This is what makes Ron Abuelo so special: its cache of oak-aged rums, ranging from the seven-year-old to the centurian, which is made up of rums aged for a total of 100 years altogether. Abuelo means 'grandfather' in Spanish: a nod to the brand's history as Panama's oldest rum producer. The story began in 1908, when Spanish immigrant Don José Varela Blanco arrived in Pesé – a small town in Las Cabras, near to where the distillery is located. There he established the country's first sugar mill, and by 1936, he and his three sons began distilling alcohol from freshly pressed sugarcane juice. The stunning campaign that Purple Creative has delivered perfectly expresses the beauty of the places, the great drinks they produce and the adventurous extra flavours they impart.” Ron Abuelo president Luis Varela said: “These are rums with a Panamanian heart and a pioneering soul. Our Finish Collection features our most treasured reserves, which have been carefully aged for at least 15 years in American oak barrels, then finished in sherry, cognac and port casks. The town of Pesé, established in the middle of the 18th century, is located in a fertile valley in the middle of Panama, where the main commercial activity of its near 10,000 inhabitants is the cultivation of sugarcane. In 1936, agreeing to the wishes of his three eldest sons, José Manuel, Plinio and Julio, Don José began distilling rum from molasses processed from sugar cane grown on the distillery’s own estates.

We are excited to collaborate in The Netherlands with De Kuyper who we feel will hit the mark on delivering and moving our brand towards the next phase of growth in the Netherlands. They are well positioned to introduce the innovation and craftsmanship of the Ron Abuelo range to Dutch consumers” states Daniel Fábrega, Vice President of International Business Development of Ron Abuelo. “We would also like to thank Ivo van der Valk and Quality Spirits who have played an integral part in the brand’s success in the Netherlands in the past years” adds Daniel Fábrega. This versatility and finishing process is Ron Abuelo's hallmark, which it has recently applied to a new collection of three rums finished in a different casks: oloroso sherry, tawny port or cognac. Each of these serves is delicious, imbued with a unique flavour. The range is available in three variants that have been finished in European sherry, cognac and port casks: Napoleon, with ripe autumn fruit flavours; Oloroso, which has a balance of fruit sweetness and citrus notes; and Tawny, with layers of red fruits and summer berries. To make it, five different varieties of sugarcane go into the rum which all comes from its 1600-hectare estate near the town of Pesé. Much of it is hand-harvested. Unusually for Latin American rum, both molasses and pure sugarcane juice are used with an 80/20 split between the former and the latter. The two different types of sugar are fermented, distilled, and aged separately. Abuelo uses a special in-house yeast derived from pineapple. Fermentation takes place over about 48 hours to produce a 7-8% low wine.To coincide with the launch, a new ad campaign called ‘a new adventure in rum’ has been created by Abuelo’s global agency Purple Creative. We took our inspiration from some of our favourite spirits and places in the world, to create expressions for both serious rum enthusiasts and new fans alike.

Ron Abuelo is produced in Pesé, Panama by Varela Hermanos, in a small fertile valley in the Azuero Peninsula. In 1908, the company’s founder, Don José Varela Blanco, arrived in the recently formed Republic of Panama from Spain and established the country’s first sugar mill. Today, the brand unites nine different rum expressions from Añejo, the youngest rum both in age and spirit that it all started with, to Centuria, the celebration of a century of craftmanship. The Abuelo rum range is rounded up by the Three Angels, soon to be introduced to the Dutch market. The innovative, super premium rum is the pinnacle of Ron Abuelo’s matured 12-aged-rums, showcasing their expertise in the category and taking intensity to new heights.

Panamanian rum brand Ron Abuelo has announced the global launch of its Finish Collection, which is aged for 15 years in American oak barrels.