Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

It is everywhere and non usual rum drinkers fancy it, because it is one of the expensive bottles at a medicore bar. It is super basic on taste, without any deep charecteristic and emotion. Spiritless (as in no soul, not 0% alc) rum. Never tried the other models, but this one I'd never buy myself for sure!

Trop agressif et peu de subtilité de goûts et arômes. J'ai fini la bouteille dans du Coca.

I have been drinking this rum for some years, but I do not feel that it can live ud to it's repetition anyone. It's like a lemon squeeze too much. I will recommend El Dorado over Ron Z. any day and it is way cheaper.

The Ron Zacapa Sistema Solera 23 is a blend of 6-23 year old rums from Guatemala. The base is a thickened sugar cane juice, like a syrup. In addition to the sugar caramel marked on the bottle for dark colouring, glycerin for consistency as well as vanillin and about 20g of glucose syrup per litre are added to the zacapa. The bottle design is appealing and high quality, especially with the Zacapa trademark, a bast wreath.

On the nose, the rum is mild but aromatic with notes of vanilla, caramel and dark chocolate. Some alcohol is noticeable overall but it is pleasing. When drinking, it is creamy (glycerin) and sweet. Vanilla and toffee are succinct. Despite a certain spice and a good sharpness, the certain depth is missing, as with many sweetened Solera Rums. The finish is relatively short and the aromas appear to be sucked out. The sweetness can no longer hide the fact that the blend has not stored for 23 years.

The Zacapa Solera 23 is one of the most popular rums for beginners, along with the Diplomatica or Botucal Reserva and the then higher-quality Plantation XO. All are sweetened and seem to favor an entry into the rum world. I also celebrated the Zacapa and had to learn for myself that I ran up to an artificial product. I wish that this could be prevented in the future. Zacapa uses its reputation from ancient times for an attack on the mass market and it is simply faking an old premium rum. For 50 euros, that's naughty. I'd rather buy rums like the Equiano for Starters. Sweet rum without additives for the same money. Unfortunately, I never drank an old Zacapa. When they were still for sale I thought the Solera is good enough. Because of the good reputation of the old Zacapas, this was probably a misjudgment.

Der Ron Zacapa Sistema Solera 23 ist ein Blend aus 6-23 Jahre alten Rums aus Guatemala. Die Basis ist ein eingedickter Zuckerrohrsaft, quasi ein Sirup. Dem Zacapa werden neben dem auf der Flasche gekennzeichneten Zuckerkulör für die dunkle Färbung auch Glycerin für die Konsistenz sowie Vanillin und ca. 20g Glucosesirup pro Liter hinzugefügt. Das Flaschen Design ist ansprechend und hochwertig, vor allem mit dem Zacapa Markenzeichen, einem Bast Kranz.

In der Nase ist der Rum mild aber aromatisch mit Noten von Vanille, Karamel und dunkler Schokolade. Etwas Alkohol ist bemerkbar insgesamt ist er aber gefällig. Beim Trinken ist er cremig (Glycerin) und süß. Vanille und Toffee sind prägnant. Trotz einer gewissen Würze und einer guten Schärfe fehlt dann doch die gewisse Tiefe, wie bei vielen gesüßten Solera Rums. Der Abgang ist relativ kurz und die Aromen wirken ausgelutscht. Die Süße kann nun nicht mehr verbergen das der Blend keine 23 Jahre gelagert hat.

Der Zacapa Solera 23 ist neben dem Diplomatica bzw. Botucal Reserva und dem dann doch hochwertigeren Plantation XO einer der beliebtesten Rums bei Einsteigern. Alle sind gesüßt und scheinen einen Einstieg in die Rum Welt zu begünstigen. Auch ich habe den Zacapa gefeiert und musste selber lernen, das ich einem künstlichen Produkt aufgelaufen bin. Ich wünschte, dass so etwas zukünftig verhindert werden kann. Der Zacapa nutzt seinen Ruf aus alten Zeiten für einen Angriff auf den Massen Markt und es wird einfach alter Premium Rum vorgegaukelt. Für 50 Euro ist das frech. Dann bitte lieber Rums wie den Equiano für den Einstieg nutzen. Süßer Rum ohne Zusatzstoffe für das gleiche Geld. Ich habe leider nie einen alten Zacapa getrunken. Als die noch käuflich waren habe ich gedacht der Solera ist gut genug. Auf Grund des immer noch guten Rufes der alten Zacapas war das wohl eine Fehleinschätzung.

This stuff is a shadow of its former self. Now its an abysmal mash of sugar and sweetness. Not really justified by the price tag as far as I'm concerned, far better alternatives to choose from that are of better quality and less hype.

First, I'm glad that I bought the 50mL bottle. It is tasty....watery super sweet sugarcane syrup with some alcohol on it...I'm sorry. I think it is potstill distillation which yields a rich and flavorfull rum....it has those characteristics but they are thrown away with all the additives they put into. Neat, I don't like it and it would be a waste for whatever you put it into.

Seems some people like this rum and some people don't like the type at all. I tend towards the not at all crowd. My bottle have a strong aftertaste of harsh alcohol. Not smooth at all. It reminds me a bit of whiskey, which is good if you want whiskey I guess, but I don't like that taste in my rum. I guess it's from the cask. I like other rums which claim to have strong cask taste though so it's a bit strange.

Weak, Over reated, low ABV, too much sweetness, artificial sweetness

I know loads of people rave about this but I literally couldn't drink this neat.

Lots of chemicals on the nose and follows through into the taste.

I thought the bottle would wallow on my creaking shelves forever until I tried it with ginger beer (always old Jamaica) and it redeemed itself a lot.

Still not as good a dark n stormy as elements 8 spiced rum and a bit expensive for a mixer in my mind.

Would've been a 3 without my ginger beer discovery.

The bottle has a exclusive look.. The color is wonderfull. The smell is also nice.. But when the orange taste hits my buds it´s all over for me.. Overpriced and overrated is my short review of this rum. But there is people out there who love orange and for them this should be liquid candy.. For the others.. Try the XO or Etiqueta negra instead..