Overview
Brand: Grander
Origin: Las Cabras, Herrera, Panama
Still: Column
Age: 10 years, 11 months
Finish: ex-Bourbon & ex-Port
ABV: 50%
It's been quite some time since we reviewed a Grander rum (over 100 reviews and 18 months!), but we return to the private label brand with a bottle that I've been quietly enjoying for a while now.
So far, much of my Grander experience has been with their rum in different types of ex-Bourbon casks, with the exception of the "mistake" ex-Madeira single cask, so it's nice to see a new finishing format being explored. Portuguese port wine is not quite common for rum aging yet, but it has been a part of the maturation of several high-profile rum releases, such as Foursquare Deténte, Flag Series Guyana 1998, and one of the latest Foursquare ECS releases, Mandamus.
Grander Port Cask Finish is a molasses-based column still rum produced by their partners Las Cabras in Herrera, Panama. This was aged for 10 years in ex-Bourbon casks, before spending 11 months finishing in casks previously holding Port, making this just under 11 years old. This is released at 50% ABV.
Appearance
Orange-brown, low viscosity
Nose
Stewed raspberries, caramel, vanilla, dried leather, strawberry syrup, salted pecans
Palate
Raspberries, black cherries, vanilla custard, salted pecans, dates, cola spices
Finish
Medium-long, fruity, dark; dates, cranberries, vanilla, oak, cola, butterscotch
Rating: 7/10
Summary
Port Cask Finish is a solid rum out of the Grander lineup. The port cask itself is integrated very well, doing well to augment the column still rum instead of drowning it.
The highlights: plenty of raspberries, strawberry syrup, and cherries, with dates, cola, and vanilla acting as backing notes. A traditional nose of leather, vanilla, and salted pecan grounds the experience in its Panamanian roots, while the palate and finish are so well done that I'm almost ready to believe this is a Foursquare ECS release.
Grander has long had a soft spot in my heart: I haven't yet had quite a revelatory experience with their rum, but it's always been enjoyable. Grander Port Cask falls in line with this, and is one I'd recommend.