El Amparo Rum
El Amparo Rum is an unaged 750mL Ecuadorian rhum agricole bottled at still strength — between 57.5% and 60% ABV depending on the release — made from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice by the third generation of the Zorrilla family in Jipijapa, Manabí Province, Ecuador. Released by La Maison & Velier to celebrate 60 years of the family's rum-making, it is cane juice distilled once in a 500-liter copper still and bottled unfiltered, with no coloring and no additives. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: still strength — 57.5-60% ABV depending on release (bottle read needed)
- Size: 750mL per live tag (sources commonly list 70cL)
- Age: unaged — distilled and bottled without aging
- Origin: Carlos Baque Zorrilla, Jipijapa, Manabí, Ecuador (La Maison & Velier)
- Production: fresh-pressed "Cubana Negra" sugarcane juice (hand-cut at 18 months); wild fermentation 5-7 days; single distillation in a 500L copper still; unfiltered, no additives
Sixty Years of Family Cane
"El Amparo" means "the shelter" — the name Gonzalo Almanzor Zorrilla Toala gave the family still, and the name his grandchildren now bottle under. In Jipijapa, on Ecuador's Pacific coast, the Zorrilla family hand-cuts "Cubana Negra" sugarcane at 18 months old during the September-to-January harvest, presses the juice fresh, ferments it wild for five to seven days in open vats, and distills it once in a small 500-liter copper still. It comes off the still at about 60% and is bottled unfiltered — a savory, vegetal rhum agricole in the French style, but unmistakably Ecuadorian. La Maison & Velier released it to mark the family's 60 years of rum-making. Browse the El Amparo collection and more rum at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Reviewer consensus describes a savory, vegetal profile: banana and grass up front, lemon zest and olive brine through the middle, coriander, camphor, and cedar on the long, warming finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat with a splash of water to open the still-strength heat, or in a Ti' Punch — the traditional rhum agricole serve. Adventurous bartenders reach for it in savory cocktails.
Frequently Asked Questions
What proof is El Amparo Rum?
It is bottled at still strength: French listings say 60% ABV while independent reviewers report 57.5% — the bottle label on Del Mesa's stock is the final word.
Is El Amparo aged?
No — it is distilled and bottled without aging, in the rhum agricole tradition of fresh cane juice.
Who makes El Amparo?
The Zorrilla family, third-generation distillers in Jipijapa, Manabí, Ecuador; bottled and distributed by La Maison & Velier.
Ecuadorian cane, family-made — buy El Amparo Rum online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.