==Controversies==
==Controversies==
Rum experts have accused Zacapa of being misleading in their labeling, suggesting that the large 23 on the bottle is likely to mislead consumers into believing that the rum is aged for 23 years.<ref name=”cocktail wonk age statements”>{{cite web |url=https://cocktailwonk.com/2016/12/age-statements-not-worth-the-paper-theyre-printed-on.html |title=Age Statements: Not Worth the Paper They’re Printed On? |last=Pietrek |first=Matt | publisher=Cocktail Wonk| orig-date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref> In 2021, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Diageo, claiming that consumers were fooled into believing that Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 was aged for 23 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://natlawreview.com/article/rum-buyers-allege-package-makes-false-age-claim |title=Ron Zacapa Centenario Rum False Claims Lawsuit |last=Food and Drug Law at Keller and Heckman |orig-date=September 13, 2021 |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/product-liability-and-toxics-law/diageo-deceptively-markets-ron-zacapa-23-rum-lawsuit-alleges |title=Diageo Deceptively Markets Ron Zacapa 23 Rum, Lawsuit Alleges |last=Steinberg |first=Julie | publisher=Bloomberg Law |orig-date=September 10, 2021 |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref> Likewise, maturation in cool, moist climates significantly slows down the aging process, resulting in a product more comparable to a rum aged for a shorter length of time in a tropical climate.<ref name=”cocktail wonk age statements”/>
Rum experts have accused Zacapa of being misleading in their labeling, suggesting that the large 23 on the bottle is likely to mislead consumers into believing that the rum is aged for 23 years.<ref name=”cocktail wonk age statements”>{{cite web |url=https://cocktailwonk.com/2016/12/age-statements-not-worth-the-paper-theyre-printed-on.html |title=Age Statements: Not Worth the Paper They’re Printed On? |last=Pietrek |first=Matt | publisher=Cocktail Wonk| orig-date=December 16, 2016 |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref> In 2021, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Diageo, claiming that consumers were fooled into believing that Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 was aged for 23 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://natlawreview.com/article/rum-buyers-allege-package-makes-false-age-claim |title=Ron Zacapa Centenario Rum False Claims Lawsuit |last=Food and Drug Law at Keller and Heckman |orig-date=September 13, 2021 |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/product-liability-and-toxics-law/diageo-deceptively-markets-ron-zacapa-23-rum-lawsuit-alleges |title=Diageo Deceptively Markets Ron Zacapa 23 Rum, Lawsuit Alleges |last=Steinberg |first=Julie | publisher=Bloomberg Law |orig-date=September 10, 2021 |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref> Likewise, maturation in cool, moist climates significantly slows down the aging process, resulting in a product more comparable to a rum aged for a shorter length of time in a tropical climate.<ref name=”cocktail wonk age statements”/>
Despite starting from sugar cane, sugar does not make it past the distillation process, and Zacapa strongly deny that they adulterate the final product in any way. Consumers note that Zacapa rums are particularly smooth and sweet,<ref name=”diffords”/> a result that Zacapa claims comes from the unique aging and blending process.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zacaparum.com/en-us/rums/zacapa-23-centenario |title=Zacapa No. 23 Centenario | publisher=Ron Zacapa |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref> However, independent testing has confirmed that the sugar levels present in Zacapa rums are near or even above the legal maximum of 20g/L.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thefatrumpirate.com/hydrometer-tests-2 |title=Hydrometer Tests |last=Thefatrumpirate|access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alko.fi/en/products/947551/Ron-Zacapa-Centenario-XO/ |title=Ron Zacapa Centenario XO | publisher=Alko |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alko.fi/en/products/103867/Ron-Zacapa-Centenario/ |title=Ron Zacapa Centenario | publisher=Alko |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref>
Despite starting from sugar cane, sugar does not make it past the distillation process, and Zacapa strongly deny that they adulterate the final product in any way. Consumers note that Zacapa rums are particularly smooth and sweet,<ref name=”diffords”/> a result that Zacapa claims comes from the unique aging and blending process.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.zacaparum.com/en-us/rums/zacapa-23-centenario |title=Zacapa No. 23 Centenario | publisher=Ron Zacapa |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref> However, independent testing has confirmed that the sugar levels present in Zacapa rums are near or even above the legal maximum of 20g/L.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thefatrumpirate.com/hydrometer-tests-2 |title=Hydrometer Tests |last=Thefatrumpirate|access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alko.fi/en/products/947551/Ron-Zacapa-Centenario-XO/ |title=Ron Zacapa Centenario XO | publisher=Alko |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alko.fi/en/products/103867/Ron-Zacapa-Centenario/ |title=Ron Zacapa Centenario | publisher=Alko |access-date=2026-01-26 }}</ref>
==References==
==References==
Guatemalan rum
Ron Zacapa Centenario is a premium rum brand produced in Guatemala[1] by Rum Creation and Products, a subsidiary of Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, and distributed and marketed by Diageo. Zacapa Centenario was created in 1976 to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of Zacapa, a town in eastern Guatemala. It was the result of the blending, stabilization and maturing processes of long-aged rums by doctor and chemist named Alejandro Burgaleta.[2] Unlike most rums, Ron Zacapa rums are made from sugar cane juice rather than molasses, and are aged in a facility at a high altitude with natural coolness which affects the maturation process.[3]
Zacapa is a small town in eastern Guatemala founded in 1876. The rum was named “Centenario” (Centennial in Spanish) to honor its 100th anniversary in 1976. The name Zacapa means “on the river of grass” in the Aztec Nahuatl language.[4] Early Zacapa bottles came in a bottle covered in a petate[5] – a handwoven matting made from palm leaves which dates from the Mayan period made in Esquipulas, near the borders with Honduras and El Salvador, by traditional hat artisans. More recently, they feature a band around the middle of the bottle.[6] Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 used to be known as Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Años. Its name changed due to the confusion it caused, as people thought it was a 23-year-old rum instead of a blend of rums between 6 and 23 years old.[7]
The base fermentable is derived from sugar cane, which is then juiced, and then reduced to a syrup.[3] It is then fermented with yeast, and the resulting wine is distilled in a double-column still to a high proof, lightly flavored distillate, typical of Spanish-style rum production. All Zacapa rums are aged in the solera method, where the rum does not have a distinct age, but rather, new rum is added to old rum and blended in a series of casks. The rums start in ex-bourbon casks, before moving to re-charred whiskey barrels, then ex-sherry, before finishing in ex-Pedro Ximénez barrels.[3] All of this occurs at a facility 2.3km above sea level, where the air is cool and moist,[8] which significantly slows loss to evaporation compared to tropical aging.
- Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 (originally Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Años)[9] is the flagship expression. After solera aging, it is briefly blended in oak barrels and then bottled at 40% ABV.[3] The bottle features a straw-colored petate band.
- Ron Zacapa Centenario XO is a more premium offering. After solera aging, it is finished in cognac casks before being bottled at 40% ABV.[10] The bottle features an embossed petate band in the glass.
- Ron Zacapa Centenario Edición Negra is a more premium offering. After solera aging, it is finished in double-charred oak barrels before being bottled at 43% ABV.[11] The bottle features a black petate band.
Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 won first place in the premium rums category 4 years in a row at the International Rum Festival 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. It was the first rum to be included in the International Rum Festival’s Hall of Fame.[12] In 2018, it took gold at the World Rum Awards.[13]
Rum experts have accused Zacapa of being misleading in their labeling, suggesting that the large 23 on the bottle is likely to mislead consumers into believing that the rum is aged for 23 years.[14] However, the rum is actually a blend ranging from 6 to 23 years, mostly skewed towards the younger end, and disguised with added sugar.[15] In 2021, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Diageo, claiming that consumers were fooled into believing that Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 was aged for 23 years.[16][17] Likewise, maturation in cool, moist climates significantly slows down the aging process, resulting in a product more comparable to a rum aged for a shorter length of time in a tropical climate.[14]
Despite starting from sugar cane, sugar does not make it past the distillation process, and Zacapa strongly deny that they adulterate the final product in any way. Consumers note that Zacapa rums are particularly smooth and sweet,[3] a result that Zacapa claims comes from the unique aging and blending process.[18] However, independent testing has confirmed that the sugar levels present in Zacapa rums are near or even above the legal maximum of 20g/L.[15][19][20][21]
