Angel's Share Title
Ron Izalco Rum Aged 10 Years
Ron Izalco 10 Year Old Rum
Created by Karthik Sudhir, founder of Phenomenal Spirits, Ron Izalco is a blend of three molasses-based rums from Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama that have been aged for 10 years in used American white oak bourbon barrels. Part of the molasses used to create this blend is from sugarcane grown on the side of the Izalco stratovolcano. The rum is blended and bottled in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at 43% ABV in 700 ml bottles. For more information about the history of this rum company and its products, check out this interview with Mr. Sudhir by Margaret Ayala from the January 2019 issue of Got Rum? Magazine.
Appearance
The bottle has an interesting, short, tapered neck design that is easy to hold and pour. The front label clearly establishes the identity of the brand for consumers, and the back of the bottle provides tasting notes about the rum. The liquid in the bottle is a dark amber color in the bottle and lightens slightly in the glass. Swirling the rum created a thin band that quickly thickened and released a couple of waves of legs that became thicker as they dropped, before beading up and evaporating.
Nose
The aroma is caramel forward, with notes of dried apricot, milk chocolate, raisins, and toasted oak tannins.
Palate
The toasted oak and caramel lead the way as the alcohol covers the tongue. With additional sips, I found notes of sweet cocoa, dried fruit-apricots, raisins, and cranberries; roasted almonds, and cashews, rounded out by a bit of sweet tobacco leaf. The flavors merge, dance, and linger in a long, dry finish.
Review
When I spotted the bottle in the store, the shape of it was the first thing I noticed, as it easily distinguished itself from the others on the shelves. I was intrigued by the idea of a rum blend that was comprised of three rums from Central America and wanted to learn more. Overall, I found it hit some of the flavor notes I expected to find with a Spanish-style rum, but may not have had some of the complexity I look for in a ten year old rum blend.
I particularly enjoyed how the toasted oak notes balanced the caramel notes with the initial sip and remained consistent throughout the experience. That said, I think the blender did a good job of delivering a sweet and savory experience that can be sipped and enjoyed with a meal or as an ingredient in a classic drink like a Manhattan or Old Fashioned cocktail.
