Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, a complex blend of rums aged for 12 years, a characterful nose, fruit cake, rum’n’raisin ice cream, cocoa, dried ginger, cinnamon and clove.

The palate of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva evokes chocolate sauce and the sweet toffee, fudge and tropical fruit flavours from the nose. Deep, vivid and extremely seductive flavours.

Diplomtico brand from Distilerias Unidas in La Miel, Venezuela on the northern slopes of the Andes mountains.

The molasses used to make all of the Diplomtico rums is sourced from the La Miel sugar mill located a few kilometers from the distillery.

Originally built by the Seagrams Co. in the 1950s, the distillery is adjacent to the Hacienda Saruro, where much of the sugar cane is grown.

In the late 1950s, the main companies involved in the production and distribution of alcoholic spirits in Venezuela were grouped into one organization calledLicorerias Unitas S.A. by the initiative of Seagrams who owned 51 % of the new entity until 1992.

After a series of mergers and acquisitions involving Seagrams, Diageo, and Pernod Richard, a decision was made to divest in facilities and to instead concentrate on brand commercialization.

The result was a group of local investors who purchased the manufacturing assets of Licorerias Unitas S.A. and formed Distilleries Unitas S.A. (DUSA) on August 22, 2002.

Although this company is relatively new, the tradition of making quality rum in Venezuela using the these facilities which is not. https://therumhowlerblog.com/rum-reviews/dark-rums/diplomatico-reserva-exclusiva/

In fact sugar cane has been cultivated in Venezuela perhaps as early as the 16th century. Systematic rum production in Venezuela can be dated to 1896.

In 2009 when I wrote my original review for the Exclusiva Reserva, the Distilleries Unitas S.A. (DUSA) website states that the rum they produce is distilled from honeys derived from sugar cane and fermented molasses.

Additionally, all of the stills and distillation kettles were made from copper. The website also made it clear that flavouring and aromatic agents are used in the production of their rum, as this statement on the website attested:

Only high purity distilled alcohols and rich aromas and flavours are used to manufacture rums

Interestingly, today (2014) the DUSA website no longer makes any mention of kettle stills or of any flavouring and aromatic agents used in the production of their rum.

I doubt that they have changed their rum; more probably, they have decided less information regarding their production methods may be wiser in the long run from a marketing prospective.

For the record, I have no objection to the use of flavouring agents in rum, as this is a tradition which dates back to the very origins of rum distillation and production.

In fact, this practice is recognized in the regulations which govern what can legally be called rum in both Canada and the United States.