Grander 8 Year Rum. This is a Spanish-style rum from the Central America country of Panama. Grander rum comes from the Ingenio San Carlos distillery (same place that produces Panama-Pacific rum) and is aged for 8 years before being bottled. Grander proudly promotes the lack of any added sugar or other additives in their products, which is notable considering the popularity of the practice of adding sugar, particularly in “Spanish-style” rums. While I usually prefer pot-still (heavier, more flavorful&funky) rums, this is a delicious column-distilled rum both for mixing and sipping.

“Spanish” rums refer to the common traditions of rum distillation and production in the Spanish colonized regions of the Caribbeans, Central, and South America. One of the distinctive traits of “Spanish style” rums is its usage of a column still for distillation. Compared to the pot still (literally a pot-like container that is heated up to separate the fermented alcohol), the column still is much more efficient for separating alcohol and essentially performs like multiple distillations using a pot still, also making it easier to distill to a higher alcohol %. The higher % the alcohol, the less congeners and esters (organic chemical compounds that produce FLAVOR) remain, giving you a “smoother” but less flavorful product.

For example, vodkas are column distilled to 95% ABV, essentially stripping out the majority of all flavor). Rums aren’t distilled to quite as high, but what you have is a ‘cleaner,’ lighter rum devoid of funky ‘weird’ flavors. For Grander, 8 years spent in used bourbon barrels adds back a nice layer of complexity and warmness, cutting out any harshness and astringency in the spirit. Beyond the 8 year, Grander also now has a 12 year rum that I’d love to try out!