If you remember my reviews of the Puntacana Club rums, you’ll remember my rant about what a scam Taino Gifts is in Punta Cana. Another one of the reasons is that they offered me some free samples, and I said that they’re too sweet for me, and so they tried to sell me E. León Jimenes 110 for $240, insisting that it’s completely unsweetened. They did not let me try it, of course, but I did buy a sample bottle at my hotel for $10. Yes, buying 15 sample bottles would cost half as much as the bottle they were trying to sell me. This rum was basically entirely off my radar, since it’s not one of the “3 B’s” of Dominican rum (Brugal, Barceló, Bermudez), but my sensibilities were so offended by that experience that I bought the sample bottle to try at home.

A little history about this rum: it debuted in 2013, to celebrate La Aurora cigar factory’s 110th anniversary. This rum is contracted by a cigar company that wants to make the perfect rum to pair with a cigar.

Note: The wash was fermented for 18-24 hours and distilled on a 5-column still

Review

Smell: Very strong oak and vanilla initally, with that characteristic Dominican floral scent. It smells a lot like the longer aged Brugal rums.

Taste: Very nice bold, classic Dominican flavor. Sweet, floral, sour, woody, vanilla, and it’s pretty tannic. It has the same woody and sour note as Havana Club 7, though it is much less floral and flavorful. It also comes across as quite sweet, and despite its tannins, it doesnt come off as very long aged. But that’s actually okay. It has a little bit of the floral notes you get from the younger Brugal and Barceló rums along with a good hit of vanilla and oak. It’s like a more floral Barceló Imperial or a more woody Brugal Añejo. They must have used a heavier cut off the still for this because it’s surprisingly flavorful for what it is.

Verdict 5.75/10

It lands close to Cubaney XO (another Cuban-style Dominican rum) because it’s actually flavorful, noticeably aged, sweet but not overly sweet, and yet not as flavorful as cuban rums. It’s a bit harsher than Cubaney XO, but I can mostly overlook that. It’s not my sipper of choice, but it’s actually one of the nicer Dominican rums that I’ve had. In general, though, I think Dominican rums taste like neutered Cuban rums, but this rum comes pretty close to some of the worse Cuban rums I’ve had. 5.75/10