Malteco Vintage Reserve Small Batch 2009

Malteco Vintage Reserve Small Batch 2009 is a 12 Year Old Panamanian ron from Bodegas de America, the producer behind the Malteco label and several other Panamanian bottlings. Despite the agricole tag in some listings it is a molasses style Panamanian, column distilled and matured in ex-bourbon oak, presented at 42.3% from the 2009 vintage.

Panama's soft, vanilla led tradition is here given a firmer, woodier turn: dark chocolate, fruity notes, almond and vanilla on the nose, then vanilla, plum, barrel and wood on the palate, closing on vanilla, barrel, plum and a touch of sharpness. The oak comes through strongly, giving a sturdy, wood forward character with dark chocolate, almond and dark fruit underneath. Lightly sweet rather than dosed to dessert levels, it reads as a robust, barrel driven Panamanian sipper, more about wood and structure than the mellow softness the country is often known for.