Kuna is a rum produced by Varela Hermanos, a Panamanian distillery in operation since 1908.
After initial aging in ex-bourbon casks, the rum is shipped to France, where it is finished for a further 6 months in casks from Château Pape Clément (Grand Cru Classé de Graves).
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is singularly caramelized and vanilla-flavored. It carries strong notes of fermented tobacco leaves, as well as a sensation of damp cardboard. The caramel is also generously buttery, giving the nuts a mellow character.
Aeration considerably disperses the heavy caramel and tobacco notes, and reveals a rather fruity, concentrated heart, very different from what we had first glimpsed. A harvest of exotic fruits has been waiting in the basket for some time, beginning to release increasingly full-bodied aromas.
On the palate, after a round, caramelized attack, it's the slightly funky, fruity side of this rum that shines through. It wends its way through the roasted nuts and barrel dust on the palate, taking its time to leave its mark.
The finish is slightly spicy and roasted, rather sweet, with a hint of mature exotic fruit.
"An astonishing profile, the result of the marriage of a classic register of well-roasted woodiness and a funkier, fruitier and more tropical side..."
