40% ABV
Panama
Kaniche Perfeccion is a rum that has been places.
Part of the artisanal liquor movement—only 2,112 bottles of Kaniche Perfeccion were produced—each bottle is labeled as “double wood.” The rum is first aged in bourbon oak casks in Panama after the blending by an unnamed distiller of both pot-stilled and column-stilled rums. And while some rums would stop there and wait for the bourbon casks and the tropical climate to work their magic, Kaniche Perfeccion does not. After years spent resting in casks in the tropics, barrels of Kaniche Perfeccion are rolled out and the rum is shipped nearly 5,000 miles to the facilities of Maison Ferrand, a vineyard that produces world-class cognac in the Angeac terroir of Grande Champagne, France. Once there, the rum is placed into cognac casks for finishing, under the eye of the fifth generation of Ferrand cellar masters.
This is not the first artisanal iteration for Kaniche, which also produced a sipping rum, Kaniche XO Artisanal Rum, with Barbados as its place of origin. This blend of aged Barbados rums was also finished in cognac casks for 18 months and has received numerous professional accolades since its launch.
Ferrand cognacs have found an international welcome under the guidance of Alexandre Gabriel, chairman and majority owner of the house. Besides Ferrand Cognac, the house also produces Citadelle Gin, the first artisanal gin of France; Ferrand Dry Curacao, and the array of Plantation Rums.
The ink drawing on the label raises some questions. It appears to show a plantation setting with the big house in the foreground, some lesser housing off to the side, and a few figures standing around. In the distance, amid the palm trees, bamboo, and sugar cane is a representation of what appears to be a Mayan temple, not unlike Chichen Itza in design. But the Mayan culture never made it to Panama, stopping in El Salvador. Farther north, sugar failed to prosper in the poor soil and limited freshwater of the Yucatan, making the rum business difficult.
– Pairing by: Erik Calviño
TASTING NOTES
Kaniche Perfeccion rum boasts a complex profile of sweet caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut with a touch of orange zest on the finish. This well-balanced sipping rum rides the line between dry and sweet while delivering a long and smooth finish with an inviting warmth in the aftertaste.
Cigar Pairing: Joya de Nicaragua Numero Uno
The Numero Uno delivers a mild to medium strength combination of spice, cedar, and earth complemented by a hint of black tea on the finish. The rum’s caramel and cinnamon sweetness infuses itself seamlessly into the cigar’s profile while the touch of orange zest adds depth to the pairing.
