Review: Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial  92.5/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
December 14, 2020

An Old Column Still used in Northern Peru

Fabio Rossi began his life in the spirits trade as a Oenologist (one who has studied winemaking). After his studies, Mr. Rossi left the wine business and started up a whisky company in Edinburgh (Wilson and Morgan) acting as an independent bottler of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. His interest turned to rum and in 1999, Fabio Rossi founded Rum Nation and a few years later Ron Millonario. The parent company of each brand (Rossi and Rossi S.R.I.) is headquartered in Italy. Although the parent company of the Ron Millonario brand is Italian, the rums of Ron Millonario are produced in Northern Peru.

When I contacted Mr. Rossi about the Millonario rums, he was very accommodating about providing me with information about their production as well as photographs of the old Scottish column stills which are used by the distillery to distill the Millonario rum from sugar cane molasses (utilizing a slow distillation process). The distillery uses its own specially selected yeasts in the fermentation process, and utilizes their own coopers to construct the aging barrels from American and Slavonian oak.

The subject of this review, Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial, is produced from a 4 stage Solera process with the final stage bringing the oldest rum in the blend to 15 years. (Based upon the information sent to me by the brand owner, the youngest rum in the blend would 8 years.) The rum is bottled in Peru at 40 % alcohol by volume.

In the Bottle: 4/5

The Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial Rum bottle is contained in a hand-woven grass bag as shown to the left. Opening my bottle proved to be a bit of an annoying adventure as the hand-woven bag did not seem want to release its contents. It turns out that the top ‘cap’ of the bag is held on with a dab of glue which was quite stubbornly holding its grip.

Initially I liked the grass covering over the bottle; but to be honest, it lost its appeal quickly. The grass handle sort of hangs there limp spoiling the look on my shelf and the label quickly separated from the woven grass covering leaving it looking rather plain. I say kudos for something unique; but I guess I would have preferred a different arrangement.

In the Glass 9/10

Colour:  Dark rich caramel colour,

Legs: Thick droopy legs which moved rather slowly back into the glass

Nose:  Full of spicy oak, oarnge peel, coarse brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. As the glass breathes the brown sugar and baking spices build with additional scents of cola, and dry fruit (prunes, dates and raisin).

I found the nose very appealing.

In the Mouth 56.5/60

Ron Millonario 15 is a full flavoured rum which features impressions of burnt caramel (treacle), licorice laced molasses, dry fruit, wood spice, marmalade, pungent baking spices (cinnamon, cloves and allspice), dribbles of coffee and chocolate and rich tobacco. A bed of freshly cracked walnuts lies underneath providing a ribbon of bitterness which seems work well with the sweet molasses and the spicy oak flavours.

The oak spice and that licorice laced molasses give the rum a ‘rough around the edges’ quality which I find very interesting. No need to add ice though, the flavour is delicious.

In the Throat 13.5/15

The exit which brings about a moderately bitter mixture of burnt caramel, allspice, cloves, licorice, tea leaves and cocoa. My palate is left puckered by the spices, and a light bitter aftertaste seems to leave mouth and throat dry. Despite the light bitterness of the finish, it must be a good thing, because I am drawn to take another sip…. and another. And then I notice echoes of brown sugar and cinnamon, yumm!

The Afterburn 9.5/10

The Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial is a wonderful Rum. It is rich, full of strong flavours and carries just a bit of rough and tumble character forward with impressions of dark treacle, licorice laced molasses, and a firm oakiness set firmly into the rum. I find the combination very appealing which is reflected in my high score.

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

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My Final Score is out of 100 and you may (loosely) interpret the score 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)