Costa Rica’s NICOYA Rum Awarded 95 and 93 Points, Both Best Buy, by Wine Enthusiast
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NEW YORK, NY – July 1, 2026 – NICOYA, Costa Rica’s first single-estate rum, has been awarded two Best Buy ratings by Wine Enthusiast: 95 points for NICOYA Añejo and 93 points for NICOYA Blanco. Both expressions are bottled at 40% ABV in 700mL bottles and retail at $19.99 in the United States, distributed across Total Wine stores in the U.S.
The ratings recognize NICOYA’s vision to transform the terroir of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula into a leading single-estate rum brand, combining complete cane-to-glass traceability, distinctive tropical character, and exceptional value at the $20 price point.
A Recognition for Costa Rican Terroir.
NICOYA was born from a long-term partnership with a historic sugarcane estate in Guanacaste. The estate grows its own cane and distills, ages, and blends its rums on site, making NICOYA Costa Rica’s first single-estate rum. The range brings together cane juice, cane honey, and molasses, then matures in the tropical climate of the Nicoya Peninsula, where heat and humidity accelerate the rum’s interaction with ex-bourbon barrels.
“We fell in love with Costa Rica in 2021 and were immediately struck by the quality of its sugarcane,” says Pierre Bardinet, Director, NICOYA. “Five years later, we are proud to pioneer Costa Rica’s first single-estate rum and to see momentum build both in the United States and at home in Costa Rica. These scores recognize our vision: to transform Costa Rican terroir into a leading rum brand that delivers genuine quality, provenance, and exceptional value for money.”
What Wine Enthusiast Tasted.
NICOYA Añejo, 95 Points: Wine Enthusiast described “creamy caramel on nose and palate wind into buttery, rich brown-sugar tones, followed by a gentle baking spice finish. It’s like liquid pastry, ideal for fortifying a latte.”
NICOYA Blanco, 93 Points: The magazine noted “a straw color and warm toasted-coconut scent. The palate echoes that coconut note, adding vanilla and cream soda, and finishing with clove and fleeting minty tingle.”
Quality and Value, Recognized with Best Buy Distinction.
Wine Enthusiast’s Best Buy distinction recognizes products that pair high quality with compelling value. For NICOYA, the two scores reinforce the brand’s proposition in the premium-rum category: a single-estate Costa Rican rum with a clear origin story, crafted character, and a retail price designed to invite discovery.
Availability.
NICOYA rums are imported to the United States and available at Total Wine & More, as well as across all channels in Costa Rica via Grupo Pampa.
About NICOYA.
NICOYA is Costa Rica’s first single-estate rum, crafted in Guanacaste from sugarcane grown on the same estate where the rum is distilled, aged, and blended. Combining volcanic soils, a Pacific tropical climate, and French blending expertise, NICOYA embodies the Pura Vida spirit through transparency, purity, and an uncompromising commitment to quality.
Contact.
Pierre Bardinet
Director, NICOYA
LES BIENHEUREUX
New York, NY
Learn more.
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