Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum, 70 cl, 40 percent

Product Information

Our focus today is on their Reserva Exclusiva and Distillery Collection (DC) series. The Reserva is very common, as it is part of their “traditional” range, while the DC series was first released in 2017 to, I think, showcase what their three different stills can do on their own. Bloggers such as Fat Rum Pirate who are weary of the brand’s tendency to sweeten their rum, tested this in a hydrometer; thankfully, none of the three was sweetened. All three being bottled at an enticing ABV of 47% is a plus as well. It seems like they got the idea from El Dorado. I am more of a fan of unsweetened rum, so I bought samples of these from a local bar for this article. At the end of the 1950s, the main liquor distribution companies in the country were grouped under the name of Licorerías Unidas S.A. (LUSA) by the initiative of Seagram’s International, which in 1992 acquired all of the shares of it. I was one of those who thought these were nice “beginner rums.” The first rums I had that weren’t Bacardi or Captain Morgan were Zaya “12” and Ron Zacapa “23.” This was about five or six years ago; I didn’t know about fake age statements then. That and my conditioned palate ended up being in thrall to these brands. Those were my “beginner rums,” yet are these sweetened products really supposed to be called just rum? Some rum drinkers say rum measured via hydrometers show inaccurate results. Others have countered that there wouldn’t be any need for hydrometer measuring if all brands were honest. Then again, some brands like Don Papa still claim to not be adulterated. Is this something they took from the sugar industry as well? For I remember the sugar industry blaming fats for certain diseases like heart problems. Diplomatico now admits to sweetening their rum. They say it’s part of Venezuela’s culture. Having very little knowledge of the country, I’m not going to comment. DUSA covers an area of ​​1,300 hectares where the plant, industrial effluent treatment plants, and crops are located. The company owns different farms where they grow sugar cane, cereals, and fruits, enough raw materials to produce a great variety of liquors. A Sip of History

Barbet Column distillation system of French design and made of low-rise copper, in which distillates with content no more than 80% ABV are obtained. These alcohols are relatively complex. A pair of continuous columns stills, from which it is obtained alcohol at 96% to produce light rums with subtle aromas. Add all of the ingredients into a tall glass, and stir. Strain it over ice into a classic tumbler, and garnish with a grapefruit peel (one final twist!). This brand is Diplomatico. They are a family-owned brand from Venezuela. The distillery was established in 1959, but was under a company called LUSA, who was under Seagram. In 2002, the current owners bought the distillery and renamed it Destilerias Unidas S.A. (DUSA). They like to distinguish themselves from other brands by emphasizing their use of sugarcane honey. In 2001, Diageo acquired Seagram’s Company LTD worldwide and, among the assets, Licorerías Unidas. But one year later, the company decided to sell its manufacturing assets. A group of local entrepreneurs and investors decided to take advantage of this opportunity and buy them. On August 22, 2002, LUSA became Destilerías Unidas, S.A., a 100% Venezuelan private company.

Closing Thoughts

Everything this gives off is just sweet flavors. If I wanted to die of a sweetness overdose, it would be cheaper to chug maple syrup. Paying almost €41 for this one-dimensional, adulterated rum sounds ridiculous to me. Foursquare’s RL Seale 10 and the Appleton 12 are much better buys. They’re honest, cheaper and simply better. Score: 3/10 In comparison to toasting, which is a slow process that involves gently heating the barrel’s interior over an open flame, charring is a “fast burn”. It gives the barrel a burnt interior that confers darker colors and sweeter flavors to the rum. Shake all of the listed ingredients together and serve in a previously chilled glass. Elegance made drink, right? I expected to like the Pot Still the best at the beginning of this, but I ended up liking the Batch Kettle the most. It has a strong heat on the nose that gets in the way of its complexities. Despite me thinking it is also one dimensional, it showed the most complexity among the three. Is this worth €61? Not really. The price is only slightly justified by its status as a limited edition, but like many such releases today, they’re not close to high quality. This also just shows that pot-distilled spirits aren’t always better than column distilled spirits.

In 1989, the Diplomático’s voyage began. The family-owned brand was inspired by Don Juan Nieto Meléndez (“Don Juancho”), the portrait on the bottles. He was a local nobleman that put his soul and heart into exploring the sources, ingredients, methods, and environmental factors behind the complex flavors of rum and other traditional liquors.Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with fresh pineapple. Then, let yourself go and enjoy! They work with up to ten varieties of sugar cane; however, there are four varieties they use the most: Romana, Venezuela, Canal Point, and Diplomática. Regarding the latter one, the brand supports FUNDACAÑA Venezuela, a research and development foundation that granted the name “Diplomática” to a new variety of sugar cane developed after years of investigation. I have nothing nice to say about the Barbet. Dull yet expensive. Avoid buying a full bottle at all costs.

Once the alcohols are in barrels, wood will act on the congeners that are part of the alcohol, and it will make them react. This is the exact moment new nomenclatures begin to form that eventually produce the smoothness, aromas, flavors, and color of rum as such. Ask yourself this as well: what if these drinkers don’t progress from these “beginner rums”? As progressive as the whisk(e)y scene has become, there are still those who don’t progress from so-called beginner whisk(e)y brands like Jim Beam White and Chivas Regal as well. The company has been committed to fair wages, social responsibility, and a significant investment in health programs. Furthermore, they continue promoting equal opportunities for all employees in their workforce. So, it is not just a brand, it is a family that represents the core values and traditions of the country, and makes Venezuelans feel proud. El Paso de Diplomático, a Sensory ExperienceOne of these is “ Artisans of Taste”, a project that consists of different educational activities based on the main three pillars of the competition that takes place in different countries annually: homemade techniques, sustainability in the bar, and local products. Its purpose is that bartenders also apply sustainable techniques and ingredients in the creation of their Diplomático serve. DUSA Family Diplomático Rum is distributed in more than 100 countries on five continents, being a leader in the super-premium rum category. In countries such as Germany, you can find it as Botucal Rum, a name that comes from the Hacienda Botucal where sugar cane is cultivated. There are 17 fermentation tanks, 12 for molasses and sugar cane honey, and 5 for cereals. Each tank will have 2,000 to 3,000 liters of yeast diluted in water.

After this process, the wort or mash obtained is subjected to a primary distillation, from which it is obtained around 8,000 liters of alcohol at 56% from every fermentation tank. The rest are liquid wastes – called vinasse – to be used as fertilizers in their sugar cane plantations, after a specific treatment to decrease organic content. Distillation In the mouth: Very light upfront. There’s a mild, incoherently mixed and persistent taste of toffee, vanilla, honey, butterscotch and pepperiness. Then I get light tastes of maraschino cherries and tobacco. Ethanol burns at the end again. Conclusions On the nose: A persistent and pronounced punch of ethanol. It gives way to medium scents of pepperiness, canned peaches, honey and orgeat. Behind those are light scents of apricot, candied orange and banana syrup. In the mouth: A light pepperiness upfront caressed by a round texture formed by the added sweeteners. I get a pronounced sweetness formed by the light tastes of prunes, raisins, toffee, blood orange, orange peel, vanilla, maple syrup, muscovado syrup, honey and cloves. ConclusionsDiplomático’s Distillery Collection first appeared on the scene in 2017 with the release of the No. 1 Batch Kettle and No. 2 Barbet still rums. At inception, these refined rums were intended to showcase two of the pillars upon which most Diplomático rums, namely Reserva Exclusiva and Mantuano, are built.