Brugal Triple Reserva

Brugal Triple Reserva is a Dominican ron from one of the country's three B's, a producer known for a drier, more oak-led house style than much of the sweetened Spanish-heritage field. Molasses-based and column-distilled, it draws its character from wood rather than added sugar, and Brugal's bottlings generally test effectively dry.

That restraint shows in the glass. The nose carries wood, cherry wood, coffee and cream toffee, the palate turns charred and roasted with butterscotch, espresso and brown sugar, and the finish closes on biscuit and a touch of bitterness. At 37.5% it is light in strength, but the dry, coffee-and-char profile gives it a backbone the softer regional rums lack. A more grown-up, oak-driven Dominican pour for drinkers who prefer roast and structure to candied sweetness.