The story of Ron Botran rum started with five rum loving brothers who made the eye-opening journey, from sunny Spain to Guatemala. And in 1940, they founded Botran. Today the rum is blended and looked after by three Master Blenders who work in concert to craft the rums of Botran. An interesting note is the rum never sees any sugar added which makes it keto friendly for the dieters out there.
The Ron Botran No. 15 is aged in four different types of barrels consisting of sherry, port wine, and two American whiskey barrels.
According to the label, “Five rum-loving brothers traveled from Spain to Guatemala to create a legacy. Ron Botran No. 15 Reserva Especial is a tribute to Don Andres Botran, born in 1895. A rum that celebrates the pairing of his Iberian heritage with the qualities of the new world he discovered in Guatemala.”
Brand Review: Ron Botran No. 15
ABV: 40% (80 Poof)
Type: Rum
Age: Blend of 5-126 Year Rums
Casks: American whiskey, medium toasted American whiskey, sherry wines, port wines
Color: Dark Mahogany
Distillery: Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala
Location: Guatelmala
The Nose: An aroma of charred wood captivates from the glass where it is joined by a subtle orange peel and caramel. Letting the glass sit for a bit sees additional tropical components of pineapple and bananas. The sweet aromas are secondary to the wood so they they don’t overpower instead serve as a complementary addition to the bouquet.
The Taste: On the initial sip the sherry and port wine cask aging shines through. The rum is drying to the palate with hints of fermented grapes and charred wood. Initially the libation feels more like brandy than rum. Secondary notes reveal nuances of rye, and orange rinds under a strong wood base. The finish is long and dry with an abundance of wood and fermented grapes.
The Pairing: I opted to pair this with a cigar from West Tampa Tobacco Company since we had Rick Rodriguez the owner on The Cigar Authority podcast yesterday (November 4th, 2022). The cigar offers up notes of dark chocolate, coffee, oak cedar. The cigar mellows out the rum considerably and showcases notes of brown sugar, vanilla and caramel giving it a more rum like quality to it. As always our pairing doesn’t affect our final score, but it would increase it by 7 if it did.
Conclusion: The Ron Botran No. 15 is a rum that doesn’t want to be a rum. There is more of a brandy like feel to the libation which fails to hit the mark. When you want a rum, you drink a rum. If you want a brandy, you drink a brandy. As a result, this fails to hit the mark while I wouldn’t buy it, I might sip if it was the only option as long as a had a hearty cigar to pair with it.
Score: 83
Price: $32.99 (700ml)
