Ron Abuelo
Ron Abuelo is rum from Panama, made by the family business Varela Hermanos. Smooth, rounded, and vanilla-like, with a white bottle for cocktails and 7- and 12-year-old rums to enjoy slowly neat.
Rum from a Panamanian family
Ron Abuelo comes from Panama, the country between Central and South America. The rum is made by Varela Hermanos, a family business founded in 1908. The story goes back to José Varela Blanco, a Spanish immigrant who started a sugarcane mill in Panama. His family still makes the rum today. Abuelo is Spanish for grandpa.
Panamanian rum is part of the Spanish-speaking rum tradition, like rum from Cuba and the Dominican Republic. This style is light and smooth, with few sharp edges. You can see that in Ron Abuelo: the young rum is smooth enough for a Mojito, while the older bottles become rounder and sweeter in flavor over the years as they age in oak barrels, with vanilla, caramel, and cocoa. The older the rum, the darker its color and the more it becomes a drink to enjoy neat.
In brief
Four bottles of Ron Abuelo, from white to 12-year-old
Gall & Gall sells four types of Ron Abuelo. The white and añejo varieties are for mixing, while the 7- and 12-year-old rums are for savoring.
Ron Abuelo Blanco
A light, smooth white rum. Fresh and elegant, with a subtle character that does not overpower a cocktail.
Ron Abuelo Añejo
Lightly aged rum with a golden-yellow color. A little more flavor than the Blanco, but still made for mixing.
Ron Abuelo 7 Años
Aged for seven years, full and rich, with vanilla and caramel. The bottle that sits between mixing and drinking neat.
Ron Abuelo 12 Años
Aged for at least twelve years. Dark in color, with aromas of cocoa, dried plums, and wood, and a full-bodied flavor with chocolate and vanilla.
What's the difference between white, dark and spiced rum? Read about it on our rum page.
Smooth, with vanilla and caramel
Vanilla & caramel
Sweet vanilla and caramel dominate. With the 12-year-old, cacao, dried plums and wood are added.
Round and smooth
Little harshness, a round and slightly sweet flavor. The older rum is fuller and has a smoky edge from the cask.
Warm and sweet
A medium-length, warm finish with toffee and chocolate. Short and clean with the Blanco.
Flavor profile of Ron Abuelo 7 Años. The Blanco is lighter and less sweet, while the 12 Años is fuller, with more wood and cacao.
Three ways to drink Ron Abuelo
The Blanco and Añejo are for the shaker and highball glass. Serve the 7- and 12-year-olds neat, with or without ice.
Neat or over ice
4 cl in a tumbler, at room temperature or with one large ice cube. Ice makes the rum fresher and slightly less sweet; without ice, you taste the vanilla and wood better.
Glass: tumbler →With cola and lime
Pour 5 cl Ron Abuelo Añejo over plenty of ice, top up with cold cola and squeeze a lime wedge over it. That's how you make a Cuba Libre.
Cuba Libre recipe →In a Daiquiri
Shake 6 cl Ron Abuelo Blanco, 3 cl fresh lime juice and 2 cl sugar syrup hard with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Three ingredients, and you can taste exactly how smooth the rum is.
Daiquiri recipe →Cocktails with Ron Abuelo
Use the Blanco or Añejo for refreshing cocktails. Make a full-bodied Old Fashioned with the 7 Años.
Mojito
White rum, lime, mint, sugar and sparkling water.
Daiquiri
Rum, lime and sugar. The simplest test for a rum.
Cuba Libre
Rum, cola and lime over plenty of ice.
Rum Old Fashioned
The classic with aged rum instead of whisky.The right glass for Ron Abuelo
A sturdy tumbler for rum over ice, a tulip-shaped tasting glass for the 12-year-old, and a coupe for the Daiquiri. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Ron Abuelo
Can't find your question here? Read more about rum or explore our rum cocktails.
To rum →Where does Ron Abuelo come from?
How much alcohol does Ron Abuelo contain?
What is the difference between Ron Abuelo 7 and 12 years?
How do you drink Ron Abuelo?
Which glass do you use for rum?
Is Ron Abuelo sweet?
Buy Ron Abuelo
Want the bottle at home right away? Order Ron Abuelo online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of October 8, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can find the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No under 18s, no alcohol.