Ron Barceló’s Imperial brand voted twice as “The Best Rum in the World” by the Beverage Testing Institute of Chicago.
Story by Terry Check
Arriving in Santo Domingo from Spain in 1929, the young Julian Barceló followed his dream of crafting the best rum in the world. In the Dominican Republic, the nutrient rich soil and temperate climate renders an ideal environment for growing sugarcane, the main ingredient in rum. Sometimes dreams do not follow reality. After building the distillery the San Zenon hurricane destroyed the facility. Undeterred Julian Barceló rebuilt the distillery and began selling the rum, door to door, driving his Model T Ford throughout the island.While experimenting with different rums, he decided to use only sugarcane juice instead of molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining considered less desirable for rum making.
The sugarcane juice is fermented for about one day and then distilled in a continuous 5-stage still producing a 95%+ spirit. Thirty pounds of sugarcane yields about 1 liter of alcohol. With annual production of about 18 million liters, 277,000 tons of sugarcane is harvested each year. The spirit is aged up to 10 years in re-toasted used bourbon barrels of American white oak imparting favors to the rum. Over 110,000 barrels of rum are aged at any time, until perfection is achieved.
Today, Barceló Rum is the Dominican Republic’s #1 exported rum brand and the #1 exported dark rum brand in the world. It is sold in more than 70 countries where it is recognized as the leading premium rum from the Dominican Republic. Ron Barcelódistills internationally awarded rum such as Barceló Imperial with an amber color and aromas of cherries, vanilla, and buttercream; BarcelóAñejo, with a golden colorand aromas of chocolate and a semi-dry fruity taste;and Barceló Imperial Onyx is a blend of rums, aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels with a “heavy char” grade (other premium rums are aged in barrels containing a “medium-light char” grade). Filtered through onyx stones, which give Barceló Imperial Onyx the mysticism that characterizes this rum of unprecedented intensity.
“From pairings with fine dishes prepared by recognized chefs to pairings with high-end cigars, Barceló is more than a spirit; it is a rum that delights the palates of those who taste it,” says Eduardo Galíndez, Ron Barceló’s master distiller in an interview with Robb Report. Checkout Ron Barceló’s website at http://ronbarcelousa.com for more details and seasonal recipes.
