Bordas Don Isidro Selección Familiar

Don Isidro is Bordas's family selection bottling from the Dominican Republic, squarely in the country's amber, vanilla-and-caramel house style that the three B's made familiar. It is a recent arrival to some European shelves and reads as a typical ron in the best sense, soft, accessible and built around barrel character rather than a loud spirit.

Column distilled from molasses and bottled at a gentle 38%, it opens woody and sweet with caramel and vanilla, then turns to dried fruit, a cola like note and ripe tropical fruit on the palate. A welcome thread of bitterness counterbalances the sweetness, and the finish carries dried fruit, vanilla and a hint of banana. An easygoing Dominican sipper that stays balanced rather than syrupy.