Ask most people to name a serious aged rum and they'll point to the Caribbean. Jamaica. Barbados. Trinidad. The usual suspects.
Colombia rarely makes the list.
That's a mistake. And Dictador is the clearest evidence of why.
What Is Dictador Rum?
Dictador is a Colombian rum produced in Cartagena by Destilería Colombiana, a family-owned operation founded in 1913. It's made from virgin sugarcane honey; a byproduct of the first pressing of sugarcane, rather than the more commonly used blackstrap molasses, which gives the base spirit a naturally cleaner, sweeter character before it even touches a barrel.
The distillery produces a range of aged expressions, the most widely available being the 12 Year and 20 Year. Both are bottled at 40% ABV.
What Is Solera Aging, and Why Does It Matter?
Dictador ages its rum using a solera system: the same fractional blending method used for Spanish sherry and some of the most complex fortified wines in the world.
Rather than aging a single batch in a single cask for a fixed number of years, solera blending works by cycling older spirit through a series of casks continuously. Younger rum tops up older barrels, and finished product is drawn from the oldest casks at the bottom of the system. The result is a rum with no single vintage age, but one that contains spirit that has been in contact with oak for decades.
The depth of flavour this produces is different in kind from a straightforwardly aged spirit. More layered. More integrated. Less linear.
What Does Dictador Taste Like?
The Dictador 12 Year is the entry point. Dark dried fruits, toffee, a hit of coffee. The texture is dense without being heavy, and the finish lingers well past the last sip. At its price point, it's one of the more interesting bottles you can put on a shelf.
The Dictador 20 Year is where it gets serious. Dark chocolate, tobacco, dried fig, something almost cognac-like in its refinement. It's a rum that rewards patience. Pour it neat, let it open up, and it'll keep revealing itself for the better part of an hour.
Is Rum Worth Taking Seriously as a Sipping Spirit?
Rum has a reputation problem. Years of being used primarily as a cocktail base; diluted, sweetened, hidden behind citrus and mint, has made it easy to dismiss as a sipping spirit. That's changing, and aged rum is leading the charge.
The collectors who were buying whisky a decade ago are now looking seriously at aged rum. The production methods are comparable in complexity, the maturation periods can be just as long, and the flavour profiles, particularly from producers like Dictador who use solera aging are every bit as nuanced.
Dictador sits at the better end of what's available in Australia. If you've never approached rum the way you'd approach a good whisky or cognac; neat, slowly, with attention, it's worth starting here.
Shop the Dictador range at AlcVol