Romero & Sons Aged 9 Years

Romero & Sons Aged 9 Years is a pot still rum from the Romero & Sons distillery in Ecuador, made from a mix of molasses and cane juice and bottled unsweetened at 44%. It offers a chance to explore Ecuadorian rum in an honest, characterful form, a nine year old that leans rustic rather than polished.

Matured in ex bourbon, it leads with vanilla, baked apple, caramel and a brandy like edge on the nose, then a palate of wood, baked apple, honey and baking spices that turns genuinely spicy. The finish is woody, vanilla tinged and dry with a slight bitterness. It is not the most balanced or complex rum, and it wears a few rough edges, but the spice and the unusual origin make it interesting. This is a pour for curious drinkers who appreciate a lightly spiced, no added sugar pot still rum and do not mind a bit of grip, an honest oddity rather than a crowd pleaser.