Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

Picked this up since I've heard good things (also heard some bad about the sweetness) but I really liked it. Sure they add sugar and coloring but at 50ish bucks you really can't go wrong with this choice.
Color: Mahogany
Nose: Caramel, toffee, and tons of vanilla.
Taste: Really sweet vanilla and honey with notes of dried fruit

So it has taken me a long time to write this review because of the deep discussion that it provokes.

I had this rum at a bachelor party dinner for a very close friend at a very high end steakhouse about a year ago. I was extremely surprised at how delicious and smooth it was. On that experience I would have rated it a 8. However....

Then I came here and read the reviews about how doctored up this rum is with not only added sugar but other flavor additives as well and it made me think harder about the entire world of rum and what is acceptable to me. After a good deal of thought, I have come to the personal conclusion that I don’t mind added sugar alone, within reasonable amounts, to create or enhance subtle aspects to rum. But I draw the line at any chemical flavor additive except sugar...because beyond traditional natural ingredients, rum loses what make it a historical and traditional spirit and puts it in the "flavored rum" category. Because this rum uses artificial ingredients, it gets docked points in a "rum" rating and I consider it a "flavored rum" and thus it's comparisons are to other flavored rums such as Malibu, Parrot Bay, etc.

Now, does it taste great? It sure does. I might go ahead and say that it's one of the better flavored rums out there. But since it holds itself out as a rum with no mention of artificial flavoring, the dishonesty and use of chemical flavor additives beyond sugar just rubs me the wrong way, so I have to dock points. Thus I deduct 2 points from what I would have rated this rum based on the experience alone. 8-2=6.

If you love this rum, and don't care what's in it, then great! But I personally cannot in good conscience rate this rum a 8 with the knowledge that it is altered using artificial flavoring.

Kvalitní dobrý rum vhodný pro rumové začátečníky. Sladší, voňavý. Přišel mi podobný jako Diplomatico.

There's really nothing bad with this one IMO. It's sweet, but not too sweet, there's some spices and complexity to balance the sweetness. There's no harshness or alcohol taste. But there's also nothing that really makes it stand out, almost to the point that it gets boring

Der Rum wird von vielen gelobt, doch für mich ist er leider nichts. Dafür ist er viel zu "scharf", trocken und würzig.

I can drink this any time. Smooth and easy to drink neat. Great value and better than the higher priced Zacapa's.

really dark rum, sweet l, easy to drink not my favourite but it s okay

Quite expensive for this rum in my opinion. First sip is kind of dry strong alcohol. Then u taste sweets and herbs. Same herbs like the trigo. My rate is 7/10 nothing more worth 40€ but in shops for 53€.

I had the pleasure of trying this recently. The smell is incredible, the taste is very much Demerera sugar but with some vanilla and fruit notes. Some say it's controversial due to added sugar but it's a very easy to drink rum that I'd happily enjoy daily neat. Have yet to try on the rocks. Recommended.

Nice color, deep leathery brown. Legs give first hints of sugar. Mild nose, not particularly complex or layered. The palate offers the usual vanilla, maple, and brown sugar, slightly sweet(ened) The mouth feel is smooth with a nice lingering finish with minimal burn.

Overall this is a decent to good rum for the average consumer. It’s one I enjoy often but do feel it’s overpriced.

It’s a perfect stepping stone for the consumer branching away from the heavily adulterated brands towards more premium expressions. It was for me anyway.