Ron Abuelo Centuria

Ron Abuelo Centuria is rich enough to surprise even the most discerning Rum fan.

The history of Varela Hermanos Distillery dates back to 1908 when Don José Varela Blanco — a young Spanish immigrant — founded the first sugar mill in the little town of Pesé. Pesé is located on a fertile valley in the center of Panamá and most of its 10,000 citizens cultivate and grow sugarcane. In 1936, his three sons — José Manuel, Plinio, and Julio — convinced Don José to start distillation, and Ron Abuelo Rum was born. "Ron Abuelo" translates roughly as "Rum of our Grandfather," and yes, that’s pretty cool. There is no official designation for Rums like this, but since Ron Abuelo controls every aspect of production — from growing their own cane through bottling — you could call it an estate Rum. They are still independent (God bless ‘em) and produce a range of seven delicious Rums of the highest quality.

When most folks think of Rum, they imagine swarthy pirates throwing back a jug before pillaging a coastal town. But when true aficionados talk about Ron Abuelo Rums, they use words like "elegant, refined, and complex." Ron Abuelo Centuria is a limited edition and one of the top two Rums in their line-up. It’s aged gently in ex-Jack Daniels casks by the Solera method for as long as 30 years, producing a complex, refined Rum that is startlingly rich without being overly-sweet.