Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Could easily sip this all night long. The one I had recently had a slight smokiness to it

A very good go to sipping rum. Nice and smooth taste. Best with little amount of ice. If you are starting with rums, go get yourself a bottle of this. It will become your go to rum.

I enjoy this rum neat or on the rocks, it’s easy on the pallet and not too heavy or high on alcohol. Soft aftertaste. Real nice, on of my favorites. Some orange, vanilla, toffee,

Nice taste and smell, nothing extra, can be improved a lot

This is one of my favorite go to rums. Yummy flavor, nice Carmel color and good any day of the week. This is a staple in my rum cabinet and in my glass.

Good taste with sweetness and clear barrel character, hints of orange, raisins, vanilla fudge and cinnamon. Mmm!

Aromas of vanilla, oak, and fruit. Flavors of cinnamon, fruit, oak, spices and hints of licorice. Well rounded

Diplomatico certainly leans toward the sweeter side, however, I truly do not find this rum to be excessively sweet. The people who liken this rum to maple syrup or liqueur are, in my opinion, way off base. I get that some rum-lovers might prefer dryer rums with little to no sweetness. I also understand that others might be particularly sensitive to sugary notes. But I honestly do not find this rum to be cloying.

Yes, it has added sugar.
While some scoff at the thought of adulterating a rum with adding sugar, I have a different approach: I accept Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva as not a purist's choice, but a delicious rum to sip for casual enjoyment, with enough complexity to captivate my interests. It is most certainly not a 21 year old masterpiece, but it doesn't have to be. For the price, it is an excellent sipper that one can bring to almost any occasion.

This rum is very smooth. I get some confectionery notes, such as toffee; a bit of bitter herb, such as licorice; and a lingering presence of oak. I detect other complexities in the tasting notes, such as citrus (the label says 'orange peel', I'm inclined to agree) and maybe some other fruits.

So, why 8/10?
Diplomatico remains readily available in most places. For the price, it is a superb choice. With its sweet smoothness and moderate complexity, it is a perfect rum to enjoy by yourself or with company who might not necessarily be rum drinkers, serving as a solid introductory rum. In fact, it's the rum that opened my door to rums.

I highly recommend keeping a bottle around as a smooth sipper for after dinner and for guests.

This rum is incredibly smooth...it has been my favorite ever since I had my first sip of it. Slight caramel taste and vanilla...

Has a sweet, toffee-like flavor. Goes down super smooth with a consistent aftertaste (I’m a “neat” drinker). Highly recommend. My local price in Nov 2023 was ~$45/bt