Ron del Barrilito Three Star

Ron del Barrilito Three Star

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: 6-10 years
Nose: Vanilla, caramel
Palate: Caramel, mango, banana, apricot
Finish: Fruit juice, baking spice

Hacienda Santa Ana sits surrounded by sugarcane just off of a quiet road in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s easy to miss the home of the oldest rum producer on the island – Ron del Barrilito.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

Distilling continuously since 1880, Ron del Barrilito has maintained a high standard of quality across all of their expressions. All of their rum is aged completely in Oloroso sherry barrels imported from Spain and expertly combined by master blender Luis Planas.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

Ron del Barrilito offers four expressions of their rum, all made from the same distillate, just blended from barrels aged to different age ranges. Their premium rum, the Ron del Barrilito Five Star contains a complex blend of barrels, the oldest having been aged for up to 35 years. On the other end of the spectrum, their youngest expression, the Two Star, contains barrels aged between 3 and 5 years.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

The first rum they bottled, and their flagship expression to this day is the Ron del Barrilito Three Star. It’s an amber-colored aged rum that works beautifully when mixed or when sipped neat. So how does Puerto Rico’s most historic rum actually taste?

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

Tasting notes

The nose on this rum showcases the Oloroso sherry barrels the rum was aged in. Rich and sweet aromas of vanilla and caramel take center stage while offering a hint of dried fruit and spice.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

The caramel and vanilla that dominate the nose of Ron del Barrilito are balanced out when tasting this rum. The rum is smooth and complex with a syrupy juiciness that combines mango or pineapple juice with ripe banana with just a touch of baking spice.

The finish is long and satisfying, but not too complex. The fruit juice notes linger and soften a bit, coating the inside of the mouth. As the rum evaporates, more of the baking spice flavors become recognizable offering a short burst of cinnamon and allspice.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

Final thoughts

Ron del Barrilito Three Star is a very drinkable rum. It offers a welcoming flavor profile of caramel, vanilla, and fruit with a juicy mouthfeel and hints of spice. This bottle would provide a great entry point for drinkers who normally prefer other barrel-aged spirits like cognac or bourbon, but aren’t yet convinced of how good premium rums can be.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

For mixing, this rum works best in spirit-forward cocktails – it’s too subtle and complex for a piña colada. A Ron del Barrilito old-fashioned cocktail garnished with a stick of charred cinnamon and orange peel is a natural fit for this rum, but it has the depth and complexity to stand on its own when sipped neat.

Photo: Francisco Alvarez

All photographs courtesy of Francisco Alvarez. Do check his website.

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Dylan Ettinger
Dylan Ettinger
Dylan Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based writer who specializes in spirits, cocktails, and coffee.

1 COMMENT

  1. I’ve used this as the “column still aged rum” in my Zombie. I love it’s profile in this specific cocktail so far…I have yet to try it in another cocktail.

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