Flor de Caña 12 Años

Flor de Cana 12 Anos is a Nicaraguan extra anejo, column distilled from molasses and slowly aged twelve years before bottling at 40%. The distillery positions itself firmly on natural ageing with no added sugar, and independent testing supports that, which makes this a genuinely dry counterpoint to the sweeter Spanish style names it shares a shelf with.

With the spirit kept light by the column still, the ex-bourbon oak does the talking. The nose is spicy and woody with vanilla, caramel and dried fruit, and the palate follows with toasted wood, warm baking spice and a roasted, nutty edge that stays dry through the finish. It can read a little linear, but there is enough going on to keep a glass interesting, and the absence of dosage is itself the selling point for drinkers who want their rum honest. A reliable everyday dram, neat, over ice or mixed.