Ron Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum

Ooooh.... smooth sweetness. No harsh, meld nice, tempered sweet. Mmmmmmmm. Found on sale at 33 usd. Perfect.

Rum has a reputation for sweetness. This isn't always deserved, in my opinion - while being distilled from sugarcane-derived substances always lends a certain character to the distillate, there are plenty of fine sipping rums that showcase a wide range of flavors, not all of which immediately smack of sweetness. This one, though...yeah, this is pretty damn sweet, and intentionally so. Fred Minnick, best know for his bourbon writing, is also a rum aficionado, and his recent book on the subject pans this particular offering for the intentional adding of lots of extra sugar during the aging or bottling process. For him, it's a distraction that diminishes the other facets of the rum. For me...I would take it less sweet, but as is, there's still plenty going on here past the sweetness. Banana. Ripe papaya. Dried fig. Demerara sugar. Toasted brioche. Marzipan de Toledo. Fire-roasted marshmallow. Cocoa powder. Buttery, rich texture. Remarkable smoothness with only the most pleasant hint of heat. Cinnamon stick that's been infusing in aguapanela (a hot Colombian drink made of unrefined cane sugar and water). So, yeah...it's sweet, and maybe they could dial that down a bit, but I've got nothing but respect for any distilled spirit that can manage this level of complexity and sensual appeal.