Cihuatan - Viento - 15 years old - 43.5%
The Cihuatán distillery is the first and only rum distillery in El Salvador, located in a fertile valley inspired by the Mayan heritage from which it takes its name. Founded in the early 2000s within Licorera Cihuatán, it controls the entire process, from sugarcane to bottling, with a tropical "single estate" spirit. The rums are column-distilled from local molasses and then aged for a long time in a warm climate in ex-bourbon barrels, which concentrates the aromas and refines the textures. The Legacy Collection range pays tribute to the natural elements revered by the Mayans, each batch being associated with a force of nature. Viento, dedicated to the god of the wind, embodies the most airy and elegant dimension of this universe, with a style full of movement, softness, and refinement. This limited 15-year-old edition, bottled at 43.5%, is aimed at lovers of tasting rums that are both modern and deeply authentic.
Cihuatan Viento 15 years 43.5% is an aged rum made from molasses, column-distilled and then fully matured in selected ex-bourbon barrels known for their fine grain. The total aging reaches fifteen years under Salvadoran climate, much of it in a cellar with a specifically chosen microclimate to promote regular and harmonious maturation, balancing concentration and softness. This advanced tropicalization enhances notes of vanilla, caramel, and tropical fruits while developing a delicate spicy framework. Each batch is slowly reduced to 43.5%, a strength that highlights the smoothness of the texture and aromatic balance without weighing down the palate. The limited nature of this batch, with numbered bottles presented in a box, makes it both a collector’s rum and a bottle for immediate enjoyment. Viento thus joins the great rums of the Cihuatán house, but with a personality decidedly oriented towards elegance, fluidity, and indulgence.
On tasting, Cihuatan Viento 15 years displays a deep amber color with golden highlights. The nose opens on a warm register of vanilla, soft caramel, and brown sugar, quickly joined by notes of candied tropical fruits, mango, pineapple, and citrus, underscored by a veil of almond, light flowers, and mild spices. On the palate, the attack is velvety, almost creamy, with a natural sweetness carried by caramel, light honey, and orange jam, balanced by a discreet citrus freshness. The mid-palate gains complexity, blending exotic fruits, dried fruits, light balsamic, melted wood, and fine touches of marzipan, spiced cookies, and light cocoa. The finish, medium to long in length, remains silky and elegant, marked by vanilla, soft wood, caramelized pineapple, and a hint of spices reminiscent of the warm Salvadoran wind’s breath. This rum is ideally enjoyed neat or on a large ice cube and pairs wonderfully with a dessert based on milk chocolate or praline, spiced roasted pineapple, banana tart, or even a mild to medium cigar to prolong its indulgent swirls.
