🥃 Ron Zacapa
Ron Zacapa is a Guatemalan aged rum made from sugar cane juice, not molasses: pineapple-derived yeast, ageing high in the mountains at about 2,300 m, solera system. 40% ABV (80 proof); launched in 1976.
Ron Zacapa is a Guatemalan rum brand made from sugar cane juice rather than molasses. It was launched in 1976 and is produced by Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala; according to Difford's Guide, Diageo distributes it in the United Kingdom. The rum is aged high in the mountains using a solera system, and its strength is 40% ABV (80 proof).
History. The brand was created in 1976. The name comes from the town of Zacapa in the east of the country: by a popular account, the rum was launched for the town's centenary. The chemist Alejandro Burgaleta contributed to the first blends. Today the range includes Zacapa 23, XO, Edición Negra and other expressions.
How it is made. According to Difford's Guide, the base is the first pressing of sugar cane juice, not molasses. Fermentation takes place in closed vats with natural yeast originally isolated from pineapples. For Zacapa 23 the rum goes through the Sistema Solera: it is aged in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, then in re-charred barrels, sherry casks and Pedro Ximénez casks, and finishes with a six-month rest in a large oak vat.
Altitude. According to Difford's Guide, the warehouses lie at about 2,332 metres, while the producer states 7,545 feet, so the figures differ slightly.
Why this matters to you. The number "23" does not mean the whole rum is 23 years old: the back label states a range from 6 to 23 years. Dark colour does not prove ageing. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1976, Guatemala; Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Reg. (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, cat. 1 (rum); 27 CFR § 5.147 (USA) |
| EU category | 1 — rum |
| Raw material | first-pressing sugar cane juice; yeast originally from pineapples |
| Distillation method | fermentation in closed vats; the detailed distillation scheme is not stated in the chosen sources |
| Cask type | American oak: ex-bourbon, re-charred, ex-sherry, Pedro Ximénez; vat for blending |
| Minimum maturation | solera system, rum aged 6–23 years (Zacapa 23 back label) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV (Zacapa 23) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Ron Zacapa → kind of → 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Sugar cane and molasses
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🏷️ Solera
- Part of
- 🥃 Rum, 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits
- Related to
- 🌍 Latin America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Rhum agricole, 🥃 Captain Morgan, 🥃 Havana Club, 🥃 Old Monk, 🥃 Stroh, 🥃 Stroh, 🥃 Bacardi 151, 🥃 Bacardi 151, 🥃 Diplomático, 🥃 Ron de Guatemala
Frequently asked questions
Is Zacapa 23 really 23 years old, as UK labels suggest?
Not exactly. It is a solera blend, and the back label gives a range of ages from six to twenty-three years.
Is it a spiced rum, like the ones next to it on the shelf?
No. It is made from the first pressing of cane juice, not molasses, and the sources describe ageing in oak, sherry and Pedro Ximénez casks, not added spice.
How does a US bottle show strength, ABV or proof?
Both can appear. Forty percent ABV is eighty proof, and the US standard of identity for rum is 27 CFR 5.147.
Who brings it to UK shops, and who actually makes it?
Difford's Guide names Diageo as the UK distributor, while the rum is made by Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala.
Does altitude matter for how it ages?
The warehouses sit high in the mountains: about 2,332 m according to Difford's Guide, 7,545 feet according to the producer. The cool air slows maturation.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🌍 Latin America — A region from Mexico to the south of South America: about 9% of the world's milk, dulce de leche and fresh cheeses, Argentine and Chilean wines, olives.
- 🥃 Rhum agricole — Rhum agricole is rum made only from fermented fresh cane juice. In the EU the term “agricultural” is reserved for GIs of the French overseas departments and Madeira; AOC Martinique dates from 1996.
Similar
🥃 Tanduay · 🥃 Brugal · 🥃 Bundaberg · 🥃 Bacardi 151 · 🥃 Diplomático · 🥃 Barceló
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Ron Zacapa 23 Sistema Solera Gran Reserva (Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala; 40 %; first pressing of cane juice; pineapple yeast; 2,332 m; ex-bourbon, sherry and PX casks; rums 6-23 years)
- Ron Zacapa (producer): Sistema Solera 23 (aged 7,545 ft above sea level)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I (categories of spirit drinks)
- 27 CFR § 5.147 Rum (USA, TTB standard of identity), text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)