Zacapa - Guatemala - A+

The best rums don’t necessarily come from islands. Actually, many of the best rums come from mainland Central and South America, and Zacapa is at the top of the list. One of the finest, smoothest rums, aged up to over two decades, Zacapa is perfectly choice. It’s the brand that won some awards so many years in a row they had to take it out of competition to give other rums a chance. It’s the rum competitions start with but don’t score, using it instead as a standard. And it’s probably out of your price range. Some of the more aged bottles can be found at a particularly good liquor store near you fetching $50 a piece. Never drink mixed. Sip, don’t shoot. Let breath before trying. Swirl in the glass. Take a sniff. This is rum. Now the downer. Like many rums from troubled countries, it is highly doubtful Licorera Zacapaneca didn’t play a vile role in the more than 30 year war in Guatemala.