Top 30 Rums Countdown # 10 – Juan Santos 21 Year

The rums of Juan Santos are produced in Colombia, South America by Santana Liquors. The Juan Santos 21 Year Antigua Reserva Rum is a molasses based rum which has been apparently been aged  for 21 years in used whisky and bourbon barrels from Kentucky. At this time the Juan Santos brand is available only in Western Canada, although the Ron Santero brand from Santana Liquors is available in other markets. Although Juan Santos is relatively unknown outside of the Western Canadian market, I have discovered that this rum brings an astounding level of smoothness and depth of flavour to the rum glass.

The appeal of this rum is so strong in fact that my judging panel ranked it as the 10 best rum in my The Rum Howler 2012 Top 30 Rums Countdown:

 

# 10 – Juan Santos 21 Year

“… Rising into the air, with the smell light toffee and brown sugar, is a light touch of rye spices similar to Canadian rye whisky (wood spice, cardamom and ginger). The whisky like aromas and the rum-like toffee and brown sugar have in fact melted together giving the Juan Santos a very unique character in the glass. Notes of light sandal wood, some dried currants and a light smokiness round out my perceptions of the nose …”

 

The various flavours the Juan Santos 21 Year Old Rum possesses seem to melt and merge into each other wonderfully. This mixing and melting of flavours results in a truly wonderful rum.

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 15 – Dictador 12 Year Solera

I was first introduced to the Dictador Rums when I convinced the local distributor to drop in on one of the monthly gatherings of my Rum Club. Two bottles of the new Dictador Rum (The 12-year-old and the 20-year-old) were brought to the club for us to taste and provide feedback. Later I also sampled the Dictador rums in Miami, at the Rum Festival. Both times I remember being taken in by the Dictador style and the rich vibrant rum inside the bottles. So far I have tasted and reviewed only three of the Dictador bottlings, the Perpetual XO, the 20 Year Old, and of course the Dictador 12 Year Old. It speaks to the quality of manufacture that all three have landed in my Top 30 Rum Countdown:

 

# 15 – Dictador 12 Year Solera

“… A yummy marzipan which reminds me of toasted almonds smothered in roasted marshmallows is nestled nicely under the oak and spice.  A touch of coffee, a hint of ripe cherry, and more charred flavours  (perhaps some toasted coconut) seem to arrive at the end with a sherry-like smokiness which also brings nuances of dry fruit and cocoa to the fore…”

The Dictador 12 Year Old Rum is a solera aged rum with the oldest rum in the bottle being at least 12 years of age. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume in a stylish black 700 ml bottle.

 

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 18 – Dictador 20 Year Solera

According to the Dictador website, the Dictador 20 Year Old Solera Rum is the result of the fermentation of a mixture of virgin sugar cane honey which has been distilled in part from alembic copper pot stills and in part from continuous column stills. This is a solera aged rum with the oldest rum in the bottle being at least 20 years of age. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume in a stylish black 700 ml bottle. The Dictador website explains that the rum is produced in Colombia, more exactly, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia at Cartagena de Indias City, and  is named for Arango Y Ferro who was nicknamed ‘Dictador’ by the local population of Cartagena de Indias as he rose to prominence in the trade and commerce between the Spanish Colonies and Spain (sometime after 1751).

This is the second rum from Dictador which has ended up on my Countdown list placing itself at number 18:

# 18 – Dictador 20 Year Solera

“… The aroma from the glass is heavily tainted with oak and baking spice.  I smell dark brown sugars and toffee which grows stronger and deeper as the glass decants.  A hint of maple sits in the breezes. And accents of cinnamon, nutmeg as well as a firm dash of vanilla rise up to complement the strong oak aroma…”

The Dictador 20 year Old Solera Blend is a suave, yet rich rum experience!

Top 30 Rums Countdown # 22 – Dictador XO Perpetual

According to the Dictador website, Dictador Rum is produced in Colombia South America, more exactly, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia at Cartagena de Indias City. The rum is named for Arango Y Ferro who was nicknamed ‘Dictador’ by the local population of Cartagena de Indias, in early Colombia (sometime after 1751) as he rose to prominence in the trade and commerce between the Spanish Colonies and Spain. Arango apparently fell in love with the local cane spirit and became an important producer of rum at that time.

The Dictador Perpetual is an elegant sipping rum and a very worthy addition to my Top 30 Rums in the World listing:

#22  Dictador XO Perpetual

“… I would describe this as a light to medium bodied rum with a soft dryness. The smoky sherry-like accents are very noticeable initially; but as the rum decants, sweeter flavours of butterscotch and toffee begin to take center stage. There is a moderate amount of oak spice and citrus zest which gives the rum a nice spicy heat. Rich brown sugary baking spices, (in particular vanilla and cinnamon) build alongside the butterscotch and toffee… “

This is one of those rare rums which seems to taste better every time I have another glass.

Review: Dictador XO Perpetual

It was about a year ago that I was contacted by the fellows tho are responsible for Dictador Rum, and was asked if I would like to review their new Dictador XO Perpetual. This new rum sounded intriguing, and I was curious about the how the Dictador XO Rum might differ from the Dictador 12 and Dictador 20 Year Solera rums which I had already tasted and reviewed. I agreed to receive a sample and when it arrived, I found this statement on the plastic protective sleeve which slides over the box that houses the XO Perpetual.

” … The Dictador XO Solera System Rum is elaborated from the fermentation of unique virgin honey of sugar cane, then distilled in antique copper pot alembic then is aged in very high end pre-used oak barrels from 3 cardinal points… “

Additional statements on the Dictador website speak to a difference in the aging regimen used for the XO rums. Although the information is not specific, it appears that the major difference is in the oak selected. The intent seems to be to create a different flavour profile for the Dictador XO. As a result, the XO Rums (the Insolent and the Perpetual) promise to offer a new taste experience for the rum connoisseur.

The Dictador website also explains that the Dictador Rum are produced in Colombia, more exactly, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia at Cartagena de Indias City. These rums are based upon an international marketing concept, combining the traditions of Colombian rum making with Japanese bottle designs and European packaging and marketing.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The Dictador XO Perpetual has a beguiling quality in the glass. The initial scents are aromatic and fruity. I sense a wonderful butterscotch sweetness underneath a bouquet of oak and baking spices (vanilla, brown sugars, and cinnamon). Orange peel wells out of the glass, but if you are patient the orange peel soon melds with the butterscotch to give the air a lovely impression of marmalade …”

You may read my full review here:

Please enjoy the review, and my cocktail suggestion, the Rum Old Fashioned!

The Juan Santos Rum Reviews

When I opened my website in October of 2009, my early reviews were accepted by the rum community as something worthwhile almost immediately.  In fact, various rum companies and importers began to offer me samples of their products to review pretty much from the get-go. The first such company (The Libor Group) was the Alberta importer for a Colombian Rum called Juan Santos.  They had four well aged dark rums in their portfolio, and I was given a bottle of each to review on my website.  Not once was there any suggestion that I should do anything but just give my honest about each rum.

Because I have so many readers now that I did not have before, I am re-posting these original reviews to allow my new readers a fresh chance to enjoy them as well.

Here are my original Jan Santos Rum Reviews:

Review: Juan Santos 5 Yr Old Rum

Review: Juan Santos 9 Yr Old Rum

Review: Juan Santos 12 Yr Old Rum

Review: Juan Santos 21 Yr Old Rum

It was when I wrote the Juan Santos reviews that I began to add cocktail at the end of each review. It is my firm believe that even the best rums can be enjoyed in a cocktail as well as sipped neat. Since a  few of these cocktails never made it into my recipe section, I thought would be a good time to add them. So if you like cocktails please enjoy the following suggestions:

For the Juan Santos 5 Yr Old Rum, my cocktail suggestion was a Rum and Ginger.
For the Juan Santos 9 Yr Old Rum, my cocktail suggestion was a Rum Manhattan.
For the Juan Santos 5 Yr Old Rum, my cocktail suggestion was a Rum Sloe and Sour.
For the Juan Santos 5 Yr Old Rum, my cocktail suggestion was a Sloe Rum Cocktail.

Please enjoy these original reviews and recipes from my early postings. Cheers!

Review: Juan Santos Coffee Infused Rum

Juan Santos (Coffee Infused Colombian Rum) is produced by Casa Santana, a rum company born in Columbia in 1994.  I posted my original review of this flavoured rum way back in October of 2009,  as one of the first ten reviews I opened this website with.

I thought that I should re-post this review such that my new readers could become aware of what I think is an outstanding flavoured rum, perhaps the best coffee favoured spirit I have come across.  Here is an excerpt from that original review:

“…The aroma from the glass is steeped with rich coffee. I love coffee, and I love the aroma. It smells rich and sweet, more like a liqueur than the type of rum spirit I am used to. The rum notes are there as well, complimented by the coffee but not drowned in it. ..”

You may read the full review here:

Please Enjoy this early review of mine!

Review: Dictador 20 Year Solera Rum

A few weeks ago I reviewed the Dictador 12 Year old Solera Aged Rum, and at the time I hinted that a review of the 20-year-old companion rum was on its way.  The rum reviews are at the request of PB Beverages which is the importing company bringing the Dictador Rums to my home Province of Alberta.

The Dictador 20 Year Old Rum is a solera aged rum with the oldest rum in the bottle being at least 20 years of age. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume in a stylish black 700 ml bottle. The Dictador website also explains that the rum is produced in Colombia, more exactly, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia at Cartagena de Indias City, and  is named for Arango Y Ferro who was nicknamed ‘Dictador’ by the local population of Cartagena de Indias as he rose to prominence in the trade and commerce between the Spanish Colonies and Spain (sometime after 1751). Arango apparently fell in love with the local cane spirit and became an important producer of rum at that time. In 1913, his descendant Don Julia Arango Y Ferro established the Distileria Colombiana.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial entry into the mouth is smooth and suave. All the scents which were easily discernible in the glass were much harder to distinguish as flavours in the mouth. in fact, most of the flavours seem to have blended and melted together in a nice harmonious balance which makes identification perilous, but is also a rare treat to the palate….”

You may read the full review here:

As well the review includes a new cocktail I call The Drumbeat.

Please enjoy the review and cocktail!

Review: Dictador 12 Year Solera Rum

I was first introduced to the Dictador Rums about six months ago when I convinced Paul Charabin of  PB Beverages to drop in on one of the monthly gatherings of  The Edmonton Rum Chums. He brought a couple of bottles of the new Dictador Rum (The 12-year-old and the 20-year-old), and allowed the club to sample them. I also sampled this rum in Miami, at Rum Renaissance. Both times I remember being taken in by the Dictador style and the rich vibrant rum inside the bottles. Dictador is a medium bodied, complex blend of premium aged rums with a full, rich flavour profile. Fortunately for me, I was promised sample bottles of each to put through the paces of my review system, and about one month ago Paul Charabin came through.

The Dictador 12 Year Old Rum is a solera aged rum with the oldest rum in the bottle being 12 years of age. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume in a stylish black 700 ml bottle.

According to the Dictador website, their rum is produced in Colombia, more exactly on the Caribbean coast of Colombia at Cartagena de Indias city.  The rum is named for Arango Y Ferro who was nicknamed ‘Dictador’ by the local population of Cartagena de Indias, in early Colombia (sometime after 1751) as he rose to prominence in the trade and commerce between the Spanish Colonies and Spain. Arango apparently fell in love with the local cane spirit and became an important producer of rum at that time. In 1913, his descendant Don Julia Arango Y Ferro established the Distileria Colombiana.

Here is a link to the review of this special rum:

As well I have included a recipe of the Dictador Sidecar.

Please enjoy the review and the recipe!

Intoducing Dictador Rum

Photo Courtesy of PB Beverages

I was first introduced to the Dictador Rums about six months ago when I convinced Paul Charabin of  PB Beverages to drop in on one of the monthly gatherings of The Edmonton Rum Chums . He brought a couple of bottles of the new Dictador Rum (The 12-year-old and the 20-year-old).

Dictador is a product which melds European style with Colombian rum, and crowns the presentation in elegant Japanese bottles.   The product exudes class and luxury and practically has your mouth-watering before you even open the bottle.

Of course this begs the question, did the crafters of the rum pay as much attention to the contents, as they did to the container?  In a nutshell, the answer is undeniably…Yes!  Oh My Yes!

I have sampled this rum twice,  the first time in February at that meeting of the Edmonton Rum Chums, and the second time in Miami, at Rum Renaissance. Each time I was completely taken in by the Dictador style and the rich vibrant rum inside the bottles.  The rum is a medium bodied complex blend of premium aged rums with a full rich flavour profile.   The 12-year-old is luxuriously smooth in spite of the rich flavours, and the 20-year-old brings the extra complexity of  a long aged rum to the fore without the bitterness and harshness which can come with age.  I am hard pressed to choose between them.  Fortunately for me, I was promised sample bottles of each to put through the paces of my review system, and you can be sure that I will provide all of you with more details as soon as they are available.  Until then…Cheers!