Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years. This brand is produced by California based Phenomenal Spirts, which are headed up Karthik Sudhir. Not putting any pressure on yourself with name are you Karthik?

I actually met Karthik in September 2019 at a tasting of his rum at Trailer Happiness in London. It was a complete fluke really that I was down London for work purposes and was able to attend. Usually I miss out on such events being up here in the frozen north.

This is the second release in the Ron Izalco Rum portfolio following on from the Ron Izalco Rum Aged 10 Years, which was released in 2019. Ron Izalco Rum is named after the active Izalco volcano which is situated in El Salvador.

Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years is a blend of rums from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Guyana and Costa Rica. I had guessed that their would be rum from Nicaragua, Panama and possibly Guatemala. I didn’t expect to see any rum from Guyana in the blend as the bottle stated this is a blend of Central American style rums. I’d say Guyanese rum is a different style to that of Panama, Nicaragua etc and whilst Guyana is in the vicinity, it’s largely seen as being part of the South America and/or The Caribbean. I’m not going to labour the point, as I’m not really that bothered about it in fact I’m quite pleased to see the Guyana rum in the blend…..I do like a bit Demerara Rum.

All the rums have been aged a minimum of 15 years in their country of origin. They are then transported to Phenomenal Spirits in California for laboratory analysis (to ensure no additives used) blending and bottling. As a result the rum will be released in batches, the bottle I have is from batch 1 which had 2600 bottles in total.

The rum is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels and has been bottled at 55.3% ABV. it is free from sugar and any other additives.

It is currently available at Amazon where you can pick it up for the rather odd price of £69.92. Currently Master of Malt are awaiting new stock.

Presentation wise Ron Izalo Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years comes in a tall tapered be-spoke bottle. The presentation is clear and nicely done. It looks all nice and “premium”. In terms of information I would have liked a bit more information on the blend on the bottle. It only says it is a blend of Central America’s finest rums. Which to be honest might put a few folk off buying. The Guyana component was certainly a surprise for me and a bit of a seller to be honest. You also get a nice chunky cork stopper which is has a wooden top and Ron Izalco printed on it.

The rear label gives us some tasting notes.

So lets see how this blend of Central American style rums fairs today.

In the glass we have a beautiful mahogany coloured spirit with a dark red hue around the edges. It does look well aged but then again we all know that E150 is often used in rum production. To be fair I don’t really have much objection to this. Far worse things to worry about in the Rum World.

On the nose I get a smoky cigar like note, some toffee, muscavado and a candied fruitiness. This is quite an intense and complex nose. It’s pleasant though and well balanced. It has a mild spiciness to it a bit like an aged bourbon – something like Eagle Rare 10.

On the sip the rum is even more intense with a real hit of red wine on the initial sip – intensely fruity with lots of Red Grape, Raisin and other stoned fruits. There are note of peach and as the sip progresses I’m noticing a Pineapple like note.

The mid palate is smokier and drier with more bourbon spice and some black pepper. It’s getting woodier now but the fruitness is still there.

The finish is long and warming with a wonderful smoky note which continues to work wonderfully well with the fruitier, sweeter notes in this spirit. It takes a long while to fade out. There are notes of cola and some redcurrants.

This is an intense and very rich tasting rum but even at the Cask Strength of 55.3% ABV but it is not at all rough or unforgiving. You certainly know you are drinking something with a hefty ABV but it is as easy drinking as you might have found some of the Foursquare Exceptional Cask Series to be at similar strength.

A lot of Rum Enthusiasts tend to avoid rums labelled “Ron” (to a point I often do). However, this really is well worth trying. It is much more in keeping with the type of rum I enjoy. It has a really nice balance despite it’s intense flavours and doesn’t have any “bum” notes.

At £70 it is also well priced for a 15 Year Old Cask Strength rum. Certainly for me one of the better rums in its style, that’s for sure.