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Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

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Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

EMMELINE'S RATING:
5/5

About Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum is produced by Destilerías Unidas S. A., a Venezuelan spirits company and distillery. Originally established in 1959, Diplomático is produced near the beautiful Andes mountains in Venezuela. The brand was bought out in 2002, and is now family owned and operated. Each rum is “field to bottle”, with each step of the production process controlled by Diplomático.

All their rums are made using either sugar cane molasses or sugar cane honey, which are sourced from up to 10 varieties of sugar cane. The company also cultivates its own strain of yeast for the fermentation process. After 1-2 days of fermentation, the rum is distilled – a process that varies depending on which Diplomático rum is being produced. The brand utilizes column stills, batch kettles, and pot stills to achieve the different styles of rum. The aging casks also vary, but include a range of bourbon, malt whiskey, and sherry casks. Each rum is then blended carefully for optimal flavor.

This particular bottle of Reserva Exclusiva rum is a unique blend of rums aged for up to 12 years.

Bottle Specs

❖  ABV: 40%

❖ Distillery: Destilerías Unidas S. A.

❖ Aging: ~12 years

❖ Price Point: moderate price

Tasting Notes

Nose:

❖ orange peel

❖ toffee

❖ licorice

Palate:

❖ toffee fudge

My Tasting notes

The nose notes of this rum were sweet and fruity. I found it to be a very vibrant and delicious aroma with a soft, candy-like quality in the background.

I took my first sip, and my tongue felt the alcohol first before any flavor notes could come through. The finish was more mellow, with strong toffee notes. The toffee flavor was prominent throughout, and was eventually joined by subtle notes of orange peel. Each sip became more and more smooth.

Cocktail

In my quest to find some great Venezuelan cocktails to try, I stumbled on a delicious-looking winter favorite: ponche crema. Although many folks buy this drink already bottled or make an egg-based home version, you can apparently make a “cheat” version using boxed flan. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to try it! Although the instructions available online were murky, here is what I ended up doing:

Ponche Crema

❖ 2oz rum

❖ 8 fl oz milk

❖ 7oz sweetened condensed milk

❖ 39 grams custard mix (flan with caramel)

❖ spices to taste (I added cinnamon and nutmeg)

  1. In a saucepan, heat the milk on low.
  2. Add in the condensed milk.
  3. Add in the spices.
  4. Slowly add in the custard mix, and stir to thicken.
  5. Remove from the heat, add the rum, and serve.

I found this cocktail to be very tasty. Although it was sweet, I could still sense a bit of the alcohol heat in the background. Overall, there was a nice balance of the flavors and spices, and the toffee notes in the rum nicely supported the mixture.

The only reason I don’t see myself making this cocktail again is the sugar content. Although it’s technically not any sweeter than ordering a specialty drink at a chain coffee shop, something about watching the ingredients go into the saucepan was a bit too much for me! Still, I enjoyed the experience and savored every indulgent sip.

Bottom Line

RATING: 5/5

Overall, I really like this bottle of Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum. Although it has a bit more alcohol heat than I prefer, I know that many folks find that to be a selling point. What’s more, I really enjoyed the toffee notes and found the overall flavor to be enjoyable.

This rum worked well inside a sweet winter cocktail, but the moment when I was really impressed was when I used it to make a simple rum & coke a few days after my official tasting. I think it was the best rum & coke I’ve ever had! The rum’s flavor really enhanced the cola, and it turned what was once my go-to cocktail into a brand new experience. That’s really saying something!

All in all, Diplomático Reserva is an amazing value. For the quality and aging time, I would expect it to be priced higher. I also really like that the company is family owned, and all their rum is “field to bottle”. I definitely recommend supporting this company and picking up a bottle of Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum.

As always, drink responsibly.

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