Ron Zacapa
Discover Ron Zacapa mastery and Ron Zacapa XO elegance from Guatemala's highlands
Silky, approachable sweetness
Caramel and vanilla core
Dried fruit and cocoa
Born in 1976 to mark Zacapa’s centennial, Ron Zacapa turns virgin sugar cane honey into smooth, complex rum. Matured at 2,300 meters in the House Above the Clouds and solera‑blended under Master Blender Lorena Vásquez, it marries caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, chocolate, and spice with poise. Handwoven petate bands honor Mayan craft, and the range holds International Rum Festival gold and Hall of Fame recognition.
On RumX, the world’s largest rum platform, community reviews place the range at a median 7.8/10. Fans praise accessibility and depth across bottles like Ron Zacapa XO Rum, Ron Zacapa Centenario XO, and Ron Zacapa 23 Solera, often noting silky sweetness, oak, cocoa, and warming spice. Explore trusted tasting notes, compare listings, and find your perfect pour.
Top Rated Rums from Ron Zacapa
Ron Zacapa Reserva Limitada 2015
2015 <24yr 45%
Balanced, sweet, nuanced with caramel and chocolate notes.
192 €
Ron Zacapa EL ALMA The Soul Cask (Heavenly Cask Collection)
<23yr 40%
Balanced, wood-forward Zacapa with caramel
78 €
7.8/
2,046 reviewsFlavor Profile of Ron Zacapa
Most Frequently Mentioned Flavors
RumX community voice
Members appreciate the brand’s approachable, dessert‑leaning profile: caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, cocoa, and gentle oak. Many highlight the easy sipping nature of Ron Zacapa 23 Solera, while others reach for Ron Zacapa XO and Ron Zacapa Royal when seeking extra depth. Notes of coffee, toasted wood, and subtle spice recur. Some remark on sweetness, yet balance and smooth mouthfeel keep Ron Zacapa Centenario widely recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ron Zacapa
RumX offers the world’s largest selection of rum through our innovative shop-in-shop marketplace, similar to Amazon. For Ron Zacapa rums, we currently have 185 offers starting from €39.90 across 19 partner shops including Rum & Co, Rum Piraten, Whiskysite.nl, delicando, Inn-out-shop, Spirit Academy. Our platform compares prices in real-time from specialized rum retailers worldwide, ensuring you always find the best deals.
The RumX database currently contains 28 different rums from Ron Zacapa. This includes various expressions, limited editions, and bottlings across different age statements and proof levels. Our community has contributed over 2046 reviews for Ron Zacapa rums, making it one of the most comprehensive resources for exploring this brand’s full range. New releases are added regularly as they become available.
According to the RumX community, Ron Zacapa Centenario XO (1. Edition) 25yr 40% is currently the highest-rated Ron Zacapa rum with an impressive rating of 8.5/10 based on 15 reviews. This expression has earned praise for its exceptional quality and represents the pinnacle of what Ron Zacapa has to offer. However, taste is subjective, and we encourage you to explore the full range to find your personal favorite.
Ron Zacapa is an award-winning premium rum from Guatemala, known for its special production process and smooth taste. It is distilled from the first juice pressed from sugar cane (virgin sugar cane honey) instead of molasses and matures in the highlands at an altitude of around 2,300 meters in Guatemala’s “house above the clouds.” Through the Solera system in various barrels (former bourbon, sherry, Pedro Ximénez, and cognac barrels), Zacapa develops a complex, balanced character. The brand has been around since 1976 (founded on the 100th anniversary of the city of Zacapa) and each bottle is adorned with a hand-woven petate band as a sign of Guatemalan craftsmanship.
Ron Zacapa 23 is characterized by a very mild, sweet taste with pronounced notes of vanilla, caramel, and a hint of oak. The aroma also has nuances of honey, chocolate, and dried fruit, giving the rum a dessert-like profile. Overall, it is considered extremely accessible – in the RumX community, it is described as “emphatically pleasing” with dominant sweetness and only slight spiciness. Despite the intense sweetness, the finish remains soft, slightly fruity and accompanied by a hint of oak, which many connoisseurs appreciate about Ron Zacapa.
Ron Zacapa rum is best enjoyed neat at room temperature or on the rocks to bring out its full aroma. Master blender Lorena Vásquez recommends Zacapa 23 neat or with a single ice cube, while the even more refined Zacapa XO should be served neat (without ice) at room temperature. Thanks to its smooth, sweet profile, Zacapa does not need to be mixed – it can be used in a classic cocktail such as an Old Fashioned, but it is when served neat that the notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak unfold best.
No – the number “23” on the label does not mean that the rum has been aged for 23 years. Ron Zacapa 23 is a blend of different vintages, containing rums aged between approximately 6 and 23 years. The age statement refers to the oldest rum component in the Solera blend. Some of the rum contained in the blend may be up to 23 years old, while other components are significantly younger.
The Solera process is a maturation storage system in which rums of different vintages are gradually blended together. The barrels are stacked on top of each other in several layers – the youngest distillates are at the top and the oldest at the bottom. At certain intervals, some of the rum is removed from the lower barrels and replaced with rum from the row above, so that old and young rums are continuously blended. This creates a harmonious blend with a consistent flavor profile; in Ron Zacapa 23, for example, this blend includes components aged between 6 and 23 years, combined to create a smooth, complex rum.
Ron Zacapa XO is the brand’s ultra-premium variant and differs significantly from Zacapa 23 in terms of maturation and taste. While Zacapa 23 is a blend of rums aged between 6 and 23 years, XO contains even older distillates – it combines rums aged between 6 and 25 years and is given an additional finish in French cognac oak barrels. This gives the XO a more complex flavor profile (including notes of dark cherry, chocolate, dried fruit, and spicy oak) and makes it seem drier and less sweet overall than Zacapa 23. In addition, XO is significantly more expensive and is primarily enjoyed neat at room temperature, while Zacapa 23 is more versatile and also cuts a fine figure “on the rocks” or in elegant cocktails.
Ron Zacapa Edición Negra (also known as Etiqueta Negra) is a special edition that differs from the classic Zacapa 23 in its stronger barrel selection and more intense flavor. For Edición Negra, the rum is additionally aged in double-charred oak barrels, resulting in pronounced smoky and woody notes – RumX tasters describe aromas of dark roasted wood, coffee, and dark chocolate in this rum. At 43% ABV, Edición Negra has a slightly higher alcohol content than Zacapa 23 (40% ABV), which makes it slightly stronger and drier on the finish, despite having a similar sweetness. Overall, Edición Negra can be seen as a “smoky twist” on the Zacapa style, while the regular Zacapa 23 is better known for its smooth, vanilla and caramel-accented sweet profile.
Yes, Ron Zacapa is one of the rums that is sweetened after production, which explains its mild, liqueur-like taste. Laboratory tests have shown that Ron Zacapa 23 has a sugar content of around 20 g per liter (some older bottlings were even higher). The addition of sugar (and, according to experts, some glycerin and vanillin) is intended to make the rum smoother and more palatable for beginners. Limited sweetening is legally permitted in rum; however, Ron Zacapa’s pronounced sweetness is often discussed among connoisseurs, as it is significantly higher than that of natural “pure rum.”
Ron Zacapa has secured a place among the most popular premium rums due to its flavor profile and image. Many connoisseurs—especially beginners—appreciate its distinctly smooth, sweet aroma (caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, mild oak), which makes it an easily accessible “easy sipper.” At the same time, Zacapa scores points for prestige: the brand has won numerous awards (multiple gold medals at the International Rum Festival) and has been inducted into the Rum Hall of Fame. Last but not least, its interesting production history (high-quality sugar cane juice, maturation at an altitude of 2300 m, solera system) and strong international distribution by Diageo contribute to Ron Zacapa’s worldwide renown and popularity.
The core range of Ron Zacapa includes several bottlings. The best known is Ron Zacapa 23 Sistema Solera (a blend of 6-23 year old rum), alongside the even more refined Ron Zacapa XO (a blend of 6-25 year old rums, with additional maturation in cognac barrels). There are also special editions such as Ron Zacapa Edición Negra (smoky, matured in extra charred barrels, 43% ABV), the limited edition Heavenly Cask Collection (e.g. “La Doma,” “La Armonía,” “La Pasión”) and, as the crowning glory, Ron Zacapa Royal (a blend with proportions up to approx. 30 years old, 45% ABV). Each variant has its own profile – which one is best depends on the drinker’s taste. Ron Zacapa 23 is considered a versatile all-rounder and an introduction to the brand, while bottlings such as XO or Royal offer more depth and are appreciated by connoisseurs for special occasions.
All Rums from Ron Zacapa
- Ron Zacapa Solera Centenario 23 <23yr 40% RX4
- Ron Zacapa Centenario XO Solera (3. Edition) <25yr 40% RX23
- Ron Zacapa Edición Negra <23yr 43% RX48
- Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Años <23yr 40% RX24
- Ron Zacapa Royal <30yr 45% RX107
- Ron Zacapa Reserva Limitada 2019 <24yr 45% RX221
- Ron Zacapa EL ALMA The Soul Cask (Heavenly Cask Collection) <23yr 40% RX11115
- Ron Zacapa Centenario XO Solera (2. Edition) <25yr 40% RX812
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