Bacardi is one of the best-selling rums in the world. In addition to traditional dark and light rums, there are several other blends in their catalog. Carta Oro (Oro stands for golden) is one of four basic rums that were launched in 1862. It is a blend of a total of 14 different rums that have been matured in oak barrels for 1-2 years and then lightly filtered through charcoal. A 50cl bottle costs about 12 € in Estonia.

The aroma is very light, with a bit of vanilla, almond, molasses and a pungent stench of alcohol in the background. The taste is smooth and sweetish. Alcohol bites quite strongly, there is clearly a feeling that it is a very young rum. The taste has some aromas of vanilla and almond, light nuances of ripened fruits. The aftertaste is dry and sweet. Carta Oro is less sweet than dark rum from the same manufacturer, so I assume that no sugar has been added to it.

While drinking neat, Carta Oro is very light and fairly meaningless. Indeed, it is intended only for mixes, which Bacardi himself emphasizes on his own website. With Coca-Cola and other mixers, it goes just as well as other dark rums. The aromas of vanilla and almond are so light that they bring very little extra to the drinks. When mixed with soda water alone, most flavors disappear and the traditional aroma of molasses or dark sugar remains.

Bacardi Carta Oro is one of the best-selling golden rums in the world, but it has achieved its position purely through marketing and a good sales network. There is hardly anything bad to say about it, it’s just very light and simplistic rum. The price of Oro is on the same level with Bacard’s other baseline products, so it’s pretty much the same which one you choose for your drinks.

78/100