Relicario Ron Dominicano is a rum brand which hails from the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is famous for the three B’s (Brugal, Barceló and Bermudez). The Dominican Republic is also known in the rum world for the various Oliver & Oliver bottlings such Opthimus and Presidente Marti.

Dominican rum is a lighter Spanish style of rum similar in many ways to the rums that come out of Panama. Some are dosed and some taste dosed but the Hydrometer is easily fooled sadly.

Relicario Rum appears to be a two bottle brand. I’ve noticed this bottling quite frequently in the UK but I have never come across the Supermo bottling which is featured on their website.

The website like the bottle is very slick and nicely marketed. I can understand why people would buy this rum. The card sleeve is very sturdy and the bottle has a nice weight to it and a strong branding. The stopper does look like a cork but is actually a screw cap. It is however very large and durable. In the UK a bottle of Relicario Ron Dominicano Superior will set you back around £30-35. The ABV is a respectable 40% ABV (often Dominican rum is bottled at 38%). The rums in the blend are aged between 6 and 10 years in a Solero system. Relicario Superior is aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

Although there is a Distillery tab on the website it doesn’t actually give you any information as to where this distillery is. Without this information I expect the rum to be distilled on Column stills rather than a Pot Still (or a blend of both). The distillery tab is actually quite amusing and has some of the most ridiculous marketing bollocks I have ever read – which says something in the rum world

Fermentation – “Made from a rigorous selection of sucrose-rich streams which come from the sugar mill, where sugar cane is produced. The alcoholic stages are obtained through the fermentation of these sugary streams, which contribute in part to the aromatic composition of the final product”

Utter goobledegook and I’m left with little else to say on the product. So I may as well get on with the nosing and tasting.

In the glass Relicario Superior presents itself as a dark brown with vibrant orange and red flashes. It’s a classic rum colour if you like (almost certainly some caramel colouring is involved).

On the nose Relicario if familiar. Light, slightly perfumed but with a refreshing amount of bourbon spice from the barrel and a nice hit of alcohol.

It is much more peppery than oaked. The barrels used to age the rum have contributed to a spicy profile – white pepper and ginger. Vanilla and a slight lemon note are also present.

The floral notes keep coming back on the nose. It reminds me of Floral Gums. Overall though Relicario has quite a nicely balanced and inviting nose. The more you nose and the more time the rum spends in the glass the more you notice the caramel and buttery notes.

Sipped Relicario is very easy going. It does taste a little weak – maybe its just a bit too light overall. It’s fairly sweet but not overly so. It does have quite a bit of astringency to it though. Particularly in the finish. There’s a lot of spice and oak in the finish with a bitterness which develops into a very tobacco heavy finish.

The Hydrometer didn’t identify any additives in this rum. Having said that I’m not 100% certain it would ever be classed as “pure” rum. I find it difficult to trust rums from certain destinations – The Dominican being one. It hasn’t been excessively sweetened or doctored but it does seem a little more rounded than I would perhaps expect. It seems to have had its wings clipped a little. That could of course be down to the ABV.

As a sipper it starts sweetly with notes of caramel and toffee. You then get bitterness – tobacco and some spicy white pepper. The finish is a little sharp with some lemon zest and a lot of the oak and tobacco but it doesn’t hang around very long. You are left with just a bit of alcohol burn for much of the finish.

It doesn’t stand out or do anything to exciting. Could be any number of other rums from the Dominican Republic or Panama. It didn’t surprise me in any way. It’s light and easy going. Quite easy to drink yet you still feel like you are drinking a “proper” rum rather than something like Pyrat or Millonario.

Much like most of the Barceló line up its just all a bit boring. There’s nothing exciting going on – nothing other than the presentation which would make it stand out from 50 other similar rums. I can’t imagine I’ll buy another bottle (unless its heavily discounted).

Not bad but not all that good either. Very slightly above average. Easy to drink but easy to forget as well.