Four small bottles, four countries. Peru, Panama, Guyana and Guatemala sit side by side in the same box, and they do not sound alike. Rum is not one language, but a handful of dialects, and here you can hear the difference in a single evening.
Expert description
Rum Nation Miniature Gift Set Single Domaine Rum is a set of four Rums from Peru, Panama, Guyana and Guatemala, aged in Ex-Bourbon casks and bottled between 40% and 42%.
The box gathers four bottlings from Rum Nation's Limited Edition series: Peruano 8 Years at 42%, Panama 10 Years at 40%, Demerara Solera No 14 at 40% and Guatemala Gran Reserva at 40%. All four are made from molasses, and all four are what Rum Nation calls Single Domaine - rum from one place rather than a blend across countries.
Peruano 8 Years has spent eight years in Ex-Bourbon casks and is the most lively of the four. Panama 10 Years is column distilled and carries ten years in Ex-Bourbon casks. Guatemala Gran Reserva is aged by the solera principle in Ex-Bourbon casks in the highlands around Río Hondo. Demerara Solera No 14 is the darkest: distillates from both pot still and column in Guyana, mainly aged in Ex-Bourbon casks and then finished for around twelve months in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks. It is the one that pulls the set in a heavier direction.
Rum Nation was founded in 1999 by the Italian oenologist Fabio Rossi under the family firm Rossi & Rossi in Treviso. The idea arose when he came across old casks from Guyana and Jamaica in a Scottish whisky warehouse. In November 2018 Danish Mac Y Group A/S bought the brand, which has since been called Rum Nation International A/S. Rossi & Rossi still produces, and Fabio Rossi remains involved as an advisor.
Tasting Notes
Nose
The set spans wide. Peruano opens soft with hay, peach and a hint of mocha. Panama is lighter and sweeter, with acacia honey and sun-dried raisins. Guatemala gives vanilla, orange peel and caramel. Demerara is the estery counterweight with fermented fruit, cola and bergamot.
Palate
Peruano has the most drive: caramel, vanilla, dried fruit and a touch of smoke. Panama is light-bodied but softly fatty, with milk chocolate and a hint of apricot. Guatemala wraps around the palate with vanilla, mild spices and lightly salted caramel. Demerara goes the other way and gives molasses, dark chocolate, coffee and a roasted bitterness with black tea.
Finish
Peruano turns warm and spiced with oak and chocolate. Panama finishes clean and calm without tiring the palate. Guatemala ends roasted and sweet. Demerara lasts longest and swings between herbal bitterness and syrup, almost like vermouth.
Specifications
Name: Rum Nation Miniature Gift Set Single Domaine Rum 4x5 cl 40-42%
Bottler: Rum Nation
Region/Country: Peru, Panama, Guyana and Guatemala
Type: Single Domaine Rum
ABV: 40-42%
Size: 4x5 CL
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon casks, Demerara Solera No 14 finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Column distilled, Demerara Solera No 14 blended with pot still distillate
Edition: Limited Edition
Serving suggestion: Pour at room temperature in a tulip-shaped glass and taste from light to dark
Flavour Profile
Fruity · Sweet · Spiced · Sherry-Matured · Chocolate
Did You Know?
The name is Italian and the labels carry old stamps, but the owner today sits in Karup on the Jutland heath. Mac Y Group bought Rum Nation in 2018, so one of Italy's most respected rum houses is in fact Danish.
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