A Pair of Diplomático Rums from Venezuela

In the autumn of 2022, the Diplomático distillery of Venezuela, officially Destillerias Unidas, sometimes shortened to DUSA, was acquired by the Brown-Forman Corporation, makers of many whiskeys and other spirits, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, and Finlandia Vodka. It is the company’s first rum brand, which is why you can expect to be hearing a lot more about Diplomático in the months and years to come.

Shortly after the acquisition closed, I had the opportunity to try a pair of their rums and I walked away from the experience quite impressed.

Something that differentiates Diplomático rums from the majority of those produced in the Caribbean is the use of what they call sugar cane honey, basically a sort of mid-point between the molasses that is most commonly used and the sugar cane juice that produces rhums agricole, principally in Martinique. (Please see the ‘Spotlight on Rhum Agricole A.O.C.’ in the Category Spotlights section.)

Aside from the raw materials, Diplomático also uses not one, but three different styles of still, depending upon the character of the rum they wish to produce. The column still is used to make lighter rums, such as their Planas, the Canadian-made ‘Batch Kettle’ creates rums of somewhat greater complexity and, the distillery website claims, ‘tropical notes,’ while the copper pot still is employed for the richest and most flavourfully dense of the distillery’s line.

Also somewhat uncommon is the static maturation technique the distillery employs in its warehouse, meaning that no barrel gets moved until the rum within is deemed ready for blending and bottling. It is unclear what benefit this provides the rum, but my guess would be that it might accentuate slightly the rum’s ‘tropical aging’ – that being the rather rapid maturation that spirits receive in consistently hot climates.

Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva (40%) is the flagship of the line. The nose is a soft mix of fruit ranging from peach to tangerine mixed with milk and medium dark chocolate. The palate begins sweet and fairly soft, with honey, chocolate, canned peach, and cinnamon, leading to similarly styles mid-palate with cola flavours joining the mix and diminishing fruitiness. The finish brings a jolt of high cocoa content chocolate and lingering brown spice. Refined and well suited to mixing, although also a more than decent sipper

89 ($64 - $67)

Diplomático Mantuano (40%) is a blend of rums aged up to eight years in bourbon and single malt casks. Rich and deep gold in colour, it has a profoundly orange-chocolate aroma that perfumes the air around the glass, with added notes of caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon. The front is quite sweet, with perfumed tangerine orange and milk chocolate, leading to a mid-palate which dries considerably, the milk chocolate becoming more dark, high cocoa content chocolate and brown spice notes rising quickly, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The finish is quite dry, especially considering the start, with dried citrus peel and a touch of anise. Lovely stuff for late night contemplation.

91 ($46 - $50)