Ron Zacapa Centenario
Encyclopedia
Ron Zacapa Centenario is a popular premium rum produced in Guatemala
. Zacapa was created in 1976 to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of Zacapa
, a town in eastern Guatemala
.
It is made using the concentrated first pressing sugar cane juice, which is called virgin sugar cane honey, rather than molasses
and is aged and blended using a unique aging system based on the solera
method traditionally used for sherries
. This process is overseen by master blender
Lorena Vazquez. The company claims that part of their success lies in the fact that the barrels are stored 2,300 meters above sea level in an aging facility situated below the upper slopes of the mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala, where the temperature is an average of 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
Early Zacapa bottles came in a bottle covered in a petate
- a handwoven matting made from palm leaves which dates from the Mayan
period. More recently they feature a band around the middle of the bottle.
The rum has won awards from different international competitions and is the first rum to be included in the International Rum Festival’s Hall of Fame.. The Beverage Testing Institute
has given Zacapa a 95 point rating.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. Zacapa was created in 1976 to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of Zacapa
Zacapa
Zacapa is a city in eastern Guatemala, along the Río Grande de Zacapa. It is renowned locally for its manual crafting of cigars, hard dry cheese and a flavored cake made with said cheese ....
, a town in eastern Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
It is made using the concentrated first pressing sugar cane juice, which is called virgin sugar cane honey, rather than molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
and is aged and blended using a unique aging system based on the solera
Solera
Solera is a process for aging liquids such as wine, beer, vinegar, and brandy, by fractional blending in such a way that the finished product is a mixture of ages, with the average age gradually increasing as the process continues over many years. A solera is literally the set of barrels or other...
method traditionally used for sherries
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
. This process is overseen by master blender
Master blender
A master blender is an individual who decides on the composition of blended spirits. For example, in the Scotch whisky industry, master blenders choose which single malts and grain whiskies are combined to make particular blended whisky. An important objective is often to maintain consistency over...
Lorena Vazquez. The company claims that part of their success lies in the fact that the barrels are stored 2,300 meters above sea level in an aging facility situated below the upper slopes of the mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala, where the temperature is an average of 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
Early Zacapa bottles came in a bottle covered in a petate
Petate
A petate is a bedroll used in Central America and México. Its name comes from the Náhuatl word petlatl. The petate is woven from the fibers of the Palm of petate . The Royal Spanish Academy defines it as a bed. Generally petates are woven in quadrangular forms, though not to any exact...
- a handwoven matting made from palm leaves which dates from the Mayan
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
period. More recently they feature a band around the middle of the bottle.
The rum has won awards from different international competitions and is the first rum to be included in the International Rum Festival’s Hall of Fame.. The Beverage Testing Institute
Beverage Testing Institute
The Beverage Testing Institute is a marketing service company that provides reviews for spirits, wines, and beers. It uses numerical scores and publishes books of its test results.-Reviews:...
has given Zacapa a 95 point rating.
Bottlings
- Zacapa 15 – A premium rum aged between 5 and 15 years. 40% Alc by Vol
- Zacapa 23 - A premium rum aged between 6 and 23 years. 40% Alc by Vol
- Zacapa 23 Black Label – A premium rum aged between 6 and 23 years. 40% Alc by Vol
- Zacapa 23 Straight from the Cask – A premium rum aged between 6 and 23 years. 45% Alc by Vol
- Zacapa XO - A super premium rum aged between 6 and 25 years. 40% Alc by Vol