Barceló Imperial Ron Dominicano

Our Christmas Eve rum hails from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. It has been aged between 4 and 10 years in ex-Bourbon casks, and is bottled at an unfortunate 38%. My searches indicate they do practice backsweetening, but having tasted this particular rum I am certained this one in particular is not backsweetened.

Though this calendar is named “24 Rums”, it is a bit of a lie, for there are in fact 25 rums to drink. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Christmas day rum, which, considering we have not yet had a Barbados rum, better bloody well be from Barbados.

This is a series of blind tastings from the “24 Rums” advent calendar. I have not looked at what is in the calendar, so every one of these reviews is 100% no prior knowledge.

1. Dictador 20
2. Whisper Antigua Gold Rum
3. New Grove 8yo
4. Cihuatan 8 year Solera
5. Domaine de Séverin VO
6. Novo Fogo Familia
7. NAUD Ron Panama 15yo
8. Enghaven Blackstrap Rum
9. Zuidam Flying Dutchman Dark Rum No. 3
10. Deadhead Dark Chocolate
11. Rum Magec Ron Añejo XO Oloroso
12. Fijian Rum Liqueur 8yo
13. Matugga Golden Rum
14. Cane Island Trinidad Rum
15. Cane Island Jamaica Rum
16. Saint James Rhum Vieux 7yo
17. Neptuns Rhum
18. Cane Island Cuba Rum
19. Borgoe 8yo
20. Mombacho Ron Reserva 8yo
21. Old New Orleans Amber Rum
22. Tres Hombres 2017 7 year Solera
23. Travellers 5yo Reserve
24. Barceló Imperial Ron Dominicano
25. Barceló Imperial Ron Dominicano (Take 2)

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Distiller: Ron Barceló
ABV: 38%
Age: 4-10yo
Cask type: Ex-bourbon
Source: 24 Rums Advent Calendar
Setting: Blind

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Nose: Vanilla, rich oak, leather, new shoes, apricot, cherry, nutmeg. Rich woody notes with a subtle brown sugar fruit background. Great nose.
Palate: Rich oak, vanilla and nutmeg, and completely dry. Very light on the palate.
Finish: Rounds out to a dry but deep woodiness, vanilla, brown sugar and sultanas.
Overall: Rich and clean oaky vibrance wraps a lightly spicy fruit core. Great, if straight forward, stuff. Reminds a little of a Seale produced product (could it be?).
Rank: 6
Reveal: Wow! I was totally expecting to unwrap this to find it was something from Foursquare. Instead something I’ve never heard of before! It had me utterly fooled with the percentage, I did mention it was light, but it’s amazing that it’s not ghostly at 38%. Fantastic stuff to be that percentage, had this not been blind I would definitely have mentally docked the score for that.