A.F.D. Ron Barceló Dorado Añejado

Ron Barceló Dorado Añejado comes from Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos, one of the Dominican Republic's major houses. Barceló's core range generally tests dry, but this entry expression is openly sweetened, a light molasses rum distilled on a column still and bottled at a low 37.5%.

The low strength and added sugar define it. The nose shows wood, leather and a sweet edge with a faint peaty note, the palate turns woody and a little varnishy and reads diluted, and the finish is simply sweet. With so little proof behind it the flavours can feel thin and slightly disjointed, and the honest description is a cheap, sweet, woody everyday rum rather than a characterful one. It does its best work as an inexpensive mixer for cola, where the sweetness and light body suit the job, and underwhelms anyone looking for focus or depth.