August 25, 2009

Ron Atlantico Private Cask Rum


Bill Dowd photo
It takes a long time for Ron Atlantico rum to go from its birthplace in the Dominican Republic to market throughout the Caribbean -- and now in the U.S. -- due to its multi-layered aging process. It is worth the wait.

Ron Atlantico Private Cask Rum

This Dominican gem is a blend of several small-batch dark rums. But, it is more than that.

The blend then is placed in small, used bourbon barrels -- the "private cask" in the name -- and the marriage is made for another year or two. But, it is more than that.

After that aging step, the rum then is placed in another set of barrels and aged from 15 to 25 years.

What results is a complex rum appealing to eye, nose and palate. The classic flavors from rum's sugar base -- caramel and molasses -- are immediately evident, quickly followed on both nose and tongue by the bourbon barrel notes of vanilla, butterscotch and oakiness.

Ron Atlantico, which I tasted with simply a cube of ice to help open it, is smooth and warm while at the same time bold and assertive, giving your palate something to mull over. The longer one swirls the sample and allows it to continue opening, the more vanilla comes through. However, at no time was the sweetness out of balance.

Suggested retail price: about $35 for the 750ml bottle, each one numbered.

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