Ron Anejo Carupano Reserva Exclusiva 12 Rum
Ron Anejo Carupano Reserva Exclusiva 12 Rum is the gold-medal middle of the Carupano range — an 80 proof (40% ABV) 750mL Venezuelan rum aged up to twelve years in sealed American white-oak barrels, blended under master blender Carmen Lopez de Bastidas. It took Gold at the 2019 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, and it shows: this is where the sealed-barrel method starts paying dividends, the unctuous maple-and-prune depth that cheaper rums fake with sugar. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 80 proof (40% ABV) — 750mL
- Age: reserves aged up to 12 years
- Cask: sealed American white oak — no angel's-share replacement
- Origin: Hacienda Altamira, Macarapana-Carupano Valley, Venezuela; founded 1762
- Awards: Gold, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2019
The Gold-Medal Twelve
Twelve years in sealed oak is where Carupano's method separates from the pack. Where most distilleries top up their barrels as the angel's share evaporates, Destileria Carupano lets the concentration build — and the Reserva Exclusiva 12 is the proof, a rum that earned its Brussels gold on structure rather than sweetness. The Macarapana Valley's hot-day/cool-night microclimate works the wood hard, which is why a Venezuelan twelve can drink older than its years. See the rest of the award shelf in rum or the complete Ron Anejo Carupano lineup at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Brand notes: beautiful amber with orange glints, translucent and bright; a sophisticated nose of red flowers, molasses or caramel, honey, maple, plum, cinnamon and cloves, with a salty, damp-wood undertone; an unctuous palate of maple and prunes with elegant quince; medium-to-long, balanced, and delicious permanence.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a copita or a rocks glass — twelve years of concentration deserves nothing between you and the rum. A drop of water will lift the red-flower aromatics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What awards has the 12 won?
Gold at the 2019 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Broader competition Double Golds sometimes attached to it online belong to the distillery's overall range, not this expression specifically.
How is it different from the Reserva Exclusiva 18?
Age (up to 12 vs up to 18 years) and a completely different note set — the 12 runs maple, prune, and red flowers where the 18 runs candied fruit, almonds, and honey.
Is it sweetened?
The brand's story is concentration through sealed-barrel aging rather than additives — the depth comes from twelve years in oak.
Brussels gold, Venezuelan patience — the Carupano 12 is waiting at Del Mesa Liquor; order online in San Diego, CA.