As the back of the bottle reads, “Abuelo 7 Años is a rich blend of superb rums; aged for 7 years in carefully selected, small oak barrels.” The process of creating a rum is always intriguing but there is one part of the distillation process I enjoy most of all: drinking.
The Abuelo 7 Años pours a rich copper/gold color with a gold sparkle holding the glass to the sun. The color speaks maturity and complicated resting processes, which I respect but alas, that still pales in comparison to tasting a liquid. The nose is that of a dark sweet brown sugar that makes my stomach yearn for a sweet pastry. I am getting hungry just thinking about taking the sip. There are light hints of aged oak as I swirl the spirit longer in the glass, with just a hint of water to bring out some of the great aromas.
The aroma is almost as enjoyable as the taste but nothing, to me, beats a full course experience so let’s move on to the taste. The sip is made special by the aroma of brown sugar and vanilla wafting into your nose. The aroma continues to move through the nasal passages as the smooth textured liquid sits on your tongue. I rest it there for twenty seconds and have images of the beach, which is pretty odd because I’m not a huge fan of the beach itself (too many people). But this is a vacation you take solo with your taste buds, so it’s all good. Perhaps the experience is best summed up as a beach just behind a sugar cane field, with sweet scents blowing towards you.
The foundation for the Abuelo 7 year old rum is that of brown sugar without a shadow of a doubt. There is an initial attack of oak, almost like a sweet bourbon (Maker’s Mark comes to mind) blended with that of dark toffee that leads itself into a vanilla and brown sugar mid-palate a continued sweet oak finish with lingering brown sugar, toffee, caramel and everything you’d want from your candy store experiences.
I fear adding this spirit to a cocktail will destroy some of its own personal sweet flavors. Perhaps utilized in a cocktail with very little additional flavors, a rum martini or perhaps adding a little Heering Cherry Liqueur to bring it to an entirely different level of sweet deliciousness?
I believe the contents are best served alone in this case. For those with a sweet tooth for vanillas, toffee, caramel and brown sugar will find Abuelo 7 Años at the front of their liquor cabinet for easy access. I suggest this spirit to anyone looking for a rum on the sweeter side of life without being artificially sweetened like those big market brand vodkas and rums; while it maintains a rich flavor it does so in a well aged maturity. You can find the product in the market for USD $23.99 for a 750ml bottle, that’s a great price for the experience.
For those that want to try it in a cocktail, here is one that we received from the Ron Abuelo Añejo 7 Años folks:
Early Riser
1-1/2 oz Ron Abuelo Añejo
1/2 oz Jumbie Coconut Splash
1 oz Mango Juice, fresh
1 oz Pineapple Juice, fresh
Pour all ingredients into an iced filled shaker. Shake vigorously and
strain into a tall glass. Drop in maraschino cherries and orange slices.
Garnish with a long sugar cane stick.
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