Diplomatico Distillery Collection No2 Barbet Rum. Late in 2017 Diplomatico released two new expressions. These expressiona are designed to highlight the different types of rum that Diplomatico can produce at their distillery.

I do feel these releases have been produced to try and appeal to those who perhaps are more critical of Diplomatico’s sweetened rums – such as the Reserva Exclusiva, Single Vintage releases and their highest priced rum the Ambassador.

This rum is 100% column distilled. So it should be the “lighter” style of rum produced by Diplomatico. They do talk of their pot still and the fact the Reserva Exclusiva has heavy pot still rum. I can’t say I’ve ever tasted what I would class a heavy rum from Diplomatico. There are rums a very much in the light Latin/Cuban style.

There are two rums in the Distillery Collection at present. Both are limited to 5000 bottles. This rum comes in a familiar Diplomatico stubby bottle. Like their Anejo you can actually see the liquid in the bottle before pouring. Style wise its pretty good with nice clean presentation and focuses more on facts than the usual DIplomatico line up.

Diplomatico Distillery Collection No2 has been bottled at 47%. A 70cl bottle in the UK currently retails at around the £60 mark. As mentioned already this is a column distilled rum and has been aged for 4 years. It is produced using Sugar Cane Molasses.and aged in American Oak Barrels. Diplomatico have kindly provided a picture of the still used in the production of this rum on the packaging and as part of their marketing material. As the name might suggest the Barbet column hails from France and was imported to Venezuela in 1959. It is a continuous column still.

Appearance wise the Barbet Rum is a nice golden brown with a slight orange hue.

Nosed the rum is familiar but not bad. Nice notes of oak, vanilla and some real interaction with cask to give me some nice spicy bourbon like notes. Like its Pot Still brother it is still a little on the floral side – sweet and the tobacco and smoke is dialled back a little with this one. It’s not totally disappeared but I am getting more notes that I personally enjoy. Milk chocolate, a touch of raisin and some light sugary toffee. It’s reasonably familiar though and doesn’t really have a lot of “wow factor”.

Sipped it starts with a slightly sickly overly sweet note of alcohol which quickly fades into a mildly smoky and tobacco, like mid palate. Which is equally short. The finish is pretty much non existent. A little bit of alcohol burn but nothing much else.

I’m quite surprised this is 47% ABV because it is very insipid and uninspiring. Theres not real flavour beyond oak chips and a bit of tobacco. There is perhaps a touch of buttery-ness in their maybe a touch of white chocolate and hazelnut spread but its very faint and only really teases your palate.

Bland and inoffensive is the best way to describe this. Boring, devoid of character and just not worth the outlay. I doubt many people will make a repeat purchase. Its quite ironic that some stores are limiting purchases to one bottle.

I did hope that both of these Distillery Collection releases might have offered a lot more than they have. These reviews might seem a little predictable to some. Some may think I am just trying to bring Diplomatico down. If you are in any doubt then fork out for one. You’ll find that you can get very similar rum for a 1/3 of the price.

Pick up their own Anejo its way better than this.