Don Pancho 18 Year Old Rum
Don Pancho 18 Year Old Rum is the signature of the "Godfather of Rum" — 750mL at 40% ABV (80 proof), a true 18-year age statement (the youngest barrel in the blend is 18 years old) aged in uncharred Kentucky oak in Panama — and you can order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: True age-stated — minimum 18 years in uncharred American oak (ex-bourbon style Kentucky barrels)
- Origin: Panama — Las Cabras Distillery, Las Cabras de Pesé, Herrera; produced and bottled in Panama, imported to the US by Terlato Wines' Artisan Spirits division
- Maker: Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez — Cuban-born microbiologist, former head of R&D for the Cuban rum industry; Origenes is his only signature line
- Awards: Gold Medal, Berlin Rum Festival (100/100 blind tasting); 93 points, Ultimate Beverage Challenge
The Godfather's Reserva Especial
Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez spent fifty years making rum for others — including leading research and development for the Cuban rum industry — before creating the one line he always wanted to make himself. Origenes ("the origins") is Cuban-style rum making transplanted to Panama: estate-grown hand-harvested sugarcane, a proprietary yeast strain he developed himself, copper column distillation, and eighteen years in uncharred American oak in the tropical Herrera region. The result took gold in Berlin with a perfect 100-point blind score. Browse the rum collection at Del Mesa Liquor, compare aged rums, or see more from Don Pancho.
Tasting Notes
Burnt gold in the glass. An elegant nose of sweet tea, honey, figs and dates, with dusty dried orange peel and caramel. The palate is rich and rewarding — creamy vanilla, nuts, brown spices, dried fruits, refined bourbon notes, overripe plums, cardamom and cola. A very smooth, long finish of oak, spice and brown sugar confirms the long years in American oak.
How to Enjoy
Best enjoyed neat or on the rocks — eighteen years of tropical aging deserves your full attention. The importer recommends exactly that: no mixer, no rush.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Don Pancho 18 really 18 years old?
Yes — it is a true age statement: the youngest barrel in the blend is 18 years old, aged in uncharred Kentucky oak.
Where is Don Pancho rum made?
In Panama, at the Las Cabras Distillery in the Herrera region — distilled and bottled there, then imported to the US by Terlato Wines.
Who is Don Pancho?
Francisco Fernandez, the Cuban-born rum maker called the "Godfather of Rum" — 50+ years in the industry, including heading R&D for Cuba's rum industry.
What does Don Pancho 18 taste like?
Sweet tea, honey and figs on the nose; creamy vanilla, nuts, dried fruit and brown spice on the palate; long, smooth oak finish.
Fifty years of mastery in one bottle — order Don Pancho 18 Year Old Rum online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
