Dictador 20 Year Solera System Rum

A full-bodied, dark rum from Destilería Colombiana in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, aged for two decades in oak using the Solera system. It begins richly with notes of smooth caramel, smoky-roasted honey, a rounded oak presence, baking spice, and roasted coffee. Its more developed character introduces oak, caramel, dried fruits, maple, roasted honey, truffles, and dark brown sugar, culminating in a long and smooth finish with abundant dark brown sugar. January / March / December 2019 / February 2021

I quite like this rum. I do have a preference for sweeter rums, and this one seems to emphasize vanilla with hints of toffee and caramel. I also detected some oakiness, but it didn't overpower the sweetness. A prior tasting note of mine compared the flavor to a butter pecan tart, but I didn't experience that this time.

This is clearly the closest to the exceptional Dictador XO. It still has a very deep flavor profile, but you notice a bit more warmth. It's a significant improvement over the 12 year old, which I don't think is very good. It offers plenty of deep coffee and toffee notes. Great stuff, and if you can afford it, get a bottle of the Dictador XO.

This is a deceptive spirit. No one should be purchasing this product. Its marketing is disingenuous, even by the relaxed standards of the rum industry. There is no Dictador distillery in Colombia; perhaps a bottling facility, but certainly not a distillery. Their rum originates from Panama and has a significant amount of added sugar.

This was a very unexpected spirit. The nose had notes of cacao, chocolate, and coffee. The palate offered more sweet chocolate combined with coffee, like a pleasant mocha. The finish was sweet and medium in length. I will purchase this again.

The aroma is of roasted sugar. The taste is more roasted sugar, maple, some wood, honey, and caramel. A lingering sweetness that lasts. I'm not a huge fan because I don't enjoy sweetness, but I recognize it as a quality rum.