Review: Grander Panama Rum Trophy Release 20B08 (2022)

Apologies on the long wait for this review of Grander’s latest Trophy Release, which began in 2020 and has been intended as a twice-yearly edition. Release 20B08 — they’re now indicated with release information on the front label — hit in early 2022, and it’s a batch of 6 barrels from Panama — three 8 year old and one 15 year old (both ex-bourbon barrel) rums plus two 13 year old rums. One of those is a barrel of 12 year old rum finished 15 months in toasted oak, the other is a 12 year old finished in ex-Speyside Scotch casks. Complex? Yes. But who’s counting? Here’s the upshot.

No complaints here. This is a sweet, maple-forward rum that is straightforward with notes of molasses, dates, and Vietnamese coffee, a spritz of orange oil and some charcoal dusting the nose. The palate sees touches of bready whiskey licking around the edges, though a stronger date/fig character always emerges to beat back the power of malt. The finish is something of a study in contrasts, with a slight hogo-adjacent earthiness coming taking the edge off a generally fruit-forward bottling. Not at all tropical, this is a more smoldering experience that tends to evoke dried fruits and raisins and leaves you to ponder them.

105.2 proof. Reviewed: Batch #20A02.

A- / $45 / granderrum.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]

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