We’re going to say up front, Mezan Panama 2006 is an outstanding rum. From the time we opened the bottle until the last hint of finish dissipated, we were mesmerized by the aromas and notes this unassuming rum presented.
There is a bit of mystery surrounding rums under the Mezan name. Neither a distillery of origin nor an age is listed on the bottle or on any literature associated with the rum. The rums are single sourced from distilleries throughout the Caribbean, Central America and South America. Mezan Panama 2006 is crafted at an undisclosed distillery in Panama which grows its own sugarcane. The distillery uses column-stills then ages the rum twice in separate sets of white oak American Bourbon casks.
Although the bottle has a “vintage” date of 2006, we simply don’t know the age of the rum. What we do know is once the Cellar Master deems the rum has reached its maturation the rum is bottled one cask at a time. The Mezan motto is “The Untouched Rum.” The rums are “unblended, unsweetened, uncolored, and only lightly filtered.” Pure heaven.
He Said
I am struck by the soft sweetness on the nose with undertones of younger white oak. There are hints of floral, apricot, guava and mango. A longer inhale does present a bit of an alcohol burn though. The first hit to the palate has a peppery note with a fizzy effect that tickles the senses. The young oak is also here taking the rum all the way to the finish. It’s tough to describe the changes that happen on the palate. With each sip I’m finding more and more floral, fruit and spice in conjunction with the pepper and oak. I so enjoy what
I’m uncovering.
She Said
The beautiful amber liquid provides lots of finger lacing on the glass. Even before I bring the glass to my nose, I’m already excited about sipping this rum. The nose is very soothing with orange, vanilla, caramel and no hit of spice. With all this love going on on the nose I was surprise by my initial sip. The liquid fired on my tongue, quickly hitting the back of my throat making me cough (there’s the spice Clint gets.) The finish though hangs with me and is as satisfying as the nose. The second sip finds a richness of caramel that engulfs the palette then quickly dissipates to a fiery mid-palate with a very smooth finish. I want to hold on to the finish for as long as I can before starting the process over again.
The Dish with Hints and Recipes for Provisioning to Bahamas and Virgin Islands
Overall
Mezan Panama 2006 offers the same characteristics as a good single malt or bourbon. With each sip you are wondering how the producers got all these notes out of one single barrel. Definitely take your time to explore everything this rum has to offer. It’s well worth the $52 price point.
4.90 out of 5
Sipping Rum Scale
1 – An expensive mixer
2 – A quick celebratory shot
3 – Wouldn’t be embarrassed to share with friends
4 – Are my friends worthy of a sip
5 – Special moments rum
About Clint and Terry: We have sampled many a dram over our 33 years of marriage and quite often we don’t fully agree. Could be the difference is male/female taste buds. Or, somebody is just wrong.
