Rum of the day 16

Natural • Aged • Cane juice rum – In the 16th century, Paraguay was the main crossroad of the South American continent. The capital Asunción, founded in 1537, is the oldest city in Latin America. It was from here that Spanish caravans left and founded other cities such as Buenos Aires. An important chapter in the history of this nation was the arrival of the Jesuits in the 17th century. They built their famous missions in the most fertile areas of the country and introduced sugar cane. From there the production of “Cana Paraguaya” started. Cana Paraguaya is a typically Paraguayan distillate from the fresh juice of fermented sugar cane. It is obtained using traditional distillation methods and aging takes place in barrels made with a local wood called Incienso Marron. The cane is cut by hand, using the traditional Paraguayan Carreta or Karréta in the Guarani language, and transported to the mills. Here the cane is pressed to obtain the juice, filtered and boiled for 9 hours in huge containers over open fires. The honey obtained is fermented for 3 days and finally distilled in traditional copper stills. Mineral water, one of the purest in the world, coming from the Guaranì aquifer, is then added to gradually reduce the alcohol content. The rum is aged in large barrels made with a local wood called Incienso Marron. It is the aging in this native wood that gives the rum its unique color and unmistakable flavor. Aging then ends in smaller French oak barrels.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: The initial hit off the nose is warming and redolent. Cloves, cinnamon, candied orange peel and vanilla dominate. A slight lactic tang brings to mind a glazed carrot cake; extremely inviting and homey. The vegetal notes from the Reserva have softened dramatically, and while still present, take a back seat to the wood influence.
Taste: Spicy and dry ,with layers of cocoa, caramel and spices. A strong incienso and oak presence. Immediately present are the beginnings of that classic aged Agricole funk, more inviting than challenging, the tastes of mineral and warm rubber evoke images of a race track more than a factory fire. The initial hit then resolves to more carrot cake; but much like the Reserva this is by no means a sweet rum. This expression is no more richer in mouthfeel, but there is a lot more clarity to the image, the structure is more coherent and flavours more complex.
Finish: Once again a long finish, smooth, clean and but supple. There is an appetising bitter cocoa note and it goes down like spiced Mexican hot coco, warming but with restraint.