Angel's Share Title
The Venado rum line is produced at Licorera Zacapaneca in the Quetzaltenango highlands of Guatemala. The same company produces Ron Zacapa. This column still rum is aged for 18 months in used American white oak Bourbon cask. It is filtered and blended to 40% ABV.
Appearance
The rum is sold in a short-necked 750 ml bottle with a gold plastic screw cap with the word “Especial” around the neck. The labels provide very few details about the rum, but they at least provide the distillery of origin. The liquid is clear in the bottle and glass. Swirling the rum creates a thick band around the glass that releases several waves of equally thick, fast-moving legs.
Nose
The aroma of the rum leads with a strong honeyed vanilla note that is followed by ethyl alcohol and acetone notes. After the alcohol notes subside, faint mineral notes manifest and quickly fade.
Palate
The palate leads with the sweet aroma note from the aroma, black pepper and alcohol notes pops mid-palate followed by acidic oak tannins and light mineral notes. These flavors mingle and form a lightly astringent finish that lingers on the palate.
Review
I was shopping at a local store and came across this rum. Unfamiliar with it and seeing the distillery of origin I decided to pick it up. Minimally aged rums can be hit and miss depending on who makes it, and my curiosity would not let me pass it up. I found this one to be an interesting flavor experience, but found the astringency and acidity were unexpectedly difficult components of the flavor profile. I added a drop of water and the honey vanilla note from the aroma formed balanced by a chemical laden lemon peel astringency that was not pleasant. Overall, this rum would be serviceable as a base for any cocktail that had heavier components such as grenadine, that would counter the astringent notes. I found that the rum gives you a little more to work with flavor wise compared to other rums that are at a similar price point. I was simply happy to discover that it had some unique characteristics in the flavor profile and was not a neutral spirit. If you enjoy minimally aged Spanish style rums, you might enjoy this spirit. If you do not, I recommend picking something else to try.
