Sugar cane has been cultivated in Venezuela since the 1500s. The industrial production of rum started right at the end of the 19th century. Behind the Diplomatico brand is Distilleries Unitas, which is a fairly new company, founded in 2002. However, its owners have a history spanning several decades and the company has been shaped through several acquisitions. Diplomatico’s rums are made from sugarcane waste products and sugarcane honey. Mantuato is a mixture of column and pot stills that have been aged in oak barrels. The oldest distillates are said to be aged for 8 years. The price for a 70 cl bottle was €19.90.

The color of the rum is dark brown and by pouring it into the glass you can see that its sugar content is rather high. The nose is quite light and nothing special stands out. Maybe a bit of ripe fruit and coffee beans. The taste is at the same time sweet but also quite sharp. The taste is rather bland and monotonous. It stands out with dark caramel sugar, slightly dried fruit and a bitter aroma from barrel aging. The fruity aromas that emerged in the smell are not much present in the taste. The aftertaste has a hint of caramel and coffee beans. A couple of ice cubes in the glass softens the taste and dilutes the bitterness, and also brings a little more sweetness. Mantuato is not a very pleasant rum to sip on its own, it’s a bit boring to say. It is better served with ice or used in cocktails. Not bad, but either not so special and memorable dark rum.

81/100