Flor de Caña 12-Year

I was gifted a bottle of this, but was disappointed with it initially. I found it harsh and and sterile, so I threw it into fridge, thinking I'd save it for mixing and entertaining.

Once it was chilled, a whole new experience was presented for me! The flavors developed nicely, and the initial harshness was eliminated entirely. As a mixer this was enjoyable, and different than the other rums in my cabinet.. but as a neat (and unchilled) drink, I found and it harsh and aggressive. Once it was chilled, the rough edges were more rounded and the flavors had room to develope.

It became more interesting and unique, instead of the almost bitter and harsh taste I experienced when I first sampled it.

This one is definitely improved with a cooler temperature, whether over ice or just chilled. Not overly memorable, but definitely not to be avoided. This was my first experience with this rum, and I feel like I need to give it another shot.. perhaps I'll try their other products next.

Bola tam citit ta specificka chut ako z casti u diktatorov a vcera u Panamy, Med? Dub? Sladke ovocie. Pitelny. Mam ho doma uz vyse roka

Flor de Cana is a delightful rum that i would have no trouble serving to my friends by the pool. Not to sweet as are many rums and not a lot of flavor additives. For me this is an 8.

Just got a bottle and first sips taste good, nothing to wild, just good for sipping

Dobrý, ale měl jsem lepší.
Kořeněný, ale karamel tam bohužel necítím.

I love a good rum and coke. And This Rum is a perfect choice. Priced right and taste amazingly good when mixed with coke. My favorite!

After tasting the FdC 7 I wanted to step up a little in their range. It has a nice score here (a 6.9 for a dry rum is pretty good on RumRatings) and it is rather affordable so I took my chances.

The nose is very recognizable when you know the FdC 7; at first pretty boozy, but that cools down in a few minutes, caramel, burnt sugar, baking spices, a little oak, orange peel, some cacao. All what you need to smell in a rum is present but the scent has also a bit of aggression in it, a little harshness.

On the palate it is a tad sweeter than expected but for the rest I pretty much get what my nose told me. A little pepper comes along and the oak is a bit more charred. Not very complex and a bit underwhelming after the FdC 7; I had hoped for more, not less, vibrancy and depht. It is better balanced than the FdC 7 for sure, and a lot smoother but also a tad boring.

Don't get me wrong; this is a well made fine rum but in all honesty it is not that special and it delivers not much more than my budget sippers or even, compared to some of those, less. After drinking the 7 and 12 I will probably rather try the 5 than the 18.

Next to it's older, 18-year hermano this one shines!

Nose - Vanilla, Molasses, Caramel
Palate - Coconut, Caramel, Cream

Excellent mouth feel. Very clean finish.

This one makes younger siblings everywhere proud.

Sipping: low flavour(it is actually a nice flavour, just not strong enough), a bit alcoholic, a little bit woody (fresh, not whisky), a bit of raisins. Good balance, medium sweet, much less than fruity rums, more than some of Barbados offerings.
Barcelo Imperial is quite similar, just more earthy, bitter, darker (also has more taste).
Prefer this to many cheaper rums (If you like it woody -IMO better than Abuelo 7, Barcelo, El Dorado 8 etc, on par with Mount Gay Black Barrel)

Mix: that's where it gets weird. Woody notes become much more apparent and you can feel the taste. I put this on the same level as Forgotten Casks for mixing, though I slightly prefer Forgotten Casks.

I would recommend for whisky drinkers, definitely more than other rums (people recommend Doorly's, Mount Gay, Foursquare - I don't find enough wood in some of them) though here the wood is more fresh (compared to Brugal, which is like whisky-rum hybrid). Perfect for coke.

Notes: fresh whisky wood, smooth, raisins, a bit watery
Wood: fresh whisky wood
Fruits: none
Sweet: low-medium
Kick: low (but watery)
Salty: none
Flavour: low
Aftertaste: low-medium (slightly sweet wood)
Wine: none
Funk: none

We tried before 18years and wondering what is the 12y compare to... i like the bottle, colore is nice as well.... the taste is little bit sharp...will see after another glass 😉