The Cartavio rum line is produced in Trujillo, Peru, by Destilerias Unidas S.A.C. using locally produced molasses. The company uses a combination of a continuous column and copper pot stills to distill their rums. 
Cartavio 12 is created using a “Solera method” using rums between five and fifteen years old. They aged their rums using a combination of used American and European Oak barrels, finally blending their rum to 40% ABV before bottling.

Appearance/Presentation

The 750 ml standard wine bottle has a black foil neck wrap that encases the plastic cork. The front label provides the basic details while the back lists some details about the product along with the normal legal requirements.
The rum holds a dark amber color in the bottle and glass. When I swirled the liquid a medium sized line formed around the glass which slowly beaded up and produced a combination of thick and thin legs that slid down the glass.
Nose

The aroma revealed sweet caramel, coffee, cocoa, cooked bananas and toasted almonds.
Palate

On the palate what smelled like caramel transitions to a solid toffee with dark cocoa with notes of toasted almonds playing across the middle. As these notes fade I discovered notes of dried apricot, cooked banana, and sweet vanilla. As it turns toward the finish I pick up light acidity accompanied by notes of tobacco, clove and ginger in a long finish.
Review

Less sweet and just as dynamic as the XO, Ron Cartavio 12 Year Solera has a lot going on. When creating the product the cellar master uses three different kinds of barrels from France, Slovenia, and the United States to help create this interesting blend of flavors.  The alcohol of the rum pops around the edges proving a pleasant tingle at the finish.
The flavor profile is diverse enough for classic rum cocktails but some of the flavors and acidity may complicate pineapple based drinks.
 I found it was a decent sipper; after I added a drop of water the fruitiness of the profile really came out to play along with some of the oak notes.