Review: Atlantico Private Cask Rum (85/100)
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted on May 8, 2011

The Atlantico Private Cask Rum is a private label rum produced by Oliver and Oliver,  for Atlantico Rum. (If you have not heard of Oliver and Oliver, I should explain that they are an independent bottler of rum operating in the Dominican Republic. They buy barreled rum from major rum producers, and age it using a solera style aging system.) Oliver and Oliver were apparently given a specific flavour profile to blend towards, and then working in conjunction with the Atlantico team, the Private Cask Rum was developed through a series of blending and tasting exercises. The result is a rum constructed to be a smooth easy to sip rum which is hoped will appeal to a wide variety of palates.

About two years ago, I was lucky enough to be treated to an information session hosted by Brandon Lieb, of the Atlantico Importing Company. I was allowed to sample their present offering, Atlantico Private Cask Rum, as well as sample some products which were in development. As their guest, I was given a bottle of the Atlantico Private Cask Rum after the presentation, and I decided to review the rum here on my website.

In the Bottle  4/5

Atlantico Private Cask Rum arrives in the tall square bottle pictured to the right. The bottle is clear showcasing the rich bronze tones in the rum, and it is shaped to fit easily on your bar. The back label of the bottle is rather neat as it showcases a bottling certificate. My bottle certificate number is B6-226-BLAA. I like that the bottle is somewhat distinctive from other rum bottles I have seen, and I like the fact that the bottle is corked. However, I am not enamoured with the rather simple label which does not stand out. I do not believe it would induce me to purchase the rum as it sits amongst the other bottles in a retail setting. I should note that I have seen some bottles which arrive in a wooden box which look much more impressive, however I am not sure if that wooden box display is how the rum is normally presented in retail.

In the Glass  8.5/10

I poured a little of the Atlantico Rum into my tasting glass and was greeted immediately with a sweet honey and butterscotch nose. When I tilted the glass, and gave it a slow turn to observe the legs which were very thick and droopy, the nose continued to pour out honey, caramel and butterscotch. I allowed the glass to decant for several minutes, and the aroma from the glass became richer with vanilla and oaky spices beginning to assert themselves within the sweet caramel. As well, a distinct note of maple syrup began welling up in the breezes.

In the Mouth  52/60

As I took my first sip of the Atlantico Private cask, I remembered that the Atlantico representatives I met in Miami described the rum which they constructed as a product which they hoped would be very easy for the new rum drinker to enjoy, somewhat of a gateway sipping rum for the uninitiated. It is meant to be smooth and easy to sip with a flavour profile to suit a wide variety of palates. In this regard the rum succeeds wildly. It is very smooth in its initial delivery, and the sweet caramel and honey notes will certainly be appreciated by a wide variety of persons.

Taking a little time with my glass I began to notice some nice oak and baking spice entwined in the caramel and honey flavour. Vanilla is very obvious as is the maple I detected on the nose. Deeper down I taste faint echoes of tobacco.

In the Throat  12.5/15

Vanilla and honey have the last word in a syrupy sweet exit which becomes cloying quite quickly. Some oaky spices mingle in the long finish, but the sweetness is so intense that I get the sense that if I had tasted this rum blind I might have mistaken it for a liqueur.

The Aftermath  8/10

Atlantico Private Cask Rum is a delicious excursion on the sweeter side of the rum flavour profile. In fact I would call it a dessert rum meant for sipping after a nice meal. For the experienced rum connoisseur however, the rum is perhaps a little one dimensional. The sweetness tends to override the oak flavours, with only the vanilla holding its own against the tide of caramel and honey.

If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Rum Reviews.

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Suggested Recipe

Because of the assertive sweetness of this rum I decided to veer away from Rum and Cola style cocktails which would probably be too sweet and syrupy for most cocktail enthusiasts. Instead I decided to go with a little Ginger Beer and make a “Mule” style of cocktail.

The Atlantic Mule

1 1/2 oz Atlantico Private Cask Rum
Ginger Beer
Quarter of Lime
Ice
Dash Angostura bitters

Pour the Atlantico Rum into an old fashioned glass over ice.
Add the Ginger Beer over it.
Squeeze in the quarter of Lime and drop it in.
Add a dash of bitters
Enjoy!

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You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing rum or whisky.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)