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Posts Tagged ‘Venezuelan Rum’

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Review: Pampero Seleccion 1938 Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 3, 2012

In 1938, a distillery in Venezuela was established called Industrias Pampero, C.A.. This distillery is said to be the first distillery in Venezuela to set the high standards for which Venezuelan Rum is now famous for. Their flagship rum,  Pampero Seleccion 1938 is a rum which unfortunately is unavailable any longer where I live in Alberta, because Diageo, the spirits conglomerate which currently owns the rights to the Pampero brand outside of Venezuela, has chosen not to market this rum in my locale. The way it was explained to me is that boutique brands such as Pampero, regardless of how well-regarded they may be, just don’t sell well enough in my market to warrant the effort.

I found what I believe was one of the last bottles for sale in Edmonton about two years ago and now, two years later, I cannot find the rum anywhere in the Province. Sadly, it seems the entire family of Pampero rums will be absent from Alberta shelves for quite a while. I did however review the bottle I found, and here is an excerpt from that review:

“…The rum looks dark and rich with red streaks.  The glass smells of nutmeg and roasted hazelnut.  A very faint cigar and leather aroma lies under a dark caramel molasses and is very inviting.  There is a very small medicinal quality to the nose indicating a younger spirit than I was expecting…”

Here is a link to the full review”

Review: Pampero Seleccion 1938 Rum

As part of the review I have provided my Cocktail Recipe, The Selection Cocktail.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Pampero Seleccion 1938 Rum

Review: Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 6, 2012

I was invited by the guys (and gals) at Riverbend Wine Merchants (Vines) to be the guest host for their “Discovering the Finer Side of Rum” Tasting event (held this past February 13). One of the perks for being the host was that I was allowed to select the rums for the tasting. Based upon my love for this particular Venezuelan rum, it was pretty much a ‘no-brainer’ that Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva be part of the mix. Since I was allowed to take the ‘heels’ of each of the bottles home with me after the event, it seemed natural to me that I should revisit my original review for this outstanding rum produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. .

This is a re-publication of that original review, I have provided much more background information this time around regarding the history and the construction of the Diplomatico rums. As well I have re-written the original review to provide more clarity and to fix some annoying typos.

However my original scores have remained intact. (There really was no reason to change them.)

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… All the scents and smells from the nosing come through in spades when I taste the rum. There is a nice underlying nuttiness (walnuts and hazelnuts), some sweet caramel and some very delicious baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar)…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

Please enjoy the Review!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 19, 2011

It has occurred to me that I have a lot of new readers who may not have had the opportunity to read some of my earliest reviews. In order to make these reviews more accessible I have decided to revisit them. These re-postings should appear about once a week (usually on Tuesdays). I have resisted the impulse to re-write the reviews. I may however have fixed the odd typo and inserted some clarification where my writing was unclear.

Today I am reposting my review of the Ron Diplomático Añejo which is a four-year old rum from Venezuela produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. . This rum review was one of the very first I had ever written. I was quite happy that when I went back to the bottle and tried the rum again, I found my tasting notes were very consistent compared to my early review.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… I taste nutty caramel, brown sugar, and cinnamon with butter.  It also tastes a bit like Amaretto. There is also a harsh backbite of spice almost like a sudden infusion of allspice at the end of the flavour.  This is still very good, and if we had a little more balance here I could rate this even higher….“

You may read the full review here:

Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

Please enjoy the Review!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

Diplomatico Hacienda Saruro

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 8, 2011

Hacienda Saruro is an aged rum liqueur produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. In case that particular distilling company doesn’t roll off your tongue easily, just think Diplomatico Rum.  That’s right, the people who brought us the wonderful Diplomatico Rums are responsible for Hacienda Saruro.

If you are wondering what an aged rum liqueur is supposed to be, then my next suggestion is that you think about Drambuie. Drambuie is the honey flavored scotch whisky liqueur made from aged malt whisky, heather, honey, and a blend of herbs and spices.  What Drambuie is to Scotch, Hacienda Saruro has the potential to be to Rum.

I was given my first sample of this elixir over a year ago at a special tasting I was invited to by the local Importers of Diplomatico Rum, PB Beverages. At the tasting, everyone who was there was bowled over by the flavour and richness of this unique spirit. It has taken a year to finally reach the market, but the product has finally arrived in Alberta, and so has my sample bottle from PB Beverages.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… There is a nice mixture of honey sweetness and sharper oak tannin, as well as a bevy of dry fruit and fieldberries sitting underneath to support the flavour. I taste a nice ribbon of orange flavour as well as citrus zest riding in the currents. Vanilla, hazelnut and almonds ride in the currents as well although the nutty flavours are not assertive…”

You may read my full review here:

Review: Diplomatico Hacienda Saruro

As usual I have included a nice recipe after the review which I call the Kentucky Crocodile.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Diplomatico Hacienda Saruro

Review: Diplomatico Blanco Reserva

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 30, 2010

In the late 1950s, the major companies which were involved in the production and distribution of alcoholic spirits in Venezuela were grouped into one organization called Licorerias Unitas S.A. This company was controlled by Seagrams who owned the majority share of the new consolidated company. After a series of mergers and acquisitions involving Seagrams, Diageo, and Pernod Richard, a decision was made finally to divest in the facilities in Venezuaela  and concentrate instead upon brand commercialization.

The good news is that a group of local investors purchased the manufacturing assets of Licorerias Unitas S.A and formed Distilleries Unitas S.A. (DUSA) on August 22, 2002. Although this company is relatively new, the tradition of making quality rum in these Venezuelan facilities is not. It is a matter of fact that systematic rum production in Venezuela can be dated to 1896.  The DUSA facilities are at the foot of the Terepaimai National Park and from these facilities they produce the wonderful Diplomatico Rums which have garnered so much attention of late.

The Diplomatico Blanco is a very recent addition to the Diplomatico line up. Working with Blend Wine and Spirits, The Blanco was added to the Diplomatico brand to serve as an alternative to premium Vodka for bartenders and connoisseurs. It is meant to occupy the high-end niche market formerly reserved only for high-end Vodka.

It was at Rum Renaissance in Miami Florida, where I met Alex Mejido of Blend Wine and Spirits. Alex gave me a bottle of the Diplomatico Blanco to review on my blog, and although it has been several months since Rum Renaissance, I have finally completed my end of the bargain.  I should point out that I have not necessarily been negligent. I have waited before publishing the review to line things up  (sort of) with the release of this product in my home market of Alberta Canada.

I was informed by PB Beverages that they are about to launch the Diplomatico Blanco in Alberta so my review hopefully is timely.

Here is a link to the review:

Review: Diplomatico Blanco Reserva

As well I have included two new cocktails:

Red Sky at Night and Connie’s Sapphire Cocktail

Enjoy!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Diplomatico Blanco Reserva

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