Ron Abuelo Centuria

[Beukeboom]

Several months ago, after reading a lot of hype about this rum, I decided to shell out $125 at the local ABC Fine Wine & Liquor store locally. Just opened it and tried some. Did I get the same rum as all those glowing reviews?

I read reviews touting its smoothness and remarkable taste. How only 300 cases were imported to the United States. How only 500 6-packs of this rum were bottled for the world market. 500 6-packs? Worldwide? Let's see....500 6-packs...500 X 6...3000 bottles worldwide? With all the glowing descriptions I expected something truly outstanding. What I got...

...was mediocre at best.

The Ron Abuelo Centuria I tasted didn't even come close to resembling the reviews I read online. Which makes me wonder...

Was the demand so high for this rum that the company producing it made a second run? I may not be an expert but me and my taste buds have learned enough to be able to fancy a smooth, well-made rum. This ain't it. Frankly it's more akin to a 3-year aged-in-charred bourbon barrel young rum than what the glowing reviews describe.

I've got bottles of various Plantation rums that cost a third less that resemble the Ron Abuelo descriptions more than my bottle of Ron Abuelo. What gives? Am I just off my rocker?

[Capn Jimbo]

As for me, I'd love to hear your review and notes on this rum. I do know that that many, actually most of the so-called "super-premiums" have been notable mostly for containing massive amounts of sugar. The real truth seems to be that these SP's are often created from whole cloth, from lesser rums which are then altered.

The industry has succeeded in training the rum buying public to associate these sugary alterations with quality. This only worked because most of us were unaware of rogue rum's propensity for cheating. Cheaper rums are altered, sugared heavily and marketed with ultra-expensive packaging and romatic and "exclusive" stories.

As Richard Seale said - where have all these 20 and 30 year old rums have been hiding? After that amount of time, the angel's losses would have been spectacular (at say a presumed 7% per year), especially when aged in the tropics. Indeed, to do so is actually so rare (and foolhardy) that in reality, these age claims simply cannot be trusted.

So how 'bout the Centuria? What do we know? It's a "super-premium", and one that disappointed you greatly. It appeared along with all the other cheaters that magically emerged in recent years, eg the Zee and Pee rums. Is it yet another sugar bomb?

Answer: Yes! The Master Sugar List reveals that the Abuelo rums tested all contained large amounts of sugar. Drejer tested the Centuria at 27 grams per bottle - that's 8 teaspoons of sugar in each bottle. No wonder you found this heavily altered rum objectionable.



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http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtopic.php?t=1134
http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtopic.php?t=1683

[Beukeboom]

Here's how I described it elsewhere...please keep in mind I am no expert and am giving my personal opinion...

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I read a lot of hype on this rum online as well as the ratings here. I decided to spend the $125 making this the most expensive rum I've purchased thus far. With all the hype and for the asking price I expected a high standard.

I was disappointed.

I wish to make it clear...this is not...I repeat NOT a bad rum whatsoever. It's just not a rum worthy of a $125 price tag. $40-$50 USD would be much more reasonable.

Although it has a pleasant aroma and looks great in the snifter with a deep mahogany color, the flavor is...well...lacking. Surprising it's not nearly as smooth as I expected. In fact it's rather harsh. This is an expensive mixing rum in my opinion, not a sipper.

One source says only 200 cases of this rum were imported into the United States...another source says only 3000 bottles were produced.

However the ready availability of this rum makes me wonder if the bottle I have is a "second generation" Centuria. I read several reviews on this rum and what I am tasting in my bottle does not even come close to resembling what is described in this reviews. Makes me wonder....

As I said, it's not a bad rum...it hits you with a initial mixture of sweetness and vanilla which receives a peppery kick. A nice strong warmth hits the throat leaving a toffee/vanilla finish. But it has an strong oak bitterness about it that reminds me more of a younger, maybe 3-yr, rum rather than one that is a blend of older rums. What gives? I just cannot give what I am trying more than a 7.

[Blade Rummer]

I read reviews touting its smoothness and remarkable taste.

When you see a rum described as "smooth", that's a huge red flag. It's something I learned the hard way, after spending too much money on "smooth" rums that turned out to be artificially sugared/flavored.

Frankly it's more akin to a 3-year aged-in-charred bourbon barrel young rum than what the glowing reviews describe.

A quick search revealed it's a solera aged rum, with the oldest rum being 30 years. Of course, how much actual 30 year old rum is found in the bottle is unknown. Myself, I stay away from solera rums because as a consumer there's simply no way to know what you are paying for.

[AK9]

Really pity that the solera term is being abused. They should name it as blend and offer info on % of components.

Solera is used in sherry as well but there i think there is a local organisation the examines/verifies when a sherry has been classified as VORS (over 30 years old).
And there due to the fact that sherry is not so popular the last years , you know that there is quite a lot of old sherry bottles lying around.
But even in sherry they have started moving from solera and many bodegas offer vintage sherry. Sadly rum and whisky are moving the other way.

[Capn Jimbo]

"Really pity that the solera term is being abused. They should name it as blend and offer info on % of components."

Bingo! Couldn't agree more. Rogue "rum" is such a snakepit of alterations, misrepresentations, premiumization and outright lies - sickening. At least half are serious altered with sugar, more if we include other common flavorings, glycerol and cheap wine. Age statements are simply unproveable, no bonding, no certificates, no proof and thus abused.

"Solera" is yet another. Exhibit A is Z-23. I've seen their flow chart and this is not a true solera, not even close. Keep this in mind: a true "solera" is a massive expense and requires at least 4 layers of barrels, from which about 1/2 a barrel goes to the bottles per year. That means it takes eight times the barrels (and angel's losses) to do a true and honest solera.

Another VERY important fact is that a true solera (4+ levels) gets one year older each year of its existance. Thus a "10 year solera" becomes an "11 year", then a "12 year" etc. as each year passes. When a company like this sells a "15 year solera" every year for say the last five or ten years, they would have to scrap the bottom level every year (and add a new top layer), or build a whole new solera system each year. A huge and to me unjustifiable expense.

Both are VERY unlikely. If companies like these really did have legitimate soleras, it's my position that they would not claim the same solera age year after year.

Knowing that the Mee rums also hid the use of alteration with vanilla and prune extract, honesty and openness are hardly their strong points...

[mamajuana]

I bought a bottle of this some years back. It was always hard for me to tell whether the dark spot that settled on the bottom of the bottle was additives or signs of none chill-filtration. I'm guessing the prior. Save yourself some coin and get some Ron Centenario 20 or 25.