Zafra Master Reserve 21 Year Old Rum
Zafra Master Reserve 21 Year Old Rum is a 40% ABV, 750mL Panamanian rum aged a minimum of 21 years in ex-bourbon barrels — created by master distiller and blender Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez, one of rum's living legends. "Zafra" is Spanish for the sugarcane harvest, and this molasses-based rum, made via small column distillation, earned 95 points from the Beverage Testing Institute. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL (US market; EU market is 0.7L)
- Age: minimum 21 years in ex-bourbon barrels
- Origin: Panama — Las Cabras Distillery (retailer-reported), Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez
- Score: 95 points, Beverage Testing Institute
Don Pancho's 21-Year Masterpiece
Few blenders command the reverence of Don Pancho Fernandez, and Zafra Master Reserve is his long-aged Panamanian statement: molasses spirit through a small distillation column, then more than two decades in ex-bourbon oak. The result is a sipping rum of tobacco, leather, cocoa and cedar depth. Compare with more aged rums and the Zafra collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the 95-point Beverage Testing Institute review: rich burnished amber-copper color; dried stone and tropical citrus fruits, melted toffee, vanilla, mossy river stone and spice cake with high-toned bourbon-barrel character; smooth satiny entry, dry-yet-fruity medium-full body; long evolving finish of tobacco, leather, cocoa, cedar, nut and earth.
How to Enjoy
Neat at room temperature in a snifter or tulip glass. A few drops of water open the dried-fruit and cocoa layers; this is a rum built for slow sipping, not mixing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Zafra Master Reserve?
Aged a minimum of 21 years in ex-bourbon barrels.
What does "Zafra" mean?
Spanish for the sugarcane harvest.
Who makes Zafra rum?
Created by master distiller/blender Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez in Panama.
Twenty-one years of Panamanian patience — get Zafra Master Reserve 21 Year Rum delivered from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.