Cana Brava Reserva Aneja Aged 7 Years. This is a product from the The 86 Co. – Noise and Spirits is their tagline and they have certainly done well in recent years with their range of products. If you wish to read more about the company here is there website.

As you might expect from the slick appearance of The 86 Co.’s website they have also set up a pretty sleek looking site for the Cana Brava range – they also have a 3-year-old white rum.

Which is good because getting information on Panamanian rum can at times be quite difficult. I’d been aware of the Cana Brava brand for a while – though had seen few reviews of it. They first came to my full attention at Mancester Rum Festival in 2017. As part of their stand they had a huge photograph (framed and on a stand) of the famous Don Pancho. He forms a big part of the Cana Brava story. You can read it all on the website

Here is my shortened version. In the nineties Don Pancho or to give him his full title Francisco “Don Pancho” J Fernandez was exploring the defunct Las Cabras distillery when he discovered a discarded Copper Column Still from 1922. Using this he re-invigorated the distillery and started producing rum……….ok. So it was with Don Pancho that The 86 Co. teamed up with to help produce this rum.

Cana Brava Reserva Aneja Aged 7 Years is produced as mentioned in copper column stills from sugar cane molasses. It is then aged for 7 years in ex-bourbon casks before being bottled at 45% ABV. The hydrometer didn’t quite read 45% (around 42-43) so there maybe is a process not mentioned which results in an additive or two. But to be fair not an excessive amount. In the UK you will pay around £45 for a 70cl bottle. Or if you are lucky you might spot an American 75cl import on sale for just over £25. Yes, I bought this because it was on sale.

Having said that I like the presentation of this rum. I think the bottle is pretty classy and they have made an effort to give some information about the actual rum. Which is refreshing. The screw cap is good quality and the bottle shape is unusual but easy to handle. I find pours from this bottle are pretty large……

In the glass Cana Brava is slightly dull golden brown colour. It lacks any “orange” or “red” flashes as is very common. As has been said before – never judge a rum by it’s colour. Some rums look better in the glass but many are enhanced by a touch of E150. This for a 7 Year Old rum looks fairly “genuine”.

I haven’t drank a great deal of Panamanian rum of late. Being honest I began to find it quite similar and whilst always decent, it rarely really excited me. Cana Brava 7 Year Old was a rum I tried at Manchester Rum Fest in 2017 – and totally forgot about.

The nose is light in the typical Latin Style. The 45% ABV is noticeable however. The extra ABV in comparison to other Panamanian rums at 40%, is much fresher, for me its better defined. It has more clarity and the extra hit of alcohol I find welcoming.

Cana Brava 7 has a good weight of spice and the aforementioned alcohol on the nose. Which is good as it counter acts the vanilla and toffee. Which would have perhaps overwhelmed the rum had it been bottled at a lower proof.

From what I gather Cana Brava has been aged for 7 years in ex-Bourbon casks and the interaction with the oak has also given this rum a good deal of spice and bourbon like zest. It is vibrant and reminds me in many ways of Foursquare 2004. Admittedly with a sweeter edge.

Cana Brava has been dosed but not to the extent of some of Don Pancho’s creations. Around 8g/L of additives according to the Hydrometer.

Sipping Cana Brava, is a pretty spicy affair. You get an initial burst of tobacco leaf, bitter coffee note, a fair hit of white pepper and a hint of chilli powder. In the mid palate you get a lot of smoked notes. Maybe just a bit too much tobacco is present.

The finish is perhaps the most disappointing part of Cana Brava 7. Whilst it is long it isn’t very clean and its nowhere near as vibrant, as the nose or the initial flavour burst on the sip. It’s bitter and it all feels a bit old. Too smoky and to Tobacco heavy. It has a zestiness- a touch of lemon but it just doesn’t hang around on the finish. Nor do a lot of the notes of the entry and mid palate.

I did mix Cana Brava 7 Year and it did make a decent Cuba Libre – it should at the price.

Overall its pretty decent if it was £30 I would say its well worth lookin out for. Not for £45 though. A touch overpriced.