Review: Dictador Orange 100 Month Rum  (84.5/100)
Review by: Chip Dykstra (Aka the Rum Howler)
Posted September 12, 2012

Dictador is produced in Colombia on the Caribbean coast at Cartagena de Indias City. Rather than being produced from molasses, the rum is produced from the virgin honey of sugar cane. Interestingly, the choice of the distillery to use sugar cane honey rather than molasses is based upon a peculiarity of Colombian government policy. It seems that the country has mandated that automobiles in Colombia must use a certain percentage of biofuels in conjunction with gasoline as their fuel source. As molasses is the most readily available source of biofuel, almost all molasses produced in Columbia is earmarked for biofuel production. This means that the folks at Dictador Rum have little choice but to produce and use their own sugar cane honey for rum production.

Recently Dictador released what they call their 100 Month Series which includes four new rums all aged for 100 months. Unlike the more premium Dictador Solero Aged Rums, the 100 month series is meant to be a gateway series consisting of spirits which are meant to be embraced both as entry-level sipping rums as well as cocktail spirits.

The Dictador Orange 100 Month Aged Rum was created to be a discerning spirit for the cocktail enthusiast. The base rum within the flavoured spirit is a continuous column still rum which was aged (for 100 months) in ex-bourbon oak barrels. At maturity the rum was macerated with fresh Colombian orange peel. The flavoured rum is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

In the Bottle 4/5

I was very critical of the bottle presentation for the Dictador Amber when I reviewed that rum a few months ago. The single thread which sealed the cap had stripped and the closure just turned and turned without releasing. One of my guests finally took out his large jackknife to cut the metal perforations which would not release when the cap was turned.  It was annoying to say the least, and as indicated in that previous review, knives and/or screwdrivers should not be required to open a bottle of rum. Fortunately I received word from the media folks at Dictador that the bottle closure is being redesigned to address my criticisms.

On the positive side, I like the actual bottle and the labeling. A nice touch is the graphic of the Condor of the Andes, the National Bird of Colombia which is pictured on the long neck of the bottle. A company which shows pride in their heritage is always welcome.

In the Glass 8.5/10

When poured into my glencairn glass the orange rum displays itself as a light coloured amber liquid which displays an obvious rusty hue. When I tilt the glass and give it a twirl, slender legs form which run down the inside of the glass.

The aroma from the glass is inviting. Rum-like scents of butterscotch toffee, vanilla and baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) are melded into a firm orange peel. The orange peel scent grows in the glass overtaking the rum giving it a zesty orange character. Interestingly, (and most welcome) is the absence of a cloying sweetness within the breezes. It appears that added sugar is not part of the flavour recipe.

In the Mouth 51/60

The maturity of the rum is quite obvious as when we sip firm oak spices come forward combining with the orange flavour. Although the oak spice was hidden from view when I nosed the rum, it shows itself clearly across the palate. There is also a light  sweetness of caramel toffee and hints of baking spice which give the rum additional character. I added a small ice-cube to the glass; but then decided that sipping the rum neat was preferred as the ice muted the light sweetness of the rum and accentuated the orange peel flavour.

Dictador created this spirit as a high-end cocktail mixer, so I decided I would mix a daiquiri style serving. With the orange peel accent so obvious within the rum, I decided that pairing that flavour with lemon and lime made sense. I also added a dash of bitters and a touch of sugar syrup, and then shook the combination over ice. The result was tasty autumn daiquiri which reveled in the flavour of rum and citrus. The Dictador Orange Rum has won me over.

In the Throat 12.5/15

The rum has a medium to short exit with both orange peel and caramel rum flavours  combining in the exit with some heated oak spice. The combination lends itself well to the cocktail I created (see below).

The Afterburn 8.5/10

I was unsure what to expect when I received my sample of the Dictador 100 Month Orange Rum. A spirit macerated with orange peel doesn’t exactly sound appealing. However, I was pleasantly surprised and found myself very happy with the result. This is not a sweet orange flavoured rum; it is instead a rum flavoured with orange peel and only orange peel. This allows the spirit to be much more versatile for mixology. I came up with a delicious cocktail quite easily, and I am sure others more gifted than I will be able to do even better.

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

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Suggested Cocktails

Proxima b Daiquiri

2 oz Dictador Orange 100 Month Rum
1/2 oz fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz fresh Lime Juice
2/3 oz Sugar Syrup (1:1 ratio)
dash or two Angostura Bitters
Ice
Orange Peel Coil

Add the first five ingredients into a metal cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the outside of the shaker begins to frost
Strain into a cocktail glass
Add an orange peel coil for garnish

Enjoy!

Note: If  you are interested in more cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more mixed drink recipes!

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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)