I admit to being partially biased to sweet Rums, and this is one. But only just. Maybe butterscotch or carmel. Yes, oak but so mellow. And so smooth, agedu in french cognac casks. Warm finish that maybe does not last quite long enough. This Rum tied with another of my favorites, Diplomatico
Reserva Exclusiva. Not that they are the same but both are my go-to for a quiet sip, ice or not, both are my best so far.

Doux en bouche avec une belle finale sur les épices. À déguster avec votre cola préféré ou tout simplement avec une glace.

Kind of smoke, scotch-y (or funky Jamaican rum) notes on the nose up front. The actual taste is significantly milder than the smell, with the guyanese toffee notes and barbadoan smoothness. That said, it still has some bite to it (in contrast to what others have written), it's not as bland as the typical sweet spanish style rum, it definitely has a slight pepperiness and challenge to it. Not an exceptional rum, but a decent compromise for someone looking to step beyond the sweet Spanish style into the wider world of rums.

Got an opportunity to buy this at the black friday sale for 76€.

It's a WPL nose in the glas, not as strong as WPM and not as strong as WPE.
I get oranges, bananas, wood, some leather, vanilla, some anise, earth and floral notes. I love this WP flavors. It's saturated and on the same level as Velier WPL 2007.

Taste is also clearly a WPL, very pleasant and a little bit spicy.
The taste starts with orange peels, I get the fruits and immediately the tannins from the wood, then anise and wood. The taste is also a little bit salty with a sour note of the star fruit and a little bit heavy with leather and a dry mouth feel.
The middle starts spicy with orange peels, anise, wood, star fruits and some vanilla at the end.
No surprises here, but my expectation were met.
The finish is spicy with anise, oranges, some leather and mint.
The aftertaste is a typical WP with orange, anise, mint, some leather and floral notes.

This is clearly a high end rum, I would say it's almost as good as the WPL of Velier. Velier is a hint better in my opinion.
It's a little bit less spicy and a little bit more mild. The flavors are also a little bit different.
Overall a great rum directly from the distiller. 109€ is too much for this rum in my opinion, but 76€ is a good price. I would rate this one with 89 points. It belongs to the top rums with 10 points also when it's behind of Velier with 90 points.

Nose: oranges, bananas, wood, some leather, vanilla, some anise, earth and floral notes
Taste initial: orange, orange peels, bananas, some leather, anise
Middle: orange peels, anise, wood, some salt and star frutis (a little bit sour note), vanilla
Finish: spice, anise, oranges, some leather, mint
Aftertaste: orange, anise, mint, some leather, floral notes

Sweetness: 2/5
Fruits: 4/5
Spice: 3/5
Mildness: 3.5/5
Complexity: 3/5
Value (regular 109€): 3/5 -> black friday sale (76€): 4/5
Experience levcel: professional

Truly an excellent sipper. Would be an insult to mix this. . It's beauty is the simplicity of a bouquet of flavors with perfect execution. Hits all the highlights you can expect in a top shelf rum. Hints of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, allspice, light tobacco. All this can be enjoyed in an XO for a reasonable price.

This rum has a sweet, smoky flavor. Unfortunately, palate doesn't differentiate the more complex flavors. The 40% alcohol content makes for a smooth sip with no burn. Definitely easy to drink neat.

Got this beauty at the black friday sale. Paid only 70€ for a 10y old WP of Velier, pretty good.
Because Velier always makes great bottlings, I wanted to try this one.

The nose is bright and fruity. A saturated WP with banana, orange peels, some anise and a little bit sour notes from a star fruit. Further wood and deeper in the glas some earth and leather. Behind this composition of flavors are some floral notes. Quite complex nose as expected.

The taste is pretty sweet, bright and fruity. It starts with orange, orange peels, banana and some tannins.
It's strong but the esters are not dominant, it's like the lable says a WP light.
In the middle I get again the oranges, bananas and orange peels. As the rum became warm in the mouth I get anise on my palet and at the end wood wit tannins. The mouth became dry and minty.
The finish starts with spice, then oranges, anise and some leather.
The mouth is full of fruit flavors, orange, mint, leather and banana are still 15 minutes later on the palet.

A great rum overall, I like the WPL mark. It's easy enjoyable, WPM is a little bit more complex and a hint better. But I like also this easy and fruity sipper. Would rate it with 90 points.

Nose: fruits like banana and dry orange peels, some anise, star fruit, wood and some earth, some floral notes.
Taste initial: orange, orange peels, some banana, wood/tannins
Middle: orange, banana, orange peels, anise, wood and tannins (dry mouthfeel), mint
Finish: spice, orange, anise, some leather
Aftertaste: orange, mint, wood, leather, banana

Sweetness: 2.5/5
Fruits: 4.5/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Mildness: 3/5
Complexity: 4/5
Value (70€): 4/5

Aroma is nice with fruity tones. First taste is nice, fruity and sweet. Aftertaste is shorten and bitter. Higher level of alcohol (46%) is helping.

Der Centenario Solera 18 Reserva de la Familia ist ein Melasse Blend aus 6 - 18 Jahre alten Rums welche in Eichenfässern auf Costa Rica gelagert werden. Der Rum wird mit 40% Alkohol abgefüllt und die Flasche ist ansprechend und irgendwie cool. Im Gegensatz zu den älteren Centenarios wirkt er nicht so stark nach gezuckert. Vielleicht 10-20g/l.

In der Nase zeigt sich der Solera 18 überraschend würzig. Etwas schärfe und süße Noten sind dabei. Karamel und Vanille. Nicht so leicht wie bei den älteren Brüdern und kaum Frucht. Auch am Gaumen bestätigt sich, das der Rum eher trocken und würzig ist. Dabei ist er immer noch süß mit Vanille Noten. Aber auch Holz, Pfeffer und Rauch. Das wirkt alles eckiger nd lebendiger als bei den älteren. Der Abgang ist mit einem leichten Brennen und auch deutlichen Bitternoten verbunden was etwas schade ist. Aber dennoch lässt der Rum sich gut trinken.

Der Solera 18 hat mich positiv überrascht und es ist schön das Centenario auch einen eher trockenen nicht so süßen Rum anbietet. Trinke ich lieber als den 20 oder 25. Durchaus empfehlenswert und solide. Freut mich.

The Centenario Solera 18 Reserva de la Familia is a molasses blend of 6 - 18 year old rums that are stored in oak barrels on Costa Rica. The rum is bottled with 40% alcohol and the bottle is appealing and somehow cool. Unlike the older Centenarios, it does not appear as sugary. Maybe 10-20g/l.

In the nose, the Solera 18 is surprisingly spicy. Slightly sharp and sweet notes are included. Caramel and vanilla. Not as smooth as the older brothers and hardly any fruit. On the palate it is confirmed that the rum is rather dry and spicy. But it is also still sweet with vanilla notes. But also wood, pepper and smoke. This all seems more angular and more lively than with the older ones. The finish is associated with a slight burning and also clear bitter notes which is a bit of a pity. But in total I like the dry Centenario much more than the sugar bombs.

The Solera 18 surprised me positively and it is nice that Centenario also offers a rather dry not so sweet rum. I prefer to drink this instead of the 20 or 25. Completely recommended and solid.

Much better alternative to Bialeys. Here you can feel the rum and caramel instead of only sugar.

Very nice and strong aroma, caramel, tropical flavor, accurate sweetnes, smooth alcohol - I felt in love with it :-) I use it every evening for sipping...

Pleasant smell, smooth, maybe too strong in the end, I prefer little more fat taste.

I could write more about this but really don't want to. Slightly more underwhelming than the cherry. Ok in a mixer in a bind, but wouldnt choose this over any low priced shelf regular.

I need to start by telling you that Belgrove Hazelnut Rum smells a lot like Cadbury Dairy Milk Wholenut Chocolate Bar. In other words, bloody amazing! Drank neat your tastebuds are immediately bombarded by the hazelnut, then quickly followed by notes of chocolate, hence the awesome smell. However it would be remiss of me, if I didn’t also mention that this rum has quite a scorching alcohol burn. Way too hot for me to handle, let’s put it that way. No problem though, because Belgrove is just as delicious, even more so when mixed with Coca-Cola. That’s because the Coca-Cola works in perfect harmony with the flavourings, enhancing the already dominant hazelnut and making the chocolate notes even more chocolatey. So if you feel like treating yourself to a delicious tasting rum, that also packs a fiery kick, but you don’t want to spend over £30, then you would be as mad as a box of frogs not to take a gamble on this delectable and very moreish offering.

It's smooth on the tongue with the right amount of sweetness to it and finishes with slight afterburn. Plantation XO 20th Anniversary is a very well balanced rum and for the price it's an absolute delight. It's my favourite go-to rum. I'm giving 9 points because I'm still on the mission to find the perfect bottle.