Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

[ZinZan]

I must profess i dont drink rum at all, i drink mostly single malt but seeing Rob drink it and most of FOH members loving it. I have been trying to look for nearly 2 years, when i did manage to find it at the Duty Free at Kuala Lumpur Airport thought i'll buy it on my return from my trip but by the time i get back its finished. At last on my recent trip managed to get it paid about USD 65 which i think is expensive.

So how do you drink Ron Zacapa? I've only known rum from the bacardi and coke days when i was in college. I will of course try it neat first. And of course second question is what would be cigar to accompany this?

[bolivr]

I drink it straight up; beautiful. I have paired it with a number of cigars, in fact there are none that come to mind I would rule out of pairing with Zacapa 23.

That said I think the best were VR Unicos and Upmann Mag 48.

Enjoy, it is worlds away from the rum and coke days

[Wil]

I like it neat too. I like all good rums neat, whereas I prefer whisky with a drop of water.

[Ken Gargett]

i'll usually toss in an ice cube or two.

and match it with your fave cigar. once you decide how much you love the 23, then try the XO!!

[nikosdoc]

You could also try it,with a fat slice of lime.Do not squiz the lime,just throw it in.

Together with Diplomaticos Grand Reserva,my favourite rum!

[IcedCanuck]

I always drink it neat. A couple times during the winter I took out a small glass with me. It was cold enough outside that my drink became very cold. For me I found it tasted much better cold, still tastes amazing at room temperature though. That being said I wouldn't ever want to water it down with ice. I really dig the 23 but I'm not a huge fan of the XO.

[Habanakane21]

I usually drink it neat...tasty stuff

[carnivalhobo]

neat.

wholesale pricing on 750ml btls in the US is ~$36

[Puros Y Vino]

Neat. And the XO is far superior. Closer to Cognac than rum really. Amazing.

[Lotusguy]

I always drink it neat.

And IMO: Z23 >>> XO, especially for the price.

[khomeinist]

El Dorado line better than either.

Zacapa has become a meme. A bizarrely sweet one at that.

:lol/

[ZinZan]

Thanks guys, will bring out the special occasion cigar. Been wanting to try this a long time

[thechenman]

Most definitely neat. If you want it cold, drop the bottle in the freezer for a bit...don't add ice as the water really takes the flavors down a notch IMHO. I am also one of those guys who prefers the 23 to the XO. It isn't event due to the QPR, it has more to do with the taste and finish. My palate just prefers the 23.

[kcheek]

I drink it on the rocks and I prefer the 23 over the XO. That being said, the XO is still great.

[Peter11216]

I like all spirits and whiskies straight or with a few drops of cold water. I must say, though, I'm not a fan of the Zacapa 23. It is overpriced, especially because there are rums I enjoy more for less, and several bourbons that I enjoy much more that are around the same price. Also, I felt a little taken when I realized that "23" means a mix of barrelings aged 23 years or less down to 7 or something. I believe the standard for whisky is that the age statement always refers to the youngest barrel. If it was a whisky it would have to be called Ron Zacapa 7. Obviously, age doesn't correlate all that well to good taste, but nonetheless, I'm not impressed.

As far as cigars go, I think it's best to pair rum with cigars you perceive as sweet. My experience is that the sweetness of rum, or bourbon will attenuate your sensitivity of sweetness, and allow you to taste over flavours in the cigar you normally wouldn't perceive.

I must profess i dont drink rum at all, i drink mostly single malt but seeing Rob drink it and most of FOH members loving it. I have been trying to look for nearly 2 years, when i did manage to find it at the Duty Free at Kuala Lumpur Airport thought i'll buy it on my return from my trip but by the time i get back its finished. At last on my recent trip managed to get it paid about USD 65 which i think is expensive.

So how do you drink Ron Zacapa? I've only known rum from the bacardi and coke days when i was in college. I will of course try it neat first. And of course second question is what would be cigar to accompany this?

[maverickdrinker]

neat as well. The XO is the BOMBA!!!

[CanuckSARTech]

....Also, I felt a little taken when I realized that "23" means a mix of barrelings aged 23 years or less down to 7 or something. I believe the standard for whisky is that the age statement always refers to the youngest barrel. If it was a whisky it would have to be called Ron Zacapa 7. Obviously, age doesn't correlate all that well to good taste, but nonetheless, I'm not impressed.

Granted and understood. I too initially didn't realize the mix of barrelings when I first bought a bottle of this.

But, even with the 7 year age, that's pretty damn good, considering it's rum. Rum ages 3-to-1 compared to scotch (so a 7 year old rum is equivalent, aging properties wise, to a 21 year old scotch). Still damn good.

[csandbothe]

It's so mellow straight. I can't see myself drinking it any other way.

[ZinZan]

Hey guys, just wanted to report how the tasting went. I took thecheman's advice put it in the fridge for about an hour before drinking it. Paired it with HDM Petit Robusto. I was thinking of having a glass or 2 and nice short smoke.

First impression was arrgghhh sweet, sugar cane sweet with nice warm finish, on the nose beautiful sugar cane molasses sweetness. Didnt quite like it at first but having a couple of puffs of the HDM, it kind of grew on to me. It really complemented the cigar, something about the sweetness of the rum reacts very well smoke. Leaves a very nice lingering taste on the palate. Instead of having 1 or 2 glasses, I ended havin 4 or 5 glasses. Mental note should have smoked a bigger cigar.

Overall, an enjoyable experience but i still prefer single malts and i do not think i can drink Ron Zacapa without a cigar. Next to try it on the rocks with H. Uppman Connie 1 or PSD4.

[davidsan]

I drink it neat in winter or cooler months and when it's a bit warmer in summer I drop in a few ice cubes

[phoenix]

Neat-- or on the rocks with a splash of lime.

If you get a chance, try the following:

1. Matusalem 15 yo ($)

2. Havana Club Anejo Reserva ($)

3. MountGay XO ($$)

4. Havana Club 15 yo Gran Reserva ($$$)

5. Santiago de Cuba Extra Anejo ($$$$--if you can find it)