Zacapa Centenario Royal Solera Gran Reserva Especial 45 % NV

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Serge Valentin (72)

NederlaI've kind of liked some Zacapas in the past. Interestingly, this one is both from a 'Solera' (right, a Solera Gran Reserva Especial) while at the same time the story goes like it is a blend of rums of from 8 to 30 years of age. It is also 'finished in French oak casks from Le Bois du Roy ™', not too sure what that is. Right, just saw that it's the gathering of the four main oak regions, namely Allier, Nevers, Vosges and Tronçais. That's huge. The bottle is lovely and the price is high (250€). Colour: reddish mahogany. Nose: molasses, coffee liqueurs, Starbuck's whole pricelist and some corn syrup. Rather a nice nose. Mouth: relatively dry for Zacapa, pretty good I think, if a tad flabby. Sadly it tends to become much more molassy and sugary over time. A lot of caramel and thick orange liqueurs. Finish: medium, very syrupy and sugary. Comments: it started rather well, but it tumbled down then. Recent Zacapas used to cruise along the 50-point-line in my book - see, you do need the whole 100-scale - while older bottlings – the ones with the wrong age statements, 23anos etc. - had been more to my liking (70-75 points). This is one of the 'better' ones, but I don't find it very royal, rather a little 'working-class'.nds