El Ron Prohibido Gran Reserva 15 years 40°

El Ron Prohibido is an aged rum produced at the eponymous distillery in Penjamo, Mexico.

3 years older than its 12-year-old version, this traditional molasses rum is distilled in columns and then aged in oak barrels using the solera system, a method commonly used in Spain for sherry wines.

Nico's tasting notes

This rum's nose opens with the familiar triptych of coffee, molasses and cocoa. A slight woodiness is also present, with an impression of wet cardboard that gives it a moist, tropical feel. Caramel is also present, trapping a few nuts. Coffee and chocolate come together to create a creamy mocha. The impression is one of intense roasting, but with a coating. In fact, we feel the thickness of a dark, sweet caramel. One could also think of a caramel-flavored infusion, or a buttery cake with pecans. At this point, I'd lean more towards a rum cake batter. If we had to sum up this first nose: gourmandise and patisserie.

Over time, the rum will confirm its roasted character and give up some of its sugar. The coffee, molasses and caramel are very dark. The licorice side of the molasses now really comes through. It's as if the flashlight has just been passed over a crème brulée, the caramel still crackling and the cream exhaling its perfume.

On the palate, licorice molasses comes first, followed by toast drizzled with dark maple syrup. Coffee and toffee follow, the same family of aromas as on the nose. And then the cocoa blends with a peppery, even spicy edge reminiscent of dark chocolate with Espelette pepper, for a very spicy sensation.

The finish is very sweet, filling the mouth and signalling a rum with a sweet tooth.