Flor de Caña rums are distilled from estate-grown sugar cane at Flor de Caña’s fully self-sustaining facility in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. Flor de Caña offers a diverse selection of core range rums, including Flor de Caña 4 White; Flor de Caña 4 Gold; Flor de Caña 5; Flor de Caña 7; Centenario 12; Centenario 18 and Centenario 25. GSN was sent four rums from the Flor de Cana portfolio that are the aged equivalents of a grade school child, a middle schooler, a high school graduate and a college graduate with a master’s degree.

Flor de Cana Rum 7 (80 proof)
Visual: Yellow-orange.
Nose: Open, mouth-watering, oak laden notes.
Taste: Young with a predominant woody, oak-driven profile.  There is just the penumbra of vanilla and caramel.
Finish: Medium long with a lot of tannins and spicy heat.
Overall: A good rum for mixing.  There is a goodly amount of character and body here, but it has not smoothed out enough for sipping.
GSN Rating: B+

Flor de Cana Rum 12 (80 proof)
Visual: Yellow-gold.
Nose: Now the vanilla is beginning to open up.  More fine high spice notes as opposed to wood.
Taste: Plenty of body and warmth here, with enough of the vanillin and toasted caramel notes to make a difference in the overall character.  Slightly sweet, but still tempered by a fine tannic quality.
Finish: Medium long with a dusting of toasted wheat, cocoa powder and Saigon cinnamon.
Overall: This is perfect in a rum Old-Fashioned or as the base in a rum forward tiki cocktail, as it will stand up against a fair amount of sweet citrus.
GSN Rating: A-

Flor de Cana Rum 18 (80 proof)
Visual: Deep gold.
Nose: Deeper, richer more evocative notes of vanilla bean, creme brulee, and sweet rum.
Taste: Surprisingly dry and brandy-like.  The flavors have coalesced into a tightly bound package of  rum squared.  A bit of water will open this up and turn it into a warm, welcoming spirit.  Still quite smooth pre-dilution, but quite compact.
Finish: Medium long, with many more peppery aspects.
Overall: A little too much wood in my opinion.  Not to the point of annoyance, but the balance has swayed in favor of the barrel.
GSN Rating: B+

Flor de Cana Rum 25 (80 proof)
Visual: Dark copper.
Nose: Dark, baked vanilla with currents, orange zest and milk caramel.
Taste: Full, rich and smooth.  Much of the rum character has transformed into a new species.  I’m reminded of a venerable sherry.  Easily sipped neat, this is a rum for special occasions or after a brisk day spent out-of-doors.
Finish: Medium long, with less vanilla or sweet notes, but more of a high, fine and direct dryness.
Overall: The high-end of the rum scale where the spirit has become more than the sum of its parts.
GSN Rating: A

For more information go to: Flor de Cana