Description

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y

 

The Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y is a Venezuelan rum that can trace its ancestry back to the year 1796 when the Santa Theresa Hacienda was created. It is, of course, 200 years later that the Ron Santa Theresa 1796 was created to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the Hacienda. This is a true Solera rum with 4 rows of aging barrels set one atop each other. As the rum ages, a portion of the rum moves through each row until it reaches the final solera row at the bottom years later. The barrels are not emptied fully and only a portion of the rum from the previous or higher row is moved to the lower row each time.

 

According to the Santa Theresa website, a portion of the rum reaches an age approximating 25 years before bottling.

 

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y THE BOTTLE

 

The rum arrives in a very nice blue canister which looks great on my rum shelf. The labeling on the bottle and on the canister is professional with an old-school charm that is original and eye-catching. The tall bar-room bottle is protected by a wax-sealed cork.

 

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y IN THE GLASS

 

The Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y rum has a different reddish tone and the initial aroma seems to be hinting that the spirit has at some point in its journey passed through an exotic wine cask that left an imprint of fruity dark cherries and plums upon the scent of the rum.

 

Rich aromas of butterscotch and light smells of molasses join with these fruity scents and the result is most appealing. Wood spices abound, and they are tart-like cinnamon and cloves. sense a deeper imprint of lush dark fruit (plums, dark cherries, and raisins) as time passes.

 

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y Flavour

 

The dark fruity flavors combined with the butterscotch and the caramel flavors of the rum are very good. Along with the exotic wine, flavors are tart orange peel and fresh overripe banana. Lots of baking spices cover the palate including vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. There are even a few notes of chocolate and tobacco mixed in. Of course, over top of all of these flavors are the regular rum-like caramel and toffee flavors

 

the exotic components were extremely appealing only if spaced tasting sessions out over time. If return to this rum after an absence of several weeks. the experience diminishes. This is the way it is with some of my favorite rums. They are very good, but only in well-spaced doses.

 

The Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y rum has a lot of complexity as it reaches the finale. Oak spices, dark fruit, layers of chocolate, and rich butterscotch swirl and compete for attention as the rum hits the back of the throat.

 

Last Thought about Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y

 

The appeal of this rum is to visit it only when something special is in order. The flavor is unique and refreshing; but not in an everyday kind of way.

 

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera 15y. is a bold and elegant rum with blends up to 35 years aged in bourbon oak barrels, then further aged through the artisanal Solera method resulting in a dry, smooth, and balanced rum.

 

Enjoy it with a great Cuban or New World Cigar!