🥃 Diplomático

If you like aged dark rum, Diplomático is a Venezuelan brand worth knowing. Its best-known expression, Reserva Exclusiva, is a blend of rum from column stills and copper pot stills, at 40% ABV. The rum is produced by Destilerías Unidas at a distillery at the foot of the Andes. Since January 2023 the brand has belonged to the American company Brown-Forman, the owner of Jack Daniel's.

History. According to Difford's Guide, the Reserva Exclusiva label, with a portrait of Don Juancho Nieto Meléndez, a local rum connoisseur, was introduced in 2004. On 5 January 2023 Brown-Forman announced that it had completed the purchase of the brand and related assets from the Spanish group Destillers United, including the ageing, bottling and shipping complex in Panama. Production and ageing at the original distillery stayed with the previous owner.

How it is made. According to Difford's Guide, Reserva Exclusiva contains about 20% light column still rum and about 80% pot still rum aged for up to 12 years. Before blending, the master blender adds a little cane sugar to some of the rums, so the drink tastes noticeably sweet.

Range. The core Tradition series includes Reserva Exclusiva, Selección de Familia, Mantuano and Planas. The Prestige series includes Single Vintage and Ambassador.

Why it matters to you. EU rules allow rum to be sweetened only up to 20 g of sugar per litre, so the sweetness of Diplomático is a style, not a sign of a liqueur. There is no age statement on the bottle, so “up to 12 years” describes the blend, not the age of every drop. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe dose of alcohol.