Flor de Cana Centenario Gold 18 Year Old

Review: Flor De Cana Centenario Gold 18 Year Old Rum  84.5/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted December 18, 2009

In the Bottle  3.5/5

I will admit a little bias here, and state for the record that I am not a fan of screw caps.  The worst screw caps are those pressed metal ones which are so thin and flimsy that they cannot be tightened for fear of stripping the thread, and which expand and contract at a greater rate than the glass bottle they are protecting.    The  better screw caps are the hard plastic caps which actually give a good seal comparable to a good cork.   In the presentation of the Flor de Cana 18, we at least have a good quality plastic cap.  The bottle is a squat flagon which is basically the same design and label as the 12 year old.  I find that for a true 18 year old rum, I can’t help but wish for a nicer presentation.

In the Glass  9/10

The rum is rich and dark with  red highlights and flashes in the glass.  I seem to catch a hint of leathery smoke in the air as I nose the glass.  Nutmeg,  allspice, and  hazelnut all seem mixed into a rich caramel  aroma.

In the Mouth  51/60

This is surprisingly dry on my palate with a layer of cocoa under the dark caramel and spice.  That leathery smoke I noticed on the nose is asserting itself,  and I taste a strong oak presence.   As I let the rum sit in my mouth, the oak becomes dominant and to some degree begins to nibble away at the rum and spice rather than choosing to coexist.  My instinct here is to suggest that the rum has spent too long in the oak barrel.  The balance of flavours has tipped into the oak with the other flavours vainly trying to hold their own.

In the Throat  12.5/15

Like other Flor de Cana rums I have previously reviewed, this rum is very clean on the exit.  There is though, a certain oaky, leathery, smokey, dry bitterness that lingers, stealing  polish from the finish.

The Afterburn  8.5/10

I returned many times  to this rum trying to capture the brilliance which I have noted in the 7 and the 12 year old offerings.  The Flor de Cana 7 year old and 12 year old are two of my very favourite rums.  Perhaps this causes me to judge the 18 year old harshly, but I feel that we have a rum that sat in the barrel of oak for too long, and the resulting spirit lost some elegance and balance along the way.   Do not mistake me, this is a very good rum which I would never hesitate to serve on a special occasions, but unlike its younger siblings it does not reach into the stratosphere.

Suggested Cocktail:

For my cocktail I turned to a good friend, forrest, who has a wonderful site called “a drink with forrest“.  I gave him a few thoughts I had regarding Flor de Cana Centenario Gold and my wish to do a nice twist on a traditional cocktail called “The Godfather” which is a Scotch and Amaretto combination.  Forrest loved the idea,  and he sent me this offering:

Photo courtesy forrest

El Padrino (Spanish for Godfather)
(cocktail by Arctic Wolf & forrest)

(The name El Padrino fits perfectly with the mood and feeling I was trying to capture with my original suggestion as Flor de Cana Centenario Gold is truly a Godfather of Rums!)

2 oz       Flor de Cana 18
1 oz       Amaretto
1/8 oz  Fresh Lemon Juice

Method:
Build on Ice in Small Rock Glass
Garnish With a Thin Slice of Lemon

What can I say, forrest tweaked my idea and together we made a premium rum  cocktail that is simply divine.

Forrest has published a little write up on the El Padrino with some nice  tips for mixing it to your particular palate.   Here is the Link:

forrest on the El Padrino