Rum Review: Ron Centenario Conmemorativo Rum

The fifth and last major standard style, the lighter Cuban rums pioneered by Bacardi, who left their facilities and quality, but not their politics, behind when Fidel lit up. Por Cuba Libre!
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Total votes: 2

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Capn Jimbo
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Rum Review: Ron Centenario Conmemorativo Rum

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Ron Centenario Conmemorativo Rum: "Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans"

The Cuban style category has been full of surprises. All the alleged Cuban originated rums have been tested, short of the real thing (Havana Club). One very surprising rum, Rum San Pablo, was actually a fortuitous discovery that is simply unknown to the greater world of rum, but which is available to us via a small time distributor in Miami.

Ahhh, South Florida - a true Paradise. The land of great weather, breathtaking sunsets, pristine waters, lush tropical plants, stunning women, and...

Rum.

Today we add another to this category, Ron Centenario Conmemorativo - a very surprising and extremely agreeable rum from Costa Rica. When thinking of fine rum the countries of Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba and Guatemala tend to occupy one's opening thoughts. But not Costa Rica.

It should now.

Sue Sea:
Jim and I have gotten to the point where almost all the rums we've ever wanted to taste have now been tasted, reviewed and reported. And who could overlook the Ron Centenario Fundacion and its striking, leather covered bottle for long.

Yes, us! Jim has a real thing about finding great and affordable rums - surely under $30, and especially under $20. Somehow Fundacion has never made the cut, but it may now. Instead he bought the Conmemorativo for $19.95. Ron Centenario Conmemorativo also comes in a memorable blacked-out bottle. Short and squat, featuring a textured glass bottle with molded in shields and a small unobstrusive label giving the rum's name only. The back label is even smaller but does claim that Conmemorativo is "a super premium rum, produced in limited quantities, from our finest and most mature rum reserves". I also noticed the thick neck featuring the outline of a stallion's head.

For a reason I think.

Ron Centenario Conmemorativo opens with a stunning and seductive aroma. With many rums one of the first aromas is of oak. Others, like Jim's Twiggie faux rums, feature excessive sweet and spice and are probably flavored. Conmemorativo is pure and beautiful with an opening deep raisin-leather, over a sweet honey and noticeable butterscotch. Very pleasant.

The early taste was smooth, a beautiful sweet honey, but unexpected short. At first I was disappointed, especially compared to fine rums like Appleton Extra or Mount Gay Extra Old. These rums carry through - from aroma, through the entire palate, finish, aftertaste and echo or exhale. Conmemorativo didn't. From the mid-palate on this rum explodes with a growing heat (remember the stallion's head?) - a very early clove that quickly grows into a true white pepper. A hint of licorice. The finish is a mouth finish - there is no chestwarming or real aftertaste here.

Yet on reflection - and a couple more glasses - I began to appreciate this surprising rum with its terrific aroma followed by a smooth light palate and hot but smooth white pepper finish. At a point I began to find a coffee bean component, and began to appreciate Jim's "cacao". I remembered the chocolate covered coffee beans I loved. How fitting for a rum from Costa Rica! Conmemorativo surprises but does not overwhelm. Like all fine rums it makes you want more. Jim and I both decided it drank like a Cuban rum, so I asked him to break out my favored Rum San Pablo.

The similarities were striking. While the San Pablo features incredible balance and light smoothness, the Ron Centenario Conmemorativo surprises you every step of the way. Beautiful aroma into an early and lovely sweetness which, surprisingly fades quickly replaced by a touch of licorice and yet another surprise - an explosion of a smooth and wonderful hot white pepper. And no cloying aftertaste. At the nose you think you might have hold of an aromatic Jamaican. The light and smooth early palate dispels this notion and you think Cuban. And the finish lets you know you just had a real rum. Nice.

This is a very unusual rum. I love its aroma and front palate which then explodes with flavor to a memorable mouth finish.
Me:

I avoided the Centenario's for a long time. The Fundacion was, well, $33 and starting to get out of the reach of this Compleat Idiot, especially as was my belief - later proven - that fine rums don't have to require adjustable rate mortgages to purchase. I must have looked at the Ron Centenario Conmemorativo a hundred times, and at $19.95 it was inevitable that I'd finally end up buying it. It took probably 60 rums, but the day came. I'm glad I waited - I might not have appreciated this fine rum earlier on.

Conmemorativo's color is a stunning and glowing clear amber; its opening aroma is intriguing and rather unique. It came to me as a deep sweet cacao-leather (reminiscent of Matusalem Gran Reserva), spicy and sweet. Tiny bit of alcohol on deep early nosing, but no worries with even a little airing. This leads to you to expect an equally deep and full bodied taste. Instead, Ron Centenario Conmemorativo opens early with a beautiful sweet, buttery smooth honey entry, then grows into a cacao-white pepper mouth finish. The body is lighter, not nearly as heavy as expected. I found the late palate and and light aftertaste to be a very light astringent-cacao. There is a haunting quality to this rum and Sue Sea's coffee bean may just capture this.

Both Sue Sea and I immediately thought of the Cuban style, but with a surprising Costa Rican touch. Bland it is not, but overpowering it is not. With more body, this rum would have ended up with the Demararan rums. As it is it belongs nicely in the Cuban section. Costa Rica is known more for its coffees than its rums.

It should be recognized for both.

Score (10 is best): a very strong 8.


*******
Special Note: Ron Centenario Conmemorativo is a blend of rums of up to 8 years old.
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
NCyankee
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Post by NCyankee »

I wanted to add - in reference to that interesting black bottle that you cannot get the rum to come out of - tilt it or turn it upside down over your glass ands shake it gently, to loosen the one-way valve that I guess is to prevent one from refilling the bottle. Even with the bottle upside down it will come out at a controlled rate so don't fear.
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Capn Jimbo
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Bingo!

Post by Capn Jimbo »

A great suggestion:

NYC, thanks for a great suggestion. I know I'm not the only one who (a) likes the way it seals, but (b) hate the way it pours. I've tried shaking the bottle (but not upside down), repeatedly tipping it, swearing at it. I found that these will pour only when they're good and ready.

Your method may save us all this frustration - can't wait to try it. And you're right, my biggest reluctance was to turn it upside down as I feared a gusher. Perfect, thanks....
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Post by da'rum »

I have just opened a bottle of Centenario gran legado 28€. On initial tasting it's pretty good but with a raised eyebrow of suspicion about added what not especially perhaps caramel. Will give further thoughts once I give it a few days and glasses. It's already lost one half point for a crappy cap but that's got very little to do with the contents.
in goes your eye out
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