Overview
Brand: Grander, Single Barrel series
Origin: Las Cabras, Herrera, Panama (picked by Yorkshire Liquors)
Still: Column
Age: 10 years, 3 months
Finish: ex-Bourbon & ex-Madeira
ABV: 56.3%
Today we're reviewing another bottling of Panama rum that comes to us from Grander. Previously, we looked at a Grander Single Barrel in review #012, which featured a special Speyside scotch maturation, and was selected by a store in the Memphis area. The Grander Single Barrel I have in front of me similarly has a dual-maturation, but unlike the Speyside barrel, this was done a bit unintentionally.
What was relayed to me was the team at Yorkshire Liquors, here in Memphis, was looking to pick a standard 8 year Single Barrel bottling of Grander, which they have done in the past. During the selection process, a sample of a 10 year old, Madeira cask-finished rum was offered into the mix, by mistake (this barrel may or may not have had some relation to a future Grander bottling…). The owner Jeff Howell and his tasting team decided on this particular sample, which Grander ended up bottling for them.
I bought my bottle from Yorkshire in mid-July, and later caught up with Grander owner Dan DeHart at Alabama Rum Fest, just a few weekends ago. He confirmed this story, and while it seems like an unfortunate inventory mix up for his team, he seemed happy when I told him how much I enjoyed the rum. The unfortunate consequence of this happy accident is that the bottle is labeled with an incorrect age statement, though the other information is accurate.
Onto the details! Grander Single Barrel P2203, like other Grander rums, was distilled at Las Cabras distillery in Panama, on their column still. It was stored in an ex-Heaven Hill bourbon barrel, numbered P2203, for 10 years, before spending 3 months of further maturation in a cask that previously held Napa California Madeira. Finally, it was bottled at 56.3% ABV without any sweeteners or other additives.
One final piece to note before diving into the rum itself: the bottle is slightly smaller than previous Grander bottles, with a volume of 700ml (or 70cl). I made a comment about 700ml bottles last month, but a quick summary is that some brands may start bottling in this volume in an attempt to reduce the cost of having 2 different bottle sizes– 750ml and 700ml– for the US and European markets, respectively. The US policy change, as well as glass/raw material shortages due to the Pandemic, have seen this become not just a trend, but a necessary shift to ensure we all get our rum on time.
Appearance
Brown with a tinge of red-orange, high clarity, low viscosity
Nose
Butterscotch, cherries, ethanol, moistened old oak, used leather, honey
Palate
Butterscotch, milk chocolate, black cherries, vanilla, light roast coffee, heavy cream
Finish
Long, balanced, moist, creamy, transitioning to tannic and slightly bitter; cherries, butterscotch, nutmeg and black pepper spices, dark coffee, bourbon-soaked oak
Rating: 8/10
Summary
Here we have another Grander that does not disappoint; this 10 year old Single Barrel is strong, sweet, fruity, a tad spicy, and creamy, and all-around well-balanced. Hats off to Jeff and the team at Yorkshire for selecting a wonderful barrel (even if it was a "happy accident").
The rum is a nice brown color, tinged with a red-orange hue; it has high clarity, and pretty low viscosity. When I swirl my snifter, the juice seems to take its time moving along the walls, eventually coming to rest without much delay. It's actually quite remarkable!
On the nose, I get notes of butterscotch, cherries, some ethanol, moistened old oak, used leather, and a slightly floral honey. A lot of these notes I get when nosing Latin American rums of various origins, with some carrying an "old library" type of musty note; that is present here, in the form of older leather. Revisiting the glass, I can get some unwanted notes of pure ethanol, but only inconsistently.
Tasting the Single Barrel P2203, the butterscotch returns, and is joined by flavors of milk chocolate, black cherries, vanilla, light roast coffee, and heavy cream. This is a layered, well-balanced palate, and really hits some nice notes of sweet, savory, and fruity, while still offering a slightly bitter note with the coffee, and transitioning into the finish with a creamy mouthfeel. This is really nice, and presents its 10 year-aging in a way that highlights only the best qualities of the aging vessels.
The finish is long, really well-balanced, moist, creamy, and transitions to tannic and slightly bitter towards the tail end; I get notes of cherries, butterscotch, nutmeg and black pepper spices, dark coffee, and bourbon-soaked oak. The initial sips after a fresh pour offer a lot of warmth as the finish goes on, while later visits offer more bitter coffee and bourbon oak. Still, this is incredibly well-balanced, while still yielding to it's overproof nature.
Final thoughts: this is a wonderful bottling of a tried-and-true Panamanian rum, and the first that features a standalone Madeira cask finish. This drinks just a smidge under the stated proof, that is to say it drinks very easily; there's a reason the bottle is almost half-finished after barely a month of ownership. If you're in the Memphis area, you owe it to yourself to stop by and grab a bottle from Yorkshire while they still have some in stock.
Where to Buy
- Yorkshire Liquors (Memphis, TN)