Don Papa 7YO Small Batch Rum

This Don Papa's flagship small-batch rum is invitingly smooth and delicate. On the nose, fruity notes up front, with sweet tangerines and apricots. This is followed by vanilla ice-cream, drizzled with runny toffee sauce. On the palate, bags-full of vanilla and cinnamon. Hints of raisin, sultana and marmalade. To finish, medium length with punchy cinnamon.

• Distillery: Don Papa
  
• Type: Dark Rum
  
• Region: Philippines
  
• Alcohol: 40%
  
• Volume: 700ml
  
• Goes with: Neat or over ice
  

A richly flavoursome rum from the Philippines, inspired by the story of Papa Isio, who played a big part in the late-19th century Philippine revolution. The rum itself is made using sugar cane grown on the island of Negros in the Philippines and matured in oak barrels for 7 years, after which it is blended and bottled.

Don Papa Rum claims to be the ‘world’s first single island rum from the Philippines’, and was created by Stephen Carroll (a former Remy Cointreau executive) for the Bleeding Heart Company. The brand is inspired in part by the legendary figure of Papa Isio, a charismatic leader who fought for independence in the Philippine Revolution of the late 19th Century, and also the spirit, culture and ecosystem of the ethereal Philippine island of Negros, also known as ‘Sugarlandia’ where Don Papa Rum is created.

Don Papa Small Batch Rum is handcrafted using the original Southeast Asian variety of sugarcane that dates back thousands of years, Noble Cane, which is ground in ancient sugar mills. It is a sweeter variety of sugarcane than most and forms the distinctive ‘black gold’ molasses used in Don Papa. This molasses is distilled and aged up to seven years in an ultra-humid climate, which intensifies the interaction between the rum and wood. It is the island's superior sugar cane, volcanic soil and tropical aging process that creates the distinctive profile of Don Papa Rum.

The packaging of Don Papa is another factor that sets this Filipino rum apart. The brand’s aesthetic is able to communicate the history of the island and the character of the product with charm, style and wit. If you cast your eye to the label, you can clearly see a gentleman, (Don Papa himself, presumably), who is sporting a rather charming gecko monocle, one of 50 animals dotted around. Many hidden throughout the label are endemic to the southern Philippine islands, such as world’s smallest primate - the tarsier (yes, it’s completely adorable).

Now, if you turn your attention to the Don Papa 10 Year Old Rum packaging, you can see that Don Papa is shown to be older and with a longer beard, to mirror the ageing of the rum. It is this kind of marketing savvy that earned Don Papa a double gold medal for packaging design at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and product innovation of the year at the 2013 Paris Cocktail Spirits Show.

• Double Gold - 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – Packaging Design Award
  
• Gold - 2013 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition - Overall Packaging
  
• Gold - 2013 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition - Package Design
  
• Product Innovation of the Year - 2013 Paris Cocktails Spirits Show
  
• Bronze - 2013 Harper’s Wine & Spirits - Get Engaged Design Awards