Ron Abuelo Anejo Rum 12 Anos Two Oaks
Ron Abuelo Anejo Rum 12 Anos Two Oaks is a 40% ABV (80 proof) Panamanian rum in a 750mL bottle — the house's flagship 12-year rum taken one step further, finished roughly nine months in virgin, extra-charred new American oak barrels built by a Napa cooperage, so the "Two Oaks" in the name means exactly what it says: ex-bourbon oak plus virgin charred oak, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof) per US sources — bottle read pending; EU edition listed at 37.5%
- Size: 750mL
- Aging: 12 years in hand-selected ex-bourbon American white oak, then ~9 months in virgin oak — low-temp, 1-hour toasted, 8mm char penetration
- Style: Spanish-style column-still rum from estate-grown sugarcane; the second-oak finish adds smoky sweetness, chocolate, and spice (Rum Ratings measured ~24 g/L sugar — sweeter than the standard 12)
- Origin: Varela Hermanos, Pesé, Herrera Province, Panama — family company roots to 1908, rum under the Varela name since 1936
Two Oaks, Twice the Barrel Story
Varela Hermanos is one of the few rum houses that grows and mills its own sugarcane, running the whole chain from field to bottle in Pesé, Panama — and the Two Oaks expression shows off the barrel program. The base is the same 12-year column-still rum as the standard Añejo 12 Años: ex-bourbon-matured, dry and elegant rather than sweet. Then Varela adds the second oak — virgin American oak barrels built by a Napa cooperage, toasted low and slow for an hour with an 8mm char penetration, a much deeper char than standard. The finish runs about nine months, long enough to layer smoky sweetness, chocolate, and baking spice over the 12-year base without burying it. Browse our rum collection, explore the Ron Abuelo range, or compare it against the standard 12 Años to taste what a second oak does.
Tasting Notes
Vanilla, toffee, and caramel carry over from the 12-year base, with the second oak adding toasted oak, chocolate, baking spice, and dried fruit (raisin, apricot). The palate is richer and slightly sweeter than the standard 12 — smoky sweetness, warm spice, and a lingering oak-and-caramel finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat or on the rocks to catch the double-oak character — it's built as a sipper. The extra richness also holds up in an old fashioned or a rum Manhattan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Two Oaks" mean?
The rum sees two oaks: 12 years in ex-bourbon American white oak, then a finish in virgin, extra-charred new American oak barrels built by a Napa cooperage.
How is it different from the standard Ron Abuelo 12 Años?
Same 12-year base, different finish — the Two Oaks adds about nine months in deep-char virgin oak, making it oakier, smokier, and a touch sweeter.
Who makes Ron Abuelo?
Varela Hermanos in Pesé, Panama — a family company since 1908 that grows its own cane and distills and ages everything in-house.
Is it sweet?
More so than the standard 12 — Rum Ratings measured around 24 g/L sugar — but it's an oak-driven sweetness, not a syrupy one.
Double the oak, double the reason — order Ron Abuelo 12 Anos Two Oaks online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.