Rating:
Cartavio 12 Year Rum

It’s always a pleasant surprise to see something new sitting on the store shelves – and even moreso when it boasts being aged 12 years. Cartavio 1929 was a new face in these parts, and being relatively affordable as well, I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Cartavio 1929 comes in a classy cardboard tube. The bottle inside is relatively understated, but quite presentable with a wood capped cork and a classic brown-toned label. The rum inside is a rich, inviting amber.

To the nose, Cartavio 1929 smells of cinnamon, oak, musk, and ripe fruit. The familiar smell of alcohol is of course present as well, but this is a rum that smells complex and enticing, with none of the astringence present in some rums.

On sipping, this rum is surprisingly smooth. It has a syrupy sweetness about it, and a pleasnt chilling affect towards the back of the mouth. The scents of cinnamon, oak, and musk do carry forth into the taste, but as sometimes happens, the sensation of this rum tends to dominate the experience moreso than the actual flavor. In fact, even with great concentration, my tongue could pick up very little from Cartavio – taste was almost entirely a non-factor until after swallowed, at which time the aftertaste comes into play. And it’s then that a rich maple flavor makes itself known, although it also carries a bit more alchohol than I would have hoped, and is just a bit reminiscent of something from a lower shelf.

Cartavio 1929 is sort of the hot chick in the bar that isn’t quite so hot on closer inspection – still rather fine, mind you, but the initial packaging and first impressions were a bit of an oversell when compared to what’s really inside.