Dictador XO Perpetual / Aurum

Dictador works in the Spanish-style Colombian tradition, drawing on sugar-cane honey and a blend of pot and column still rum, aged in ex-bourbon wood. The 35 marking refers to its solera system rather than a straight age statement, a fractional regime in which a little older rum is continually refreshed with younger spirit, so it is best read as a solera designation, not as rum aged thirty-five years. Unusually for the softer Colombian school, independent reports put it at only a few grams of sugar per litre, so it reads as effectively dry.

The nose leans on coffee, toffee and toasted, roasted notes; the palate is coffee, vanilla and oak with a gentle sweetness, finishing on coffee, wood, spice and nuts. Walnut and lightly burnt coffee dominate, with almost no perceptible alcohol at the easy 40%. Smooth, dry and roast-driven, it makes a comfortable next step for drinkers who like honeyed Latin rum but want something less sweet, taken neat or over ice, without expecting big power or complexity.