Reader's Rum Review: Ron Centenario Gran Legado 12 year

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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da'rum
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Reader's Rum Review: Ron Centenario Gran Legado 12 year

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Reader's Rum Review: Ron Centenario Gran Legado 12 year


This will be my first attempt at a review with descriptors so have pity.

I am soon to travel to a country that has very severe taxes on booze so decided to take an allowed amount of 3 bottles with me. I order my rum online and the shop has a 100€ limit before I get free delivery. I needed a fourth bottle to get me over the limit. This was it, I can't tell you why. Perhaps it was a victory of the marketing dept and I was conned by the nice dark green frosted glass bottle, who knows?

I am taking a point off before I even start for the absolute crappy cap that the thing has. It has one of those one way pourer valve things which I can live with but the cap once opened is a very loose fit and over turns very easily forcing me to re tighten to the point where the cap is right on the edge of popping off the thread once more. Crap.

In the glass, a nice amber brown not too dark.

On the nose,
A nice mellow ripe banana flowing to apricot to orange peel. The orange peel is light and not offensive to the senses.

Taste, Opens sweetly with caramelised sugar and quickly followed by vanilla. The viscosity is actually pleasant and coats the mouth nicely. The vanilla mingles with light tropical fruit and quickly gives way to hazelnuts.

The finish is smooth and hazelnutty the nutty notes hang around for a bit with a bit of the caramel.

Overall;

Maybe a fraction too sweet, it's not Zacapa or Diplomatico sweet but is definitely verging on Demerara sweetness, without the complexity of smoky and leather notes that Demerera rums tend to exhibit. It is a good rum that is balanced with a few nice notes but not amazingly complex. It is something that I would buy again in a pinch but with other rums that I like a bit better underneath and around it's price mark (28€) It will be a future purchase for me only when I'm stocking up a collection. It belongs in a collection just not on the 'must have' list.

7/10 - 1 point for crappy cap = 6/10

quick edit; clarity
in goes your eye out
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