Review: Roble Viejo Maestro  83/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Posted on May 11, 2023

Ron Roble Viejo Rums are produced in Venezuela through the artistry of Ron Noble’s Master Rum Blender, Giorgio Melis, a Chemical Engineer with more than 50 years experience in the spirits industry. The company’s rums are produced from from locally grown sugar cane molasses using a 5 column distillation process and aged in a traditional manner is oak barrels without topping the oak barrels or replenishment of the Angel’s share.

The Rum which goes by the name Roble Viejo Maestro was for myself quite an enigma. If you clicked on the link to the Ron Roble website and looked around, you will find no mention of this rum. And … when I first tasted it several years ago (when it was one of the selections in a Christmas Advent Calendar) I could find no reference to the rum anywhere online.  That was three years ago.  Since that time it has started appearing on several retailer websites and has even garnered a few reviews on websites like Masters of Malt and Ram Ratings.

The consensus seems to be that the the Viejo Maestro is a blend of rums of Venezuelan Rums which may have been aged about six years. This makes the Maestro one of the younger rums in the Roble family. This rum is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

In the Bottle 4.5/5

My sample bottle was in the form of a small 50ml sampler. I received a similar, but smaller sampler (30 ml size three years ago). Rather than try to photograph such a small bottle I have provided a bottle shot of the full size bottle shown to the left.

Roble Viejo Maestro is sold in a stylish slender bottle. I like the overall look,  although I would prefer if the bottle had a heavier glass bass to give the tall, slender bottle some added stability on the bar shelf.

I would also have liked to see a a more definitive statement regarding the age of the rum on the label.  The number 6 is shown prominently with the word ANOS underneath which implies this is a six year old rum. A closer look at the label reveals that it doesn’t actually say so. Official age statements in Canada and the US must state clearly that the spirit is aged for the time indicated. If it is not stated clearly, then the liquid inside is not held accountable for the implied age.  So a label that says 6 Years or 6 Anos, but omits the word aged, does not need to have its contents meet the implied statement. A tricky loophole.

So when I see this type of loose terminology applied to any spirit, my assumption is that the spirit does not meet the implied age statement.

Because my sample was quite small (only 50 ml), I have only provided abreviated tasting notes.

In The Glass 8/10

Colour:  copper

Legs: Thickened legs which droop and finally fall down the side of the glass

Initial Nose: Fine oak spice, honeyed sweetness, butterscotch, vanilla, almond and hints of raisin.

Decanted Aroma: Oak spices build just a little mixing with light baking spices (cinnamon and vanilla), a light almond like nuttiness is present as is a fine spicy updraft of alcohol and wood spice. Perhaps a touch of astringency.

I was hoping for more development in the glass, but the rum seemed to be withholding its stated age.

In the Mouth 50.5/60

Alcohol push and Spice: Some heat from alcohol and wood spice livens the palate

Initial Taste: The rum is sweeter than the nose suggests with ample butterscotch and vanilla mixing with the above mentioned spiciness. Almond and leather are present as are mild indications of baking spice.

Follow up: The heat and spice builds as I sip. Orange peel and alcohol spice seem to coat the palate. Fortunately a touch of menthol and a dollop of butterscotch keep the heat in check.

With Ice: The heat is quelled to some extent; but the flavour is muted as well. I suspect that many will be more inclined to make cocktails than sip the rum neat or over ice.

In The Throat: 12/15

Body and Length: Medium bodied, however the alcohol heat generated make the rum seem lighter and thinner when we swallow.

Flavours during the Swallow: Menthol, orange peel and butterscotch, as well as an unfortunate light burn,

Lingering Flavours: Cinnamon and orange peel

The Afterburn  8/10

Final Thoughts: This is not nearly so good as the previously reviewed Roble Extra Anejo. If you can get past that light burn, the rum is quite tasty; but I really wish it would show its implied age a little more clearly.

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

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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