Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Review

We can’t have all these rum posts without a Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva review. Before I’d set off on my personal rum journey, I’d heard that Diplomatico was the daddy of ‘proper’ rums. Customer reviews on retail sites like Master of Malt often all proclaimed it to be their absolute favourite.

Why then, after later finding myself in rum enthusiast circles, did all the aficionados hate it?

 

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Review

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva was the second ‘sipping’ rum that I bought after the success of Appleton 12. I had to drive out to a neighbouring village, where the friendly guy in the wine shop offered me a sample before I bought it. The taste took me back at once. It wasn’t what I was expecting. Still, the reviews had been enough to get me to drive out there, and I wasn’t driving back home in the dark without a bottle, so I bought it.

Before I get to the surprising taste, it would be remiss of me not to mention the reason why reviews of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva are either eulogies of love, or vitriol-filled rants bashed out on a bloody keyboard.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva contains a lot of sugar. Like, a LOT.

There’s a semi-hardcore contingent of rum enthusiasts that get very angry at rums being dosed up to the brim with sugar. Unlike whisk(e)y, rum isn’t subjected to the same stringent regulations about production. There’s a condescending undertone to discussions in these circles that suggest that people who enjoy sweetened rums such as these have a less-refined palate.

 

Me? I couldn’t care less either way. If you like it, you like it. It’s as simple as that. I will admit though to finding it a little odd that Diplomatico reportedly use a rum that’s been aged for 10-12 years, only to dose it with a ton of sugar. I guess though that its age is one of the reasons that make it such a smooth sipper.

I was aware of all this sugar contention before I bought the bottle, but I didn’t give a monkey’s. I just wanted a rum that was smooth and great to drink.

How Much is Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva?

It’s almost always around the £40 mark. I picked up my bottle for £38, and I’ve seen it as high as £45. It doesn’t fluctuate much. This is Diplomatico’s core expression, and seems to sell well through word of mouth alone.

 

On the Nose

Fortified wine. Now, to be clear on this, I don’t mean a hint of fortified wine. I mean it actually does smell like port. This was the first sign that told me that something was wrong here. It actually smells sweet too. Treacly.

 

Is Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Suitable for Sipping?

Sure. With this much sugar, you can barely tell that it’s alcoholic. The problem here is, that although I’d been looking for a ‘smooth-drinking’ rum, I found that I kinda need a bit of a ‘bite’ to keep me honest. These go down far too easily, so not something to spend the night on.

To be honest, it’s far too sweet to drink much of anyway. Your teeth would fall out before you even got merry. It wasn’t a favourite of mine, but I emptied the bottle by having the odd glass after dinner as a dessert of sorts. It’s thick and syrupy, so as you’d probably expect there’s not much in the way of subtle flavour that’s able to break through the saccharine sweetness.

The main reason I didn’t get on with it is because it doesn’t taste like rum. It actually tastes as it smells: like a fortified wine. In fact, if I was given this blindfolded, I would assume it was a sweetened sherry.

Is Dipomatico Reserva Exclusiva Suitable for Mixing?

I imagine that this could be quite a bit of fun in cocktails. You’d be adding sweetness and that treacly richness to whatever you mix it with. If you mix your rum with cola, you’d better have an insulin pen handy before you tackle a Diplomatico and cola. This is probably one of the few rums that would work backwards, and act as a mixer to take the bite out of your cola.

 

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Review – Verdict

I’m well aware that there’s still plenty of people that have read all that, and still think “that sounds right up my street”. Not everyone wants to pick up faint whiffs of lemongrass, and charred oak barrels. Some people just want a sweet drink that will get them tipsy. If that’s you, then you’ll love Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. It’s ridiculously smooth and easy to drink too, which appeals to a large amount of people also.

If you’re after a rum that actually tastes of rum though, this is best avoided. I can’t say it’s horrible, as it isn’t. I just can’t see me ever buying a bottle again. 4/10

You’ll Probably like Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva if You Already Like…

Sugar.

I’m kidding (sorta). Port, sweet sherry, Kraken

 

Want a rummier rum? This smokey 12-year-old Appleton Estate is probably just the thing.

After the smoothness but without the sugar hit? Take a look at Duppy Share rum.

You want a REALLY sweet drink? Take a peek at Frangelico.