1731 Fine & Rare

1731 Fine & Rare bottles this eight-year Panamanian rum, and it is a welcome thing in the Spanish category: a Panama that earns its smoothness from wood and proof rather than sugar. Panama is the soft, vanilla-spice heartland of the style, much of its rum sourced from the country's large distilleries, and this expression keeps things clean and dry.

The spirit is column-distilled molasses rum matured in ex-bourbon barrels, bottled at a sturdy 46% that gives it more backbone than the usual 40% Panama. Coconut, caramel, vanilla and cocoa lead, with a sweet but balanced palate and a finish of vanilla, spice and more coconut. Notable for a Spanish-style rum, it drinks dry rather than sugared, which lets the oak and gentle spice come through honestly. A relaxed, unsweetened Panama that is solid neat and just as happy in a long drink with cola.