Zaya Gran Reserva is a dark, smoothly rounded premium rum with a clear “dessert-like” character in both aroma and flavor—rich in vanilla, caramel, and spice, and made to work as well for sipping as it does in flavor-driven rum cocktails. It’s best known for its generous style and its easy, velvety profile with a sweet-leaning warmth.
Zaya’s story is often described in two chapters. Historically, the brand was frequently associated with production in Guatemala, while the modern version of Zaya Gran Reserva is produced in the Caribbean, in Trinidad and Tobago. The brand is owned and marketed by Infinium Spirits, while the rum itself is sourced from Caribbean rum production where the focus is on blending and cask aging to deliver a consistent, warm, and bold house style.
The style is built from a blend of rums aged in oak, and the messaging around the bottling often highlights that it contains components aged “up to” 16 years. The result is a dark rum with a pronounced cask influence and an aromatic profile that leans toward baked, caramelized, and spiced notes. The ABV is typically 40%, which keeps it soft on the palate while still sturdy enough to stand up to ice and mixers.
On the nose, Zaya Gran Reserva comes across as distinctly sweet and spicy, with plenty of vanilla, toffee/fudge, and caramel, often joined by hints that recall cocoa and baked fruits. There’s also a gentle spice warmth that can suggest cinnamon, clove, or similar “baking spices.” The palate is full and round, showing creamy vanilla and caramel, a darker thread of cocoa, and a warm spiced edge that adds length. The finish is long, smooth, and warming—more gourmand than dry and oaky—which makes it especially appealing to those who enjoy a generous, sweet-leaning cask character.
Zaya Gran Reserva can be used in several ways. As a sipping rum, it’s best at room temperature or over a large ice cube, where the aromas open up and the sweetness feels more balanced. Behind the bar, it’s ideal when you want a rum that delivers immediate, unmistakable flavor: in a rum Old Fashioned variation, in rum-and-espresso style cocktails, or in a simple highball where the rum’s vanilla and caramel notes can take center stage. It can also work in citrus-led drinks, especially when paired with a touch of bitterness or a drier element to tighten the overall balance.
With food and dessert, it’s particularly versatile. It pairs well with dark chocolate, toffee- and caramel-based desserts, nuts, grilled pineapple, or other fruits with a roasted sweetness. As an after-dinner digestif, it’s a reliable choice when you want something soft, warming, and clearly flavor-forward.
In short, Zaya Gran Reserva is a Caribbean-produced, oak-aged dark rum in a clearly generous, rounded style: vanilla, caramel, cocoa, and warming spice with a long, smooth finish—perfect for sipping, very rewarding in flavor-driven cocktails, and a strong partner for chocolate and caramel desserts.
