Sol Tarasco Añejo Charanda (infused with mushrooms)

Very present smokey bbq kinda vibe. Not something I'd drink regularly, but extremely high quality.

Surprising, but it works quite well. You get a good sense of the undergrowth, the forest of the mushroom. It's very smoky, almost peaty. Not for everyone, but worth a try. The barbecue aspect quickly becomes nauseating.

A very nice rum with a mild mushroom infusion. Not too much mushroom on the nose but a distinct earthiness on the palate that doesn’t hang around too long. I might prefer if this was shroomier, to use it in cocktails, but as is it seems a weird in between.

Infused/spiced rum - that's not normally part of my target group. Nevertheless, I wanted to try this Mexican because I was somehow interested in this mushroom thing. The main thing on the nose is: mushroom! Sounds strange, but it is. Otherwise, it's earthy and herbal, with a slight umami note that reminds me of olives. On the palate, the planty, earthy taste with the umami note remains, but I no longer find the mushrooms here. However, there is a noticeable sweetness that lingers a little. At the same time, the tongue burns a little and fights against the sweetness - has sugar been added here? All in all, less spectacular than I had expected. Mediocre rum from Mexico which, despite its peculiarity, has no special unique selling points apart from this note on the nose.

Fun, definitely different, but it also feels like they’re holding back here. The mushroom influcence is definitely present but well integrated—it contributes just enough but avoids being overpowering. The palate and especially the nose are a little on the sweeter/richer side, though that integrates rather well with the more savory, earth notes. Unfortunately, coming from other Charandas like paranubes and bespoke cane spirits like Haitian clairins, I found the base spirit here to be a bit lacking. It does have some of that hallmark briney, vegetal, cane juice character that I’ve come to expect, but it’s a lot more…muted than I had hoped. Its possible that the infusion (I should add, there are large bits still in the bottle) could have something to do with it. Regardless, the overall experience is still rather pleasant, approachable (perhaps too much so), while bringing something new to the table. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s worth actively seeking out, but it’s worth a try if given the chance.