Review: Atlantico Platino Rum (86.5/100)
Review by Chip Dykstra
Posted on September 26, 2023

When I first encountered Atlantico Rum, the brand had just launched, and I was fortunate enough to be treated to an information session hosted by Brandon Lieb, of the Atlantico Importing Company. I was also treated to a tasting where I was able to try their only rum in production at that point, Atlantico Private Cask as well as two rums which were still in development at that time, a premium white rum and an anejo rum.

Of course that was quite a few years ago (2010), and it appears the brand has changed  a little during the intervening years. The lineup was expanded to consist of 3 rums, the Altantico Platino, Altantico Reserva, and that previously mentioned Altantico Gran Reserva, and up until three years ago Atlantico was part of Ian Macleod Distillers‘ portfolio of spirits. It is unclear to me whether the brand has been acquired by another spirit’s company after Ian Macleod released its control, however the spirit is still sold at various internet retail sites and is often included in sample form in those Christmas Advent Calendars that are sold during the holiday season.

The subject of this review is Atlantico Platino which according to the Ian Macleod Website was made from a blend of molasses based and cane juice based rums. The rum has been aged for 1 year in ex-Bourbon barrels and then finished in Spanish Tempranillo wine barrels for 2 months.

As my rum sample is free of all colour; it must go through a filtration process prior to being bottled at 40 % abv.

In The Bottle 5/5

The rum is presented in the clear long necked bottled shown to the left. It has a corked closure and the label is full of useful information including the use of sugar cane juice in the rum’s distillation as well as the finishing which takes place in the Spanish wine barrels. I also like the heavy base bottom which gives the bottle more stability on my rum shelf.

In The Glass 8.5/10

The rum is clear, and the nose is clean and light. It is sort of vodka-like, and  I mean that in a good way as there are no wayward congeners or faulty aromas. which might cause concern.

The light smells that float into the breezes above the glass include vanilla, hints of mint, and light spiciness of orange and banana peel. After the rum breathes for a for a few minutes I also notice light indications of butterscotch and milk chocolate. I am rather pleased at this point.

In The Mouth 51.5/60

On the palate there are pleasant flavours of vanilla, light butterscotch and some heated spice. I also taste a light winding of orange liqueur and some soft banana. The spirit is mildly minty, and again I recognize hints of milk chocolate.  With a little bit of ice we can easily sip the rum without any discomfort.

I don’t think it is sipping that is intended though. The rum is behaving like a premium mixing rum meant for both classic cocktails like the daiquiri, as well as more relaxed tall servings with ice and soda. Down below I share a cocktail I believe suits the style and character of the Atlantico Platino very well.

In The Throat 13/15

as indicated the rum has a little bite in the delivery and this is also true of the exit. When I swallow the spirit neat my tonsils receive a little swat; however,  there is also pleasant flavours of butterscotch and chocolate which fade to vanilla pudding in the finale.  The spicy bite in the finish does not concern me as it is not accompanied by any burn, and it should serve the spirit well in cocktails.

The Afternburn 8.5/10

Atlantico Platino is a very nice white rum which I believe must have been designed as a premium mixing rum for bartenders. The clean pleasant flavour of the rum is sure to be a hit with a wide variety of persons. It can be served in classic daiquiris, or for a more relaxed indulgence on the back deck, mix 1:2 with lemon lime soda and fill with ice. You won’t be disappointed.

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

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Serving Suggestion:

Here is a simple recipe based upon the Commodore (which is a whisky cocktail I happen to enjoy).  I am using white rum rather than whisky which of course means that the cocktail deserves its own name. I thought it would be fun to keep with the Commodore theme, and so I named this cocktail after a Commodores’ song called Easy.

Easy

2 oz Atlantico Platino Rum
1/4 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Lemon Juice
dash of Orange Bitters
Sugar Syrup to taste

Mix a metal cocktail shaker with ice
Shake it up until the shaker frosts over
Strain into a fancy glass of your choice
To keep things easy, no garnish required

(By the way, I realize that the whisky cocktail was not named for the music group, the Commodores, but their song, Easy, sure fits the mood of this cocktail, especially on a Sunday morning.)

Enjoy Responsibly!

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

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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)