Dictador Obra American Oak 1999

From Dictador's Obra line, this is a single cask of Colombian rum distilled in 1999 and bottled at 24 years old from American oak. It carries the house style of the solera-leaning Spanish school, where the spirit runs light and the interest comes from long oak ageing, here captured in a single barrel rather than a vatting.

The molasses base and two and a half decades in American oak give an oily body and a fruity, gently spiced character. Chocolate, clove and coffee lead the nose, the palate turns sweet and woody with a streak of orange, and the finish brings roasted notes, coffee and a dusting of cinnamon. The sweetness is part of the Dictador signature rather than something the oak alone could account for, keeping it rounded rather than dry. At 43% it is mellow and easygoing, a warming, after-dinner Colombian ron with real age on its side.