Malteco 15 ans Reserva Maya is a rum from Panama that has spent 15 years in oak barrels.
Nico's tasting notes
In brief: roasted - orange peel - smoky - buttery - fruity - pastry - balanced.
The nose is discreet for the first few moments, before a dark, toasty wood begins to crack the surface. The nose is very roasted, with roasted nuts, dark caramel and dense maple syrup. The rum will need some time to begin to open up and soften.
The opening maintains a dry, toasty wood profile, but on closer inspection, there's also quite a lot of interesting stuff going on. There's some dried orange peel, a herbal edge, but also something "industrial". Far from being negative, the latter brings density and a certain heaviness. There are both metallic touches and complex smoked-meat aromas, enhanced by caramelized cooked fruit and buttery pastry, as in a Tarte Tatin. We continue in the pastry vein, with powdered sugar, banana, cake batter, cocoa and blond tobacco.
The palate is mellow and enhanced by the smokiness of the strongly toasted wood, as well as by a little lift from well-dosed heavy aromas. The palate is balanced, both full-bodied and greedy, in a word, tasty. The style imposes a sweetness that tempers the desire for exuberance.
The finish is thus rather straightforward, with nicely liquoriced molasses and a sweet/salty sensation.
"An interesting rum, with a personality that departs from the stereotypes of the genre..."
