Don Papa
The sweet rum from the Philippines with the colorful bottle. Everything about the taste, the difference between 7 Years, Baroko and Masskara, how to drink it and the right glass to use.
Rum from the sugar cane fields of Negros
Don Papa is a rum from the Philippine island of Negros, the Philippines' "sugar island", where sugar cane grows in volcanic soil at the foot of Mount Kanlaon. The brand was launched in 2012 and is named after Papa Isio, a sugar cane worker and healer who played a role in the Philippine struggle for independence. His face appears on the label, among the island's colorful animals and plants.
The rum is made from molasses, distilled in column stills and aged in American oak ex-bourbon casks in a tropical climate, which makes it mature quickly. Don Papa is known for its sweet, dessert-like style: vanilla, honey, candied fruit and a long finish. In addition to the 7 Years, there are Baroko, Masskara and Gayuma, as well as the more expensive 10 Years. In the Netherlands, Don Papa has quickly become one of the most popular rums.
In brief
What types of Don Papa are there?
Don Papa 7 Years
The original: aged for up to seven years in American oak. Amber-colored, sweet and smooth, with vanilla, honey and candied fruit.
Don Papa Baroko
Aged in various casks, with no age statement. Slightly drier and spicier than the 7, with orange peel and dried fruit.
Don Papa Masskara
Inspired by the Masskara Festival: rum with calamansi (Filipino citrus), honey and a hint of chili pepper. Fruity and fresh.
Don Papa Gayuma
Three years in ex-bourbon casks, then six months in ex-Rioja and three months in ex-Islay whisky casks. Richer, with red fruits and a hint of smoke.
The 7 Years is the bottle the brand is known for; Baroko is the better choice for cocktails.
Sweet, smooth and full of vanilla
Vanilla & orange
Sweet vanilla, honey and candied orange peel, with a hint of coconut and oak.
Sweet and silky smooth
Round and syrupy, almost like a liqueur: honey, vanilla, toffee and ripe fruit. Little alcohol warmth.
Long and sweet
A long, sweet finish of vanilla and oak. Baroko and Gayuma are drier and spicier.
Flavor profile of Don Papa 7 Years. Baroko is drier, Masskara fresher, and Gayuma richer with a hint of smoke.
Three ways to drink Don Papa
Don Papa is sweet enough to drink neat and smooth enough for on the rocks. In cocktails, it works as a dessert rum.
On the rocks
50 ml Don Papa 7 over one large ice cube in a tumbler. The ice tempers the sweetness and makes it fresher. The most popular way.
Glass: tumbler →Neat, after a meal
30 ml in a tulip-shaped tasting glass or cognac glass, at room temperature. As a digestif, instead of a liqueur or cognac.
Glass: tasting glass →Don Papa with cola or ginger ale
50 ml Don Papa with 150 ml cola or ginger ale in a highball glass filled with ice, with a lime wedge. Sweet and warm; a little fresher with ginger ale.
Glass: highball glass →The best cocktails with Don Papa
Rum Old Fashioned
Don Papa, a little sugar and bitters over a large ice cube. Leave out the sugar: the rum is sweet enough.
Dark 'n Stormy
Dark rum, ginger beer and lime. With Don Papa, sweeter and smoother than with Goslings.
Rum Espresso Martini
Replace the vodka with Don Papa: the vanilla and honey pair perfectly with espresso and coffee liqueur.
Rum cocktails
All rum cocktails in one place, from Mai Tai to Piña Colada.The right glass for Don Papa
A heavy tumbler for on the rocks and an Old Fashioned, a tasting glass or cognac glass for drinking neat, and a highball glass for mixing with cola. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Don Papa
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