BRUGAL JUST DROPPED A TASTY NEW RUM AGED IN TOASTED SHERRY CASKS

Fans of sherry cask-matured single malts should try this new sipping rum.

Last summer, Dominican rum brand Brugal released one of our favorite rums of the year, Colección Visionaria which was aged in barrels seasoned with toasted cacao beans. Now comes news of the launch of Maestro Reserva, a high-end rum aged in sherry casks that were subject to “dark aromatic toasting,” and we got an early taste.

Brugal was founded in 1888 in the Dominican Republic by Spanish immigrant Don Andrés Brugal. Today, rum production at the distillery is overseen by fifth-generation maestra ronera and Brugal family member Jassil Villanueva Quintana. She is the force behind the new Maestro Reserva expression, which will be a permanent addition to the portfolio. “My family deeply embraces the elegance and soul of Brugal rum, and I’ve absorbed a wealth of wisdom from the generations of maestro roneros who came before me,” she said in a statement. “By leveraging this knowledge and my unwavering passion, all while paying homage to the Brugal family legacy, I’ve crafted a rum that is ‘moment perfect.'”

The “dark aromatic toasting” that the brand refers to is Brugal’s proprietary process of treating the casks used for maturation. Maestro Reserva was initially aged in American oak sherry-seasoned barrels, and then dumped out and set aside. Those barrels were then toasted “using precision, mastery and expertise to extract natural caramel pearls that are drawn from the sugars in the wood,” according to the brand. The rum was then placed back into those barrels for a secondary maturation period. No sugar or additives were added, and it was bottled at 41.2 percent ABV.

I got to try a sample of Maestro Reserva, and while last year’s Colección Visionaria was better, this is a high-quality sipping rum as well. There are notes of creamy vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch on the palate, along with raisin, stone fruit, spice, orange, and just a hint of smoke. Maestro Reserva (SRP $200) will be initially available in Florida, Texas, and New Jersey, but will expand to other markets over the coming year. It’s also available to purchase from the Whisky Exchange, and the rest of the lineup can be found at ReserveBar.

Written by Jonah Flicker