Sex Love And Rum - The Story Of Atlantico Reserva

Atlantico Reserva Rum, produced in the Dominican Republic, is a super-smooth, hand-crafted premium rum championed by Enrique Iglesias—you can't get much smoother than that! The brand is relatively new, debuting in 2008, but has already received critical acclaim, including being voted Best Solera Rum in the World at the 2010 Golden Barrel Awards. At the helm of Atlantico are Aleco Azqueta and Brandon Lieb, whose experience includes managing top brands like Grey Goose and Bacardi. Enrique Iglesias was so impressed with the rum that he met with the founders and officially joined the brand.

The process for creating Atlantico is detailed and complex. First, the finest aged small-batch rums from across the Dominican Republic are blended together to form what can be thought of as a "super rum." This is then aged for one to two years in small ex-bourbon barrels. Once the rum has matured and fused into something greater than the sum of its parts, it is placed in a solera system and aged for another 15 to 25 years.

In the solera aging process, barrels of rum of different ages are stacked in layers—the oldest on the bottom and the youngest on top. When bottling begins, only a small percentage of the oldest barrels' volume is drawn off. The empty space in those barrels is then filled with rum from the level above, and this process continues all the way up, while the barrels on the top level are topped up with new rum. The final spirit is bottled by hand, individually inspected, and carefully sealed—making Atlantico a truly artisanal rum.

Suffice to say, it tastes incredible. It starts with a sweet profile that transitions into a rich caramel flavour. The rum is viscous, coating the inside of the mouth with a blanket of vanilla and herbal notes that add complexity to the finish. If you're serious about rum, this is one you need to experience—right now.