Pampero Blanco along with the others rum in the producers range have recently had a makeover.  Makeovers in rum seem frequent.  Although this blog has only been running since 2014 you will already notice that a number of bottles reviewed have since had their packaging changed.

In this instance the makeover is more of an update really.  Giving the rums a more modern feel.  For Pampero Blanco the company have opted to move the rum from a tall bar style bottle into a shorter, rounder stubbier bottle.

Pampero blanco will set you back around £20 for a 70cl bottle here in the UK.  It is bottled at 37.5% ABV.  It is a blend of rums aged for a minimum of two years in ex-Bourbon casks. Under Venezuelan law, rum must be aged for a minimum of two years. It is then filtered to remove all colour.  I have no firm evidence but I think the rum was produced on a continuous column still.

Pampero rums are quite popular in UK bars and clubs nowadays.  This is likely to do with the fact the companies overarching ownership.  Industrias Pampero C.A. are a Venezuelan subsidiary of the global powerhouse Diageo.  So getting shelf space in bars will not be a big problem.

It’s took me a while to get around to Pampero Blanco.  I’m quite a fan of the Pampero Aniversario and the Anejo Especial is okay for the price.  I tend to go through little phases of picking up white rum.  I haven’t really found it to be all that exciting.  Some white rums are so close to being neutral tasting its quite frightening.

White rums just tend to get talked about all that much.  There doesn’t seem to be a white rum that everyone really agrees on.  Plantation 3 stars is the most lauded but I have to say I’m not that sold on that one.  People just don’t seem all that excited about white rum.

But hey I must complete my duties and give you all as broad a spectrum of rum as my time and wallet can afford.

Clear in the glass and what everyone expects from a “white rum”.

The nose you will also find familiar if you have dabbled in any of the lower end Venezeulan rums or just Pampero in general.  There is a sweet “butteriness” to this rum a little like a sponge cake or a fairy cake batter.  I’m also getting a kind of bitter charcoal or a chalky character on the nose.  Light fruity notes and a subtle touch of citrus fruits and a little white grape.

Pampero Blanco actually works quite nicely as a sipper.  It’s quite refreshing and the lightness of it is a bit like a sorbet.  It’s quite a palate cleanser.  It works beautifully in a simple Daiquiri.

When you sip the rum or add just a little lemonade it gives you a very vibrant and very fruity drink.  It’s not overly smooth or overly simplistic.  It has a bit of a bite and it has a lot of nice well defined and bright fruity flavours.  The notes on the nose transfer over and are added to by a little more fruit and a touch of coconut.  It’s quite zesty lemon and lime but I’m also getting tangerines and some white grapes.

This white rum has an extra almost aged quality to it which sets it apart from a lot of quite generic white rums.  It’s not hugely oaky or full of aged notes but it does have a lot of fruity flavour.  Unfortunately for me it doesn’t work all that well mixed with cola.  It’s not bad but I enjoyed it more with lemonade or even soda water.

You seem to be able to pick this up online for as little as £15 if you shop around.  It’s well worth a try.  Not a bad little rum to have knocking around in the collection.