Ron Botran No. 8 (Reserva Clásica)

Ron Botran is the flagship of Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, the highland house that also makes Zacapa, and this Reserva Clasica sits at the affordable, everyday end of the lineup. It is a young, no-age-statement blend in the smooth Central American mould, aimed at relaxed drinking rather than serious study.

Distilled from molasses on a column still and matured in the warm Guatemalan climate, it offers honey and a bourbon-barrel sweetness on the nose with a nutty, earthy finish. The palate is gentler than the aromatics promise, a little sharp and faintly salty with vanilla underneath. As with most rons in this style the sweetness reads soft and approachable rather than bracingly dry, so it suits an after-dinner pour or a simple mixed drink more than the dry-sipper crowd.