A rum born in the land that gives the brand its name: Carúpano, in the state of Sucre, Carúpano is still a family-owned company that competes with the big boys of Santa Teresa, Pampero, Cacique and the like. They currently have around eight different products. This Carúpano 21 was launched in 1993 as a 45% ABV rum, a marked difference from most Venezuelan rums, which are usually bottled at 40%. It is a rum with a six-year base and a maximum of 21 years of age.

For many, it's known today as "the old" Carupano 21, since a couple of years ago (or less) it was replaced by a transparent bottle with a design more in line with the brand's other products. However, this change also saw it reformulated, and its alcohol content was reduced to 40%. 

The brand maintains that this reformulation is limited solely to adding more water to the mix, which lowers the percentage from 45% to 40%. This is something I don't believe, as both taste completely different and the new one feels very sweetened, but that's for another review. 

A couple of errors or details about this bottle are that it's made by Destilería Carúpano, which isn't a distillery but rather buys spirits. It's also called Solera Centenaria, but it's not made using the solera process. It's a column-distilled spirit aged between 6 and 21 years. It is bottled at 45% ABV.

Made by: Destilería Carúpano  
Name of the rum: 21 Solera Centenaria  
Brand: Carúpano  
Origin: Venezuela  
Age: 6 to 21 years  
Price: $20 (when available, since it's discontinued, around $45)

**Nose:** Orange peel, brown sugar, toasted coconut, strawberries, hazelnuts, tobacco, vanilla, and toasted caramel are present. There's also a hint that I could describe as milky, or rather creamy, like that of a cheesecake.

**Palate:** Dark chocolate, vanilla, cheesecake, Christmas cake, toasted wood, and caramel are immediate, but they linger long after the finish. 

**Retrohale/Finish:** The aftertaste is dominated by coffee, tobacco, and grapefruit peel.

**Rating:** 10 on the t8ke

**Conclusion:** I have a sommelier friend who says the elimination of this rum from the Venezuelan market is one of his biggest disappointments in the national rum industry. I'm hard-pressed to disagree, but he has his reasons. I'd rather see the production of this rum continue, even if it's a limited edition, while maintaining its flavor and quality.

The Old Carúpano 21 is a spectacular rum for smoking, especially with medium-to-high strength cigars with good flavor intensity, as they are difficult to surpass by rum, with which it pairs very well. Several are still available, and it becomes something to share with friends, both for the few bottles available and for information on where to get them.



English is not my first language and most of my reviews have been posted originally in Spanish, and later translated into English, so I apologize if they sometimes sound *mechanical*. On reddit I'm aiming to review mostly Venezuelan rums, but I post a bit of everything. You can check out the rest of my reviews (in Spanish) on [my blog](https://humoytabaco.com/), including rum, whisk(e)y, agave, gin and cigars. I also have an Instagram account [in Spanish](https://www.instagram.com/robleytabaco/) as well and another one [in English](https://www.instagram.com/oaknsmokes/), where I'll regularly update video reviews.





[Rum Review #167] Carúpano 21 Solera Centenaria