A 12 Year Old Solero System rum not from Guatemala, Puerto Rco or the Dominican Republic but the home of marching powder and Rene Higuita. Yes, thats right Colombian rum.  Rum from Colombia. 

Again I found this online and as it was reduced (and I’m easily seduced by price reductions) I thought it was worth a spin at £30.

First things first, is the bottle.  A sexy black bottle.  I’d usually call this kind of bottle stubby but its just too sexy to be stubby.  Straight away you’re looking at the bottle and thinking the rum inside has got to be very good.  The finish of the bottle is not spoilt by a metallic stopper it has a very nice synthetic cork stopper which give a very satisfying pop when you open the bottle.  You also get a nice box sleeve to house the rum, if you like or need that kind of thing.  My rums rarely last long enough to worry about needing to protect them from the elements!

Onto the rum.  Dictador Solero isn’t anywhere near as dark as the bottle might lead you to believe. Its a lightly brown coloured rum which is quite transparent in the glass.  It’s a very intense, pungent smelling rum similar to Pampero Anniversaro.  The taste of the Dictador initially is very much of coffee.  If you sip this rum then that will be the taste you will definitely get the most, cold coffee.  I suppose it being Colombian that kind of makes sense.  For the record this isn’t a criticism its really very nice sipped.  With a little cola the rum really comes to the forefront giving an intense smoky flavour.

I found this rum to be very moreish (the darkness of the bottle hides the fact I’ve drank most of the bottle).  If you like rums which are a little different to the norm and enjoy a complex dark aged rum you will enjoy this rum.  It still has a fruity taste but it has a lot more going on that just being sweet. 

The rum is usually around £40 so it would be in the same price category as Pampero Anniversaro, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva and Admiral Rodney. 

If you want to try something different then give this a try.  It is also available in a few 20 year old versions.  They too have reviewed well online though I’m yet to try any of the more expensive one’s.

Not that I’m tight or anything…….