Ron Cartavio Anejo. I picked this bottling from Peruvian rum producer Cartavio up in Mallorca. Hence the more “exotic” looking photo. This photo was definitely not taken in sunny Sunderland!

Ron Cartavio Anejo is the entry level aged rum in the Cartavio line up. This was quite an old dusty bottle and it set me back the princely sum of 10 Euros.  In the UK a bottle of this would set me back around £22-25 for a 70cl.  It is bottled at a fairly uninspiring 38% ABV.

From what I can gather this rum has been re-branded with new packaging (the picture below shows the upated look).  It is now the Ron Cartavio 1929 Ron Anejo Reserva.  There have been a lot of changes to the Cartavio range over the past 10 years.  A lot of different expressions and information is pretty hard to find.  For instance I can’t seem to find an English language Ron Cartavio site.  Bearing in mind the Cartavio XO is marketed a a “Premium” rum and has quite a following stateside I’m quite surprised by this.

As far as I am aware Ron Cartavion Anejo is/was a blend of column distilled rums aged for up to 3 years and aged in ex-bourbon barrels.  I’ve not been able to find out too much else to be honest. If anyone does have more information please let me know.

I’m not really sure this rum is still available.  I am assuming the Cartavio 1929 Ron Anejo Reserva is a renaming of it but I could be entirely wrong.

Nevertheless, I’ve always said I’d review pretty much anything I come across in the hope it will come in useful to someone, someday.

So with little else to say, I may as well get on with giving you my impressions on this rum.

The nose is best described as confected. Strong notes of Pear Drops, vanilla and Candy Rock. Beneath this are hints at vanilla and a mild spice from the oak. Very little can penetrate through the sweetness. It’s very sweet and light. In all honesty its not unpleasant as such but its not very “rummy”.

Predominantly a mixer Ron Cartavio Anejo isn’t terrible as a sipper but only in the sense that it is light, sweet and inoffensive. It shows little real rum character with only minimal alcohol burn. A lot of the confected sweet shop notes that were present on the nose transfer straight across to the sip. You get a little bit of bite in the mid palate and the finish gives a very slight burn but it quickly fades away.

Quite what Cartavio add to their rums I am not 100% sure. As a mixer this works reasonably well. For the price I paid in Mallorca I wasn’t expecting anything much. However its price in the UK means it is extremely unlikely I will be buying it again. I won’t.

It doesn’t so much as add “rummyness” to mixed drinks as just add a touch of sweetness and a smoothness which just feels entirely unnatural. There is something synthetic about this rum – its a crowd pleaser and people will think its great because its “sweet and smooth”. It’s too light and flowery for my palate. I really don’t like all the synthetic tasting additives that have went into this.

The reality is that Cartavio produced unremarkable column distilled rum. They then tart it up to appeal to the mass market with additives. Not for me. I’d like to try a Peruvian rum without all the additives.