DonQ Oak Barrel Spiced Rum

DonQ Oak Barrel Spiced Rum 

A new entry into the spiced rum market, Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced rum is distilled, aged, and bottled at the Serralles distillery located in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The rum is aged for three years in American oak bourbon barrels and then blended with spices and bottled at 45 abv.

Appearance

The 750 ml short necked bottle has two small labels detailing the basic facts about the rum leaving plenty of room for the bronze liquid to shine through.

The bottle is secured with a wooden stopper that holds an iconic Don Quixote coin on the top and what feels like a natural cork for the bottle.

Nose

The rum delivers a vanilla and cinnamon forward aroma with nutmeg, dried fruit, and other spices nipping around the edges.

Palate

Sipping the rum provides a swirl of strong vanilla, followed by cinnamon, nutmeg, toasted almonds, cloves, baking spices, and dried apricots. As the rum begins to fade there is a sweet caramel laden smoky oak note that drifts into a long tannin rich finish.

Review

When Roberto Serralles decided to make spiced rum a part of their permanent line up, he wanted to go a different direction from the entry levels rums common in the marketplace and elevate the spiced rum category, instead of giving their customers more of the same.

I believe that they succeeded with their goal and created an interesting flavor profile that will stand out in any recipe that calls for spiced rum. I mixed the rum with Coca-Cola and the cola and vanilla united creating a lightly spicy vanilla coke.

-Rum Review by Mr. Paul Senft-  

My name is Paul Senft - Rum Reviewer, Tasting host, Judge and Writer. My exploration of Rums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. I quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and United States visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. I have also had the pleasure of learning from bar tenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum. The desire to share this information led me to create www.RumJourney.com where I share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that I would inspire others in their own explorations. It is my wish in the pages of “Got Rum?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. Hopefully my tasting notes will inspire you to tr y the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others.