Moon Import Pampero Rum 1992

Bottled by the Italian house Moon Import, this is a 1992 Venezuelan rum distilled at Licorero del Centro and carried as a single cask. It sits in the Spanish style: molasses fermented short and run through a column still for a clean, approachable base, then left to gather its character from time in wood rather than from the spirit itself.

Eighteen years in an ex-bourbon barrel pull it well past pale, the aroma leaning into dark chocolate, roasted coffee and damp oak over a backbone of molasses. The palate follows with cocoa and vanilla wrapped around a woody, lightly bitter core, and the finish stays dark and toasted with a caramelised edge. At 46% it drinks dry and composed, an after-dinner pour for anyone who likes their aged ron with more grip than gloss.