Companero Ron Gran Reserva

Companero Ron Gran Reserva is a blend from the Danish house 1423 World Class Spirits, drawing on Jamaican influenced distillate, with Worthy Park character noted in the mix. At fifteen years and 40 percent it is unsweetened and gently funky, a drier, more characterful take pitched at drinkers curious about Jamaican leaning blends without heavy dosage. It offers an easy, low risk way to explore that style.

Drawn from both pot and column stills and matured in ex bourbon wood, it leads with a fruity nose of orange, banana and apricot lifted by honey, then moves to leather, oak, smoke and a slightly bitter, woody finish. The Worthy Park style funk brings natural caramel and vanilla without the heaviest ester load. At 40 percent the body is gentle, and some drinkers find it a touch stretched and short on the finish. Even so, it drinks easily and stays honest, a pleasant introduction to drier, Jamaican influenced blends for those who dislike added sugar.