Comments about Zaya Rum:

I've been an aspiring rum aficionado for about three years now and have tried around 15 different kinds.

While I'm no expert, what I can tell you is Zaya is the best sipping rum I've tried in the range of $30. In fact, while not as complex as Ron Zacapa Centanario (aged nearly twice as long and aroud $45 a bottle), it's just about as good. in fact, for the uninitiated to sipping rums, I would bet they would prefer the slightly simpler yet still sublimely smooth experience of the Zaya.

I enjoy all my sipping rums "neat" (room temperature in a glass, no ice), but you can cut the taste a bit by adding an ice cube or two. Regardless of how you drink it, please don't mix this treat for the palate.

One note is that my Zaya experience only includes the newer variety distilled in Trinidad; not the original recipe (hailed as similar yet superior) from Guatemala (in the same place as the aforementioned Ron Zacapa, interestingly enough).