouche par le caramel.
Le rhum Zacapa Solera 23 est une valeur sûre, bien calibrée qui ravira tous les palais. Néanmoins pour un rhum affichant 23 années de maturation au compteur, l'amateur averti sera vite déçu par le manque de complexité de cette liqueur.

There's a tremendous density of expression in this rum, and thus it's huge reputation. One can not escape the sense this rum was handled with great care from start to finish. It excels in every area, and stands as proof Solera blending is ideal for rum. I find this rum ideal neat, not gaining when consumed over ice.

I always buy it coming back to Canada at duty free. Great deal at $40 /L. I don't mix this one for sure. Nice to sip like a good scotch.