Ron Coloma 8 Anos. Ron Coloma are a rum brand from Colombia. They currently have two rums in their portfolio. Today, I am reviewing their 8 Year Old Rum but they also have an older 15 Year Old Rum.

Ron Coloma, hails from the Hacienda Coloma a Coffee Plantation in Fusagasuga, Central Colombia. Both the rum brand and the Hacienda Coloma have their own websites here and here. There are some interesting links to the likes of Parce Rum on the Hacienda’s website.

It is unclear where exactly this rum is produced. There are a lot of rumours circulating, which suggest a lot of what is noted as “Colombian” Rum is actually rum from Panama or Costa Rica. Which just happen to border Colombia.

The production method of distillation is not noted either. I will take it though that this rum was produced on a continuous column still. The “information” available via the Ron Coloma website is as follows

“The rum masters Sandra Reateguí and Judith Ramirez, conceived this rum
distilled from pure cane molasses, of continuous aging in
American oak barrels – previous use in Bourbon  and with a finish (final aging)
in barrels used for the rest of the recognized Coloma coffee liqueur.

Hydrated with water from the Cordillera de los Andes, and filtered in old
coffee filters at Hacienda Coloma, the softness and balance
of Ron Coloma are a charming reflection of its origins.”

What a lovely Fairy Tale. I guess it’s going to be left to me to fill in a few actual facts about the juice in the pretty bottle.

The secondary method of ageing may go some way to explain why the Hydrometer recorded around  19g/L of additives with this particular “ron”. I also Googled the two Master Ronero’s noted and it did not return anything other than Ron Coloma. Do we have Colombia’s version of Don Pancho?

Presentation wise we get a nice short necked square 3/4 size bottle. It’s sleek and very “Premium”. You also get a sturdy cardboard box to store the rum. Ron Coloma 8 Anos is topped with a synthetic cork stopper. In the UK a bottle will set you back around £40 or just a little under it is currently in stock at Amazon and Master of Malt were stocking it but have sold out.

You also may be able to find it in a presentation box with two Coloma branded glasses (as pictured above).

So, in the absence of any furher information regarding this rum lets move on see how this latest “ron” fares……..

In the glass we have a dark to golden brown coloured spirit. Nosing Ron Coloma 8 Anos you are immediately hit by sweetness. An almost cloying array of caramel, toffee and clove. There’s a slightly saccharin like note, as well.

Further nosing reveals a few hints of oak and touch of spice. Not a great lot though. There is a slight trace of “spirit” but it does seems all just a bit too sweet and artificial. There is some coffee there from the secondary ageing but it is nowhere near the dominant note of this particular nose. We aren’t in Dictador land thankfully.

There’s a slightly “off” note about the whole thing it smells a little sour to be honest. Definitely not a very good nose. It all smells a little forced and contrived.

Sipped, sadly it fails to improve. It’s flat and one dimensional. It has a horrid saccharin after taste and little else. Maybe a touch of a very bad coffee, like flavour. Hickory like amost – yack. The entry is as sweet as the nose but once the toffee and caramel subside you get a very synthetic mid palate. Lots of saccharin which is quite bitter and unpleasant.

It’s very easy to drink – aside from the horrendous bitter aftertaste. Sipped it goes down easily enough, as it has next to no burn. No body at all really. No doubt due to the additives involved in the post distillation. I don’t believe this is getting its flavour solely from being aged in an ex Coffee Liqueur barrel – the taste is too false. If it is then that Coffee Liqueur, must be pretty rank.

It’s got something of a finish and a slight burn with a little bit of ginger and some cinnamon. Sadly it doesn’t really last very long and all you are left with is a very bitter nasty synthetic mess in your mouth.

This is seriously, a very boring, flat, uninspired spirit. I didn’t expect this to be quite as boring as this. I was hoping it might be a bit more like La Hechicera than Dictador. Sadly that’s simply not the case.

Completely forgettable in many ways but pretty rancid nonetheless.