Top 30 Rums Countdown # 2 – Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

The Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva has been on of my most favourite rums ever since I first tasted it four years ago. According to the Distilleries Unitas S.A. (DUSA) website, the rum they produce is distilled from “honeys derived from sugar cane” and fermented molasses. All of the stills and distillation kettles are made from copper. The website also makes it clear that flavouring and aromatic agents are used in the production of their rum, as this statement on the website attests:

“Only high purity distilled alcohols and rich aromas and flavours are used to manufacture rums…”

My feeling when completing a review is that the spirit should be judged on its own merits, rather than prejudged by my own misconceptions about how it should be produced. My Judging Panel agreed, as we declared Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva the number 2 rum in the entire world:

# 2 – Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

“… The smells and aromas coming from the glass are so rich and luxurious that I can hardly keep it from my mouth. I detect a good dose of caramel with nice hints of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and walnuts. The rum displays a nice soft oil on the sides of the glass when I tilt and twirl it indicating that the rum should have long finish as well …”

This is definitely a favourite of mine for sipping and for mixing, and still three years after my original review, still one of the best rums I have tasted.

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 28 – Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera

The Ron Santa Theresa 1796 Antiguo de Solero is a Venezuelan rum which can trace its ancestry back to the year of 1796 when the Santa Theresa Hacienda was created. This is a true Solero rum with 4 rows of aging barrels set one atop each other. As the rum ages, a portion of the rum moves through each row until it reaches the final solero row at the bottom years later. The barrels are never fully emptied as only a portion of the rum from the previous or higher row is moved to the lower row each time.

The Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera was well liked by my Panel of Judges making into the Top 30 Rum Countdown as the #28 rum.

#28 – Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera

“… the initial aroma seems to be hinting that the spirit at some point in its journey passed through an exotic wine cask which has left an imprint of fruity dark cherries and plums upon the scent of the rum. Rich aromas of butterscotch and light smells of molasses join with these fruity scents and the result is most appealing. Wood spices abound, and they are tart like cinnamon and cloves…”

The appeal of this rum is to visit it when something special is in the winds.

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Review: Ron Santa Theresa 1796 Antigua de Solero

One of my very first rum reviews I wrote when I opened this website was for Ron Santa Theresa 1796 Antigua de Solero. I had the occasion to open another bottle recently, and I decided to revisit the review to flesh out the tasting notes and provide a better description of the rum for my readers.

This is a Venezuelan rum which can trace its ancestry back to the year of 1796 when the Santa Theresa Hacienda was created. It was 200 years later that the Ron Santa Theresa 1796 was produced to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the Hacienda. This is a true Solero rum with 4 rows of aging barrels set one atop each other. As the rum ages, a portion of the rum moves through each row until it reaches the final solero row at the bottom years later. The barrels are not emptied fully and only a portion of the rum from the previous or higher row is moved to the lower row each time. According to the Santa Theresa website, a portion of the rum reaches an age approximating 25 years before bottling.

Here is an excerpt from my updated review:

“… Rich aromas of butterscotch and light smells of molasses join with these fruity scents and the result is most appealing. Wood spices abound and they are tart like cinnamon and cloves. I also sense a deeper imprint of lush dark fruit (plums, dark cherries and raisins) as time passes…”

You may read the full review here:

Cheers Everyone!

Review: Pampero Seleccion 1938 Rum

In 1938, a distillery in Venezuela was established called Industrias Pampero, C.A.. This distillery is said to be the first distillery in Venezuela to set the high standards for which Venezuelan Rum is now famous for. Their flagship rum,  Pampero Seleccion 1938 is a rum which unfortunately is unavailable any longer where I live in Alberta, because Diageo, the spirits conglomerate which currently owns the rights to the Pampero brand outside of Venezuela, has chosen not to market this rum in my locale. The way it was explained to me is that boutique brands such as Pampero, regardless of how well-regarded they may be, just don’t sell well enough in my market to warrant the effort.

I found what I believe was one of the last bottles for sale in Edmonton about two years ago and now, two years later, I cannot find the rum anywhere in the Province. Sadly, it seems the entire family of Pampero rums will be absent from Alberta shelves for quite a while. I did however review the bottle I found, and here is an excerpt from that review:

“…The rum looks dark and rich with red streaks.  The glass smells of nutmeg and roasted hazelnut.  A very faint cigar and leather aroma lies under a dark caramel molasses and is very inviting.  There is a very small medicinal quality to the nose indicating a younger spirit than I was expecting…”

Here is a link to the full review”

As part of the review I have provided my Cocktail Recipe, The Selection Cocktail.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail!

Review: Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

I was invited by the guys (and gals) at Riverbend Wine Merchants (Vines) to be the guest host for their “Discovering the Finer Side of Rum” Tasting event (held this past February 13). One of the perks for being the host was that I was allowed to select the rums for the tasting. Based upon my love for this particular Venezuelan rum, it was pretty much a ‘no-brainer’ that Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva be part of the mix. Since I was allowed to take the ‘heels’ of each of the bottles home with me after the event, it seemed natural to me that I should revisit my original review for this outstanding rum produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. .

This is a re-publication of that original review, I have provided much more background information this time around regarding the history and the construction of the Diplomatico rums. As well I have re-written the original review to provide more clarity and to fix some annoying typos.

However my original scores have remained intact. (There really was no reason to change them.)

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… All the scents and smells from the nosing come through in spades when I taste the rum. There is a nice underlying nuttiness (walnuts and hazelnuts), some sweet caramel and some very delicious baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar)…”

You may read the full review here:

Please enjoy the Review!

Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

It has occurred to me that I have a lot of new readers who may not have had the opportunity to read some of my earliest reviews. In order to make these reviews more accessible I have decided to revisit them. These re-postings should appear about once a week (usually on Tuesdays). I have resisted the impulse to re-write the reviews. I may however have fixed the odd typo and inserted some clarification where my writing was unclear.

Today I am reposting my review of the Ron Diplomático Añejo which is a four-year old rum from Venezuela produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. . This rum review was one of the very first I had ever written. I was quite happy that when I went back to the bottle and tried the rum again, I found my tasting notes were very consistent compared to my early review.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… I taste nutty caramel, brown sugar, and cinnamon with butter.  It also tastes a bit like Amaretto. There is also a harsh backbite of spice almost like a sudden infusion of allspice at the end of the flavour.  This is still very good, and if we had a little more balance here I could rate this even higher….“

You may read the full review here:

Please enjoy the Review!

Diplomatico Hacienda Saruro

Hacienda Saruro is an aged rum liqueur produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. In case that particular distilling company doesn’t roll off your tongue easily, just think Diplomatico Rum.  That’s right, the people who brought us the wonderful Diplomatico Rums are responsible for Hacienda Saruro.

If you are wondering what an aged rum liqueur is supposed to be, then my next suggestion is that you think about Drambuie. Drambuie is the honey flavored scotch whisky liqueur made from aged malt whisky, heather, honey, and a blend of herbs and spices.  What Drambuie is to Scotch, Hacienda Saruro has the potential to be to Rum.

I was given my first sample of this elixir over a year ago at a special tasting I was invited to by the local Importers of Diplomatico Rum, PB Beverages. At the tasting, everyone who was there was bowled over by the flavour and richness of this unique spirit. It has taken a year to finally reach the market, but the product has finally arrived in Alberta, and so has my sample bottle from PB Beverages.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… There is a nice mixture of honey sweetness and sharper oak tannin, as well as a bevy of dry fruit and fieldberries sitting underneath to support the flavour. I taste a nice ribbon of orange flavour as well as citrus zest riding in the currents. Vanilla, hazelnut and almonds ride in the currents as well although the nutty flavours are not assertive…”

You may read my full review here:

Review: Diplomatico Hacienda Saruro

As usual I have included a nice recipe after the review which I call the Kentucky Crocodile.

Review: Diplomatico Blanco Reserva

In the late 1950s, the major companies which were involved in the production and distribution of alcoholic spirits in Venezuela were grouped into one organization called Licorerias Unitas S.A. This company was controlled by Seagrams who owned the majority share of the new consolidated company. After a series of mergers and acquisitions involving Seagrams, Diageo, and Pernod Richard, a decision was made finally to divest in the facilities in Venezuaela  and concentrate instead upon brand commercialization.

The good news is that a group of local investors purchased the manufacturing assets of Licorerias Unitas S.A and formed Distilleries Unitas S.A. (DUSA) on August 22, 2002. Although this company is relatively new, the tradition of making quality rum in these Venezuelan facilities is not. It is a matter of fact that systematic rum production in Venezuela can be dated to 1896.  The DUSA facilities are at the foot of the Terepaimai National Park and from these facilities they produce the wonderful Diplomatico Rums which have garnered so much attention of late.

The Diplomatico Blanco is a very recent addition to the Diplomatico line up. Working with Blend Wine and Spirits, The Blanco was added to the Diplomatico brand to serve as an alternative to premium Vodka for bartenders and connoisseurs. It is meant to occupy the high-end niche market formerly reserved only for high-end Vodka.

It was at Rum Renaissance in Miami Florida, where I met Alex Mejido of Blend Wine and Spirits. Alex gave me a bottle of the Diplomatico Blanco to review on my blog, and although it has been several months since Rum Renaissance, I have finally completed my end of the bargain.  I should point out that I have not necessarily been negligent. I have waited before publishing the review to line things up  (sort of) with the release of this product in my home market of Alberta Canada.

I was informed by PB Beverages that they are about to launch the Diplomatico Blanco in Alberta so my review hopefully is timely.

Here is a link to the review:

As well I have included two new cocktails:

Red Sky at Night and Connie’s Sapphire Cocktail

Enjoy!

Rum Review: Diplomatico Reserva 8 Anos

Many months ago I opened my blog with 16 rum reviews which I had written as mad ramblings on the Ministry of Rum.  At the time I had no intention of ever being a spirits writer, I was just sharing my thoughts on various rums using my own unique system of scoring and basically having fun.  Included in those sixteen reviews were my early reviews of  Diplomatico Anejo, and Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva.  Although the reviews were in many ways cursory, and lacking depth, they nonetheless were noticed by the importers of Diplomatico in my home province, (PB Beverages) and a solid friendly relationship was established. Then recently, I was given a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva, and asked to provide a review such that all three of the major Diplomatico products would be present on my Blog.  There is no point denying my pleasure at this request.  Diplomatico is one of my most favoured spirits companies when it comes to deep rich flavourful rum.  So I accepted the rum sample with no hesitation, and after spending some time getting to know the Reserva, I am happy to share the results of my review with you.

You may read my full review here:

Rum Review: Pampero Anniversario Reserva Exclusiva

In 1938 Industrias Pampero, C.A., a distillery in Venezuela was established.  This distillery is reputed  to be the first distillery in Venezuela to set the high standards for which Venezuelan Rum is now famous for.  The Pampero brand is now controlled by Diageo, one of the largest liquor companies in the world, and Diageo is responsible for marketing and selling the Pampero Rums Wordwide.

Here is an excerpt from my Review:

In the glass the rum is dark, rich and inviting.  A quick swirl reveals moderate legs trailing down the glass and brings scents of brown sugar (baking) spices to the fore. Heavy dark brown sugar, underlain with caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and spicy oak tannin present a luxurious bouquet to the nose. Hints of tobacco and unfinished leather seem to come and go, and even a few tea leaves seemed scattered in the breezes. This is heady stuff.

Click on the following Link to read the full review:

Review: Pampero Anniversario Reserva Exclusiva

As usual I have included a cocktail Suggestion or two.  Enjoy!!

And I must give a big thank you to the Rum Chums who provided me with the sample to review.   I really appreciate the help that the club has provided.