Diplomático Añejo

Review: Diplomatico Anejo Rum 86/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (AKA Arctic Wolf)
Posted October 2009

In the late 1950s, the main companies involved in the production and distribution of alcoholic spirits in Venezuela were grouped into one organization called Licorerias Unitas S.A by the initiative of Seagrams who owned 51 % of the new entity until 1992. After a series of mergers and acquisitions involving Seagrams, Diageo, and Pernod Richard, a decision was made to divest in facilities and concentrate on brand commercialization. The result was a group of local investors who purchased the manufacturing assets of Licorerias Unitas S.A and formed Distilleries Unitas S.A. (DUSA) on August 22, 2002. Although the company is relatively new, the tradition of making quality rum in Venezuela using the these facilities which is not. In fact sugar cane has been cultivated in Venezuela perhaps as early as the 16th century.  Systematic rum production in Venezuela can be dated to 1896.

In the Bottle  4.0/5

I like the short squat bottle.  If we had a cork instead of a screw cap,  I would score this a 5.

In the Glass  8.5.0/10

Nutty (hazelnut and walnut) aroma mixed with cinnamon and brown sugar. The rum has a dark atmosphere in the glass and more a brooding aroma than the Exclusiva Reserva even though the spirit is lighter.

In the Mouth  52.0/60

This is slightly sweet and a just a touch harsh due to the young(ish) age. I taste nutty caramel, brown sugar, and cinnamon with butter.  I also tastes a bit of Amaretto like flavour on my palate. There is a backbite of spice almost like a sudden infusion of allspice at the end.  This is very good, and if we had a little more balance here I could rate this even higher.

In the Throat 13/15

I like the finish, but find my throat assaulted by a roughness from spices that are still battling down the throat into the stomach. I do not mind as this it is actually mildly invigorating.  There is a just a touch of  bitterness mixed in here that acts as a minor distraction.

The Afterburn (8.5/10)

I found I liked this rum. It has a light brashness that really works well in cocktails, and on days when I feel adventurous, it works as a sipper too.

If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Rum Reviews.

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You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)