Don José Origines Reserva Don Pancho 1983

Don José Origines Reserva Don Pancho 1983 is a long aged Panamanian, drawn from the Destiléría Don José, the major Varela Hermanos site that supplies much of the country's rum. This is molasses spirit on a column still, distilled in 1983 and given thirty years in ex-bourbon oak, bottled at a gentle 40% under the guiding hand associated with Don Pancho.

Decades in cask show in the colour and the depth of oak. The nose is rich with caramel, wood, dried fruit and sweetness, the palate stays sweet and woody with caramel and vanilla, and the finish carries wood, raisin and chocolate. Even at such an age it remains soft and balanced rather than heavily tannic, in keeping with the mellow Panamanian style. Sugar is not declared and it reads gently sweet. A smooth, well aged Panamanian for slow, after dinner sipping that leans on age and balance over power.