Top 30 Rums Countdown # 1 – Ron Millonario XO Reserva Especial Rum

People always ask me, (when they find out about my website), what my favourite rum is. I usually hedge my bets and say something about how it depends upon my mood or what time of year it is. And for the most part, that is a truthful answer. Some spirits seem to taste better in the winter when it is cold, and some seem to find their sweet spot in the summer it is warm and the barbeque is grilling some hot dogs. But if I am really honest, I must admit that there are a few rums which seem to always find my sweet spot regardless of mood or time of the year. The Ron Millonario XO Reserva Especial is one of those great rums which never disappoints me. It never disappointed any of my Judging Panel either!

So without any further hoopla, allow me to introduce the 2012 Rum Howler Rum of the Year, judged by my Panel of Judges to be the Best in the World!

# 1 – Ron Millonario XO Reserva Especial Rum

“…  When I took my first sip of this rum, my immediate reaction what to exclaim, “Oh, that is lovely!” and subsequent sips and samplings have done nothing to dissuade me from this initial reaction. The main flavours of caramel/molasses, oak spice and baking spices seem to be perfectly melded together. Hints of raisin, figs, tobacco and chocolate seem to provide just the right accent to make this a suave mouth watering rum …”

The rum has it all, great depth of flavour, wonderful consistency from nose to mouth to finish, and wonderful balance between all of its elements. I simply love it, and my Judges did too!

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 11 – Ron Millonario Solero 15 Reserva Especial Rum

It was just a few short days ago that I spoke of Fabio Rossi, and his wonderful Rum Nation line-up. What I failed to mention is that Mr. Rossi is not just responsible for Rum Nation, but also for another brand of rum called Ron Millonario. The rums of Ron Millonario are produced ina distillery in Northern Peru on three old Scottish column stills from sugar cane molasses (utilizing a slow distillation process). The distillery uses its own specially selected yeasts in the fermentation process, and also utilize their own coopers to construct the aging barrels from American and Slavonian oak. The Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial, is produced from a 4 stage Solera process with the final stage bringing the oldest rum in the blend to 15 years.

In my opinion the rums of Ron Millonario are very special, and I was not surprised in the least when after tallying up the scores of my Judging Panel, the Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial scored this high on my countdown list:

# 11 – Ron Millonario Solero 15 Reserva Especial Rum

“…  This is a full flavoured rum which features impressions of burnt caramel (treacle), licorice laced molasses, dry fruit, wood spice, marmalade, pungent baking spices (cinnamon, cloves and allspice), dribbles of coffee and chocolate and rich tobacco. A bed of freshly cracked walnuts lies underneath providing a ribbon of bitterness which seems work well with the sweet molasses and the spicy oak flavours … “

The oak spice and that licorice laced molasses seem to give the rum a full flavoured ‘rough around the edges’ quality which I found very appealing.

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Review: Ron Millonario XO Reserva Especial Rum

Ron Millonario XO Reserva Especial Rum is a new rum which has entered the Alberta marketplace from Peru. It was extremely hard to research this rum as not even the Ron Millonario Website has any information about it.  The website does speak of three old Scottish column stills and a slow distillation process used to produce their rum from sugar cane molasses, although the exact distillery which produces the rum is not mentioned (only that it can be found in the North of Peru). It is implied that this distillery uses its own specially selected yeasts in the fermentation process, and mention is made of the distillery’s own coopers who construct their own aging barrels from American and Slavonian oak.

Although specifics about this particular rum are hard to find, it does give me an opportunity to review the spirit with very few preconceptions.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… As the glass breathes baking spices build with luxurious scents of vanilla, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. I seem to be catching hints of dry fruit which are sort of reminiscent of Christmas fruit cake. My sense is that the aroma is very well balanced… “

You may click the following link to read the full review:

Cheers!