Ron Barcelo "Imperial" Dominican rum

http://www.ronbarceloimperial.com/english.html

When I read that the BTI (Beverage Tasting Institute) of Chicago has rated a rum 97 points not once, but twice, then I take notice. You see, 97 points is the highest score they have ever given a rum.

So I do some digging, find out that they guys at Ron Barcelo have accumulated a succession of medals that would make any distiller dizzy with pride: 10 gold medals, a double-gold medal in Miami where it was also voted "Best in Class". The list goes on... pretty good legacy for the company that Julian Barceló started in 1929 when he emigrated to the Dominican Republic from Spain.

The company grew out of a vision of quality, quality, quality. So much so that even the locals ditched their hither-to favorite libations in deference to the Barcelo brand. Time passed and the natural progression of a company with strong vision and the support of the community: Barcelo rum became the most popular brand in the country! Impressive! But there's always room to grow, right?

In 1980, Miguel Barcelo (?grandson to Julian?) created the new icon: "Imperial" label. A testament to the family/company values, only the best would do and the company invested heavily in their infrastructure: from the sugarcane plantations to the molasses refinery to the labs to the aging cellar. Quality because more then a catch-phrase for the Ron Barcelo company (Barcelo Export Import S.R.L.), it became the Prime Directive.

The led to great accomplishments: the company earning the first ISO 9001:2000 Certification in the Dominican Republic spirit industry and the second in all of the Caribbean, international expansion to 10 countries in the 1990s,  the company winning a team of highly skilled, highly motivated Spanish rum professionals and by 2010 a distribution plan the extends to over 50 countries world-wide.

The massively accelerated growth can be directly linked to that 97-points I started talking about: it's the octane in the Barcelo fuel. But obviously grandson Miguel would never have been able to push such dramatic expansion without the leg-work of grandfather Julian. When a company starts with such a determined vision or goal then anything is possible.

My one challenge with the Barcelo company propaganda is that they state the "Imperial" is made in "limited quantities to maintain its mystique... its uniqueness". The Barcelo company is immense, employing many thousands of people, and exporting its own ocean of distillate to over 50 countries. To a country-lad such as myself, this doesn't seem much like "limited production". That being said, the spirit is quite good, so let's move straight to the tasting-notes:

"Imperial"

no age given: research shows from 6 to 10 years, but flexible depending on the year

91 points

$42+ CAD (Quebec)

$35+ US (Washington)

• TO THE EYE: a pretty rum, it shows so well in the glass with it's dark coppery hued amber tones
• ON THE NOSE: it displays rich, unique salt-water toffee, young pineapple and mild Szechuan pepper aromas
• ON THE PALATE: is where the score starts to dip for me: clean flavors of dark toffee, coffee and warm wood-tones are reminiscent of great Bourbon (positive) but some of the spirit in the blend is a tad juvenile/rough and clumsy and burns (negative). The structure is quite good, but not all of the flavors truly seem to marry together and this particular vintage seems to have some bits and pieces sticking out on their own. Well made but perhaps benefiting from further maturation.
• How to serve it? Too good as a blender with cola or fruit-punch, too much ice will also dampen the more subtle aromas and leave it somewhat mono-dimensional. I found that room temperature, with a splash of water allowed it to open more in the nose and left the palate in better balance.

So a good little sipping rum, from a company with a strong history of over-delivering. Just the type of company I like to support! This rum is a great gift for you celiacs out there who find yourselves missing a splash of Bourbon or Kentucky whiskey... similar flavors and will do in a pinch on your veranda one lazy afternoon. 

As always, I look forward to your thoughts, comments and questions. Here, or:

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

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Augusto Reyes Cigars, Epicur, Domincan Republic

     Somedays, all I want/need/crave is to smoke a good cigar on my drive home. An hour to myself with the windows rolled down, playing some Van Morrison and sipping on a rich espresso. I watch the other drivers clutch their steering wheels too tightly, beady eyes searching the crowd of traffic for a break - any break - to swerve in and steal another 5 feet of momentum.

    

     I do not.

     I sit in the lap of luxury; surrounded by that which brings me joy. True enough, perhaps it does take me an extra 5 minutes to get home - but I do it safely, and even manage to enjoy that hour. That hour with myself, my music, my cigar. Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a torpedo cigar from Augusto Reyes of the Dominican Republic ( http://www.augustoreyescigars.com/ ).

     The Reyes family has been on the same land, growing tobacco, for over 150 years. I live in a beautiful city by the ocean; Vancouver, British Columbia, which at that time simply didn't exist... there were some traders and that was about it. There were two native settlements, and the railway hadn't yet been able to breach the awesome Rocky Mountains. 150 years ago, the Reyes family was already doing what it did best; growing some of the finest tobacco in the country for consumption worldwide. There is indeed something to be said for that much history behind a line of cigars.

workers @ Reyes Cigar Factory, Dominican Republic

     One of the most startling experiences of smoking my first Augusto Reyes cigar was the immense depth and layering to it. The cigar was much like a wine from well-aged vines. I would be remiss if I didn't make it absolutely clear that my cigar went through several evolutions one could say; there were incredibly different flavors profiles from the first 1/3rd to the second 1/3rd and even the very end. It was a brilliant experience and I'm very much looking forward to my next!

Augusto Reyes, Epicur

Domincan Republic

$5 USD/cigar **GREAT VALUE**

• visual:     this is a well constructed cigar, and upon looking at it this is self-evident. Well crafted, when smoked I found the cigar burnt evenly, with very thick white ash that held firm
• aroma:     layers upon layers, as stated above. Fully intense notes of cedary-wood, followed by dark berries and cocoa, even some creamy espresso notes at the last 1/3rd (which I smoked down to the last 1")
• palate:     if there is a short coming to this very under-valued cigar, it is in the initial stages of smoking it... I found the palate started with a sharpness that bordered on harsh and acidic. Certainly it is a taste that one needs to grow used to, as it develops then into a rich peppery-spicyness with a background of dried blueberries and 80% dark chocolate. from 1/2 to the bottom 1/5th was the best for me, when all of that flavor developed with nuances of rich dark coffee. A brilliantly developed cigar if one can get past the first 3 minutes
• conclusion:   for $5 I think anyone would be hard-pressed to find better value. I was smoking mine with espresso, which in hindsight was a poor choice. This cigar has intense spicy characteristics, blended with dark flavors of wood, berry and coffee... perfect pairing for an American Whisky (Jack Daniels Single Barrel would be my preference). The American Whisky is aged in American oak, which lends sweetness, vanilla and caramel notes... all of which will balance the richly flavored cigar. Trust me.



One of the Reyes family enjoys his handywork



    

And so I enjoyed my hour to myself, and laughed a little laugh at the guys in the next car who stressed and schemed and sweat their way through traffic... I could wait. I had all the time in the world because I had that little time to share with the Reyes family and their great passion.

 

CIN CIN!   SLAINTE!   CHEERS!

Ron Matusalem, 15-year Gran Reserva

The tale of a family can almost always be counted on to be filled with mystery, intrigue and a litany of interesting characters. Rare is the family for whom this is more true then the family Alvarez who own, and have successfully run, the Matusalem & Co. distillery ( http://www.matusalem.com/ ).

     Dr. Claudio Alvarez, current owner, can trace his roots directly to his great-grandfather who started the company in 1872 with his brother and one other partner after they emigrated from Spain to Santiago, Cuba. Some internet research says that Matusalem was first distilled in Cuba as far back as 1792 but that is not verified by the company website. Dr Alvarez has now brought his son on board with the company, to continue a family tradition that they have worked zealously for through war, dictatorship and over a century of economic flux. Did you know that at one point (the 1940's), Matusalem was over 50% of the Cuban rum market?

     Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva is made using the solera system which is used primarily for the production of Sherry, and is made (much like cognac) by rules which state that in the 12-year label, 12 year old rums are the youngest age of rum in your bottle... the casks will be stacked on top of each other (on their side) 4 layers high. Every three years, a portion of the bottom cask is bottled and sold. At that point, a portion of the cask (barrique in French) above it is syphoned off and added to the cask below it (to thus refill it to its original level). The top-most cask is topped with new rum, and the process continues.

     Sounds like alot of work? It is, and there are even mathematical formulas to calculate rate of loss from casks per year, average age of rum per cask, etc. The result? Layers upon layers of flavor and bouquet. But I digress.

Ron Matusalem, 12-year Gran Reserva,

Dominican Republic

$60 CAN (BC), $35 US, 30 Euro (Western Europe)

Best of Class & Double-Gold at 2008 San Fransisco Spirit Competition

• very light caramel colors, hardly any orange/amber
• fully intense nose; oak is hitting me immediately... none of the aromas I usually associate with rums. I like a sweeter style of rum (Pyrat for example) and this has only the softest whispers of vanilla and caramel in the background. Front and center I find the oak, yes, and a myriad of citrus and florals (Meyer lemon, some thyme or Bay leaf, red currants also come into play for me) - but it is the nuances of oak that dominate for me
• an interesting palate: full flavored, the oak comes in with an easy drinking robust toasted almond flavor... lightly charred barrels I am assuming. Citrus is still there as well, and that slightly tart currant-like backdrop. Smooth finish, I'm drinking this sans ice or water, and feel the rum isn't suffering from any lack

     I feel like this is a Scotch drinkers rum; by which I mean, it is very well crafted, with alot of nuance that begs to be discovered (not hidden in cola and ice). I have just finished my first bottle of Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva, and never once did I feel the need to "water it down a little". It has marvellous balance on its own, and at room temperature, which I feel is a mark of master distilling. Well worth the money!

CIN CIN! SLAINTE!