Ron Zacapa Centenario is a popular premium rum produced in Guatemala. [1] Zacapa was created in 1976 to celebrate the centenary of the foundation of Zacapa, a town in eastern Guatemala.
It is made using the concentrated first pressing sugar cane juice, which is called virgin sugar cane honey, rather than molasses and is aged and blended using a unique aging system based on the solera method traditionally used for sherries. This process is overseen by master blender Lorena Vazquez. The company claims that part of their success lies in the fact that the barrels are stored 2,300 meters above sea level in an aging facility situated below the upper slopes of the mountains and volcanoes of Guatemala, where the temperature is an average of 62 degrees Fahrenheit.[2]
Early Zacapa bottles came in a bottle covered in a petate[3] - a handwoven matting made from palm leaves which dates from the Mayan period. More recently they feature a band around the middle of the bottle.[4]
The rum has won awards from different international competitions and is the first rum to be included in the International Rum Festival’s Hall of Fame.[5]. The Beverage Testing Institute has given Zacapa a 95 point rating. [6]