Don Papa 7yo Rum 40%

The Philippines is the ideal place to produce rum, with its long history of sugarcane cultivation, ancient sugar mills and hot and humid tropical climate, perfect for maturation. Don Papa Rum embodies all of this with its captivating range of single-island small batch aged rums.

In the shadow of active volcano Mount Kanlaon, on Negros Island, ancient sugarcane varieties thrive on lush and fertile foothills, from which coveted Black Gold Molasses is produced – the heart of Don Papa.

The result is an enticing collection of premium rums that evoke this timeless, seductive place, known locally as Sugarlandia, where nature remains the dominant life force, and where your senses are heightened and your mind is free.

PRODUCER: There is a long history of sugarcane production in the Philippines, where the purple cane, or caña morada, remains the main sugarcane variety. First discovered here in the Pacific, it was only later exported to the Caribbean and the rest of the world.

The country’s fourth-largest island, Negros, known as the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines, or Sugarlandia, produces most of the country’s sugar, not to mention the molasses used to make Don Papa’s rums.

During the Philippines’s War for Independence in the 1890s, a revolutionary hero and shaman from Negros, Papa Isio, helped to drive the Spanish away from the island. Before joining the battle for his country’s independence, Papa Isio was a sugarcane plantation foreman. Don Papa is inspired by this courageous figure – the embodiment of the spirit of Sugarlandia. The same sugarcane that he once harvested is now being used to pay tribute to him.

The primary sugarcane variety in the Philippines is the ancient caña morada, or purple cane. This is crushed in ancient sugar mills to separate juices from fibres. The juice is then processed to produce crystallised sugar, muscovado and the molasses known here as the Black Gold.

PRODUCTION: After fermentation, and continuous distillation in column stills, the spirit is cut with spring water from Mount Kanlaon before being filled into ex-bourbon and ex-Rioja barrels.

After seven years – and after a significant angel’s share as a result of the hot and humid climate – the best casks are blended together. This is then brought down to 40% ABV before being chill filtered.

TASTING NOTES: A rich, honeyed and fruity flavour profile makes this rum perfect for mixing in a myriad of cocktails, but it’s just as good on the rocks.