Dining

First Pour: El Supremo brings Paraguayan Caña style sugarcane honey rum to UK

El Supremo rum range

El Supremo Rum, from Paraguay, has launched in the UK, bringing a distinctive national style – Caña Paraguaya – to British rum fans.

Produced in partnership with CAPASA, Paraguay’s state‑owned sugarcane alcohol producer, the range draws on traditional production methods rooted in indigenous Guaraní culture. 

El Supremo is made using 100% sugarcane juice that’s reduced over an open fire for several hours into miel de caña, or sugarcane honey, before fermentation and distillation. This process concentrates flavour and gives the spirit a richer aromatic profile than many conventional rums.

Ian Burrell rum ambassador

Ageing follows a double-cask approach. The spirit is first matured in native Incienso Marrón wood, long associated with Guaraní traditions, before being transferred to French oak casks. The producer opts for static ageing rather than solera blending, meaning each bottling carries a true age statement reflective of its time in cask.

Four expressions are now available at launch: a 5 year old, 8 year old, 12 year old and 18 year old, each bottled to showcase a progression in depth and complexity.

The Luxe Review attended the London launch event, where the full El Supremo line-up was poured, offering an opportunity to explore a category still relatively unfamiliar on these shores.

Global rum ambassador Ian Burrell compèred the launch event , alongside Filippo Maria Olivi, CEO of El Supremo Rum, along with folk dancing troup Grupo Eirete UK, and a harpist. The Paraguayan harp is formally recognised as the national instrument of Paraguay.

El Supremo is made using 100% sugarcane juice that’s reduced over an open fire for several hours into miel de caña, or sugarcane honey…

El Supremo rum tasting notes

The youngest expression in the El Supremo range opens with a lively nose of honey and bitter chocolate. On the palate, it’s supple and delicate, offering notes of toffee, spice and black pepper. The finish is peppery, softened by a touch of vanilla sweetness.

The 8-year-old introduces greater structure. Aromas lean towards spice and sweetness, with cinnamon, clove and a hint of wood. The palate is drier, with cocoa, caramel and a subtle mineral character. A long, warming finish carries spiced cocoa notes.

This was one of the standouts at the tasting, striking a balance between price and flavour that should appeal to a broad audience.

The 12-year-old builds further complexity. The nose is polished, with clove, cinnamon and vanilla layered over aged wood. On the palate, it’s richer and more rounded, delivering vanilla, butterscotch and milk chocolate. The finish introduces a touch of heat, with red pepper flake alongside lingering vanilla.

It’s another highlight of the range, offering a depth that feels well judged for its price point.

The oldest expression presents a more developed profile. The nose combines dried apricot, cherry and roasted tea with oak and dark chocolate. The palate is velvety, with sweet dried fruit and pronounced oak, before moving into a smoky finish of caramel and honeycomb. The finish is long, with notes of dark chocolate, espresso and leather, touched by honey.

El Supremo Rum is now available, with the 5YO, 8YO, 12O and 18YO, priced at £35.95, £49.95,  £58.95, and  £98.95, respectively.

Retailers include Gerry’s Wine & Spirits, Rum Shop UK and NotOnTheHighStreet.

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About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and Editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Good Housekeeping, Louder Sounds, StereoNet and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter/X, Tiktok and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK