Review: Ron Zacapa Centenario 23

Bottle purchased by EZdrinking

At a Glance

• Distilled and Owned by: Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala

• Still Type: Column Still

• Spirit Type: Colum Distilled Rum

• Age Statement: NAS

• Added Sugar: 15g/liter

• Strength: 40% ABV

• Price: $38-$45

Tasting Notes

Nose: On the nose there are sweet aromas of sugar cane, chocolate milk, and vanilla.

Palate: On the palate the rum tastes of milk chocolate and caramel, similar to Rolos. The rum is sweet and soft on the palate with full body.

Finish: On the finish there is a lingering sweetness that tastes fruity like stewed apples and vanilla. The rum has a smooth and long finish of milk chocolate and caramel with zero heat from the alcohol. Then at the very end there is a hint of oak the is otherwise dominated by sweetness.

Conclusion: Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 is a very sweet and easy drinking rum largely due to being column distilled and getting a decent dose of added sugar. While older bottles seemed to imply the rum was 23 years old, they have since clarified that the rum is a blend of various ages from their solera system. With 15g per liter of added sugar it is no surprise that it is so sweet but, it is definitely more balanced than others in this category. If you like sweeter rums with notes of chocolate and vanilla then this will be a hit. However, if you are looking for more expressive rums similar to those of Jamaica or Barbados then Zacapa 23 will not meet your expectations.