Diplomático
Planas is still made the same way as the original Reserve Blanco, aged for six
years, charcoal filtered, 50/50 pot and column still with one key difference,
the abv has been upped from 40% to 47%. ‘Now
it’s very much a premium sipping rum, said Speciality Brands Jon Lister.
It boasts a chewy texture, with
great fruit character up front, some cappuccino flavors in the mid palate and a
nutty, long finish. Lister suggests
mixing it as a rum Martini with Gancia Bianco, which he filters through milk
powder, then adds 2.5ml of palo cortado sherry.
Diplomático Mantuano is taking the place of
the Reserva, and production has changed a bit: the rum is still predominantly
eight years old and 40% abv, but the new variant is comprised of 40/60 pot to
column still, as opposed to the previous 50/50 split. Mantuano boasts a distinct caramel flavor,
with some hints of stone fruit and vanilla, and a long, drying finish. This has the flavor that will make it a
great premium cocktail base. ‘The
changes have been brought in to give the rum more mixing capability, to move it
away from the Reserva Exclusiva and to bring out the dry, tropical notes, rather
than being the poor man’s Reserva Exclusiva.
It has got a tiki element to it, but it’s still a moody sipping rum,
only it’s much more versatile.’
The bottles of the two new expressions are similar in shape to
the Reserva Exclusiva, bringing the three rums in line with each other.
