Perola La Cabaña Bellamy‘s Reserve 15 years old Cihuatán Cask Finish

This Bellamy's Reserve bottling from Perola draws fifteen year old column still rum from La Cabaña in El Salvador, finished in a Cihuatán cask, an apt local touch given Cihuatán is the country's flagship distillery. Bottled at a single cask 52% and certified unsweetened, it offers a drier, stronger alternative to the soft Spanish style rums of the region.

The nose leads with vanilla, honey and hazelnut over a faint glue like ester note, and the palate brings nougat, spice and wood with milk chocolate and toffee underneath. The finish runs dry and oaky with dark chocolate. Without added sugar, it keeps the vanilla and chocolate comfort of the style while staying firm and a touch tannic rather than syrupy, and the extra strength gives it real presence. It is a very sippable neat pour for anyone moving from sweet Spanish style rum toward something drier and more structured.