Style: Column distilled, lightly aged rum
Age: No age statement
Proof: 81.4 (41.2% ABV)
Region: Dominican Republic
With 135 years of rum making history, Brugal is one of the oldest distilleries in the Caribbean. The distillery’s newest special release, Brugal Maestro Reserva is specially crafted by fifth-generation distiller Jassil Villanueva and aged in what the distillery describes as “carefully selected American sherry oak casks” using a dark toasting technique on the barrels.
Tasting notes
The color of the Maestro Reserva is an alluring, deep amber. On the nose, aromas of vanilla and caramel mingle with tropical fruit and oak. The palate is soft and sweet. Rich caramel, ripe mango and a pop of cinnamon round out the flavor. The finish settles on vanilla, baking spice and a hint of fruit. The barrel aging is clearly doing most of the heavy lifting with this rum.
Final thoughts
This is a perfectly adequate, but unsurprising sipping rum. It’s approachable, the flavors and aromas all work together well, but it lacks the complexity that makes the best spirits so alluring. That’s not to say this is a bad rum at all — most drinkers will find it to be an adequate to great sipping rum. It would be best paired with a nice cigar, chocolate, or fresh fruit instead of sipped on its own.
