Centenario Gran Reserva (25 Aniversario)

Centenario Gran Reserva carries the 25 Aniversario name and comes from the Fabrica Nacional de Licores, Costa Rica's state distillery in Heredia. It is a column distilled molasses rum bottled without an age statement at 40%, sitting firmly in the soft, sweet Spanish style that aims for easy approachability rather than weight or grip.

The profile runs through caramel, honey and vanilla on the nose, then milk chocolate and cocoa on the palate, with a warm, lightly alcoholic edge underneath. Costa Rican rum in this mould is usually aged in ex bourbon barrels under tropical conditions, which colours it quickly and gives the gentle oak here. Whether sugar has been added is not disclosed, and the rounded, chocolatey sweetness reads as more dessert than dry sipper, so expect a smooth, undemanding glass rather than a sharp, woody one.