Colombian rones. Any info?

[FoxAdriano]

Hi, I am new here. I'd like to know your suggestions about colombian rones:
ron de Medellin, Ron Viejo de Caldas ..... can they compete with other more known rones out of Colombia?
thank

[neatdrinker]

Hi Fox,
I first tried The Caldas in the 3 YO, which i see all over in NY.
Then I found a place that sold the 8 YO, and it is way finer (to me).
I know they also make a 12 YO, but cannot find it anywhere.
Try an internet hunt, for at least the 8 YO.

[Count Silvio]

There is also Dictador rum from Colombia that comes in two expressions that might interest you. 12 yo Solera, 20 yo Solera with a third one coming out soon.

[Ben]

I haven't tried a lot of Colombian rums, but the Santero line, specially their 21 years old, was very good. I'm looking for it since and can't find it.

[Arctic Wolf]

Those Santero Rums you mentioned are now bottled under the Juan Santos Label in Western Canada. I have reviewed the 5, the 9 and the 12 year old bottlings on my blog and you can find the links here:

Rum Howler Threads (http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=97)

I will have the 21 year old review published shortly.

I have found the entire line to be exemplary.

I will admit that I do not know whether these rums will be bottled as Juan Santos elsewhere or whether the Juan Santos label was exclusively for Western Canada, but I do know for a certainty that these are the same as the rums formerly bottled as Santero.

[FoxAdriano]

Therefore I understand colombian rones are good but then why is it hard to find them out of Colombia? I'd like to comercialize them in my country but I don't know it will be a failure.
thanks for your news.

[Arctic Wolf]

I should point out that named major producer of Santero Rums is a company called Casa Santana who have (based upon their own website info) not been in Columbia long enough to have produced their own 21 year old rum.

They claim to have come from Cuba in about 1994. (Maybe they took their rum with them.)

See here: http://sudamerspirits.com/rum.htm


Interestingly enough last year a friend of mine brought me back a bottle of rum from Cuba called Ron Santero Anejo. When I quizzed the importer of Juan Santos about the Cuban rum, they said they did not believe it was from the same company. Suspiciously, the bottle shape (which was not typical) was exactly the same as the original Juan Santos bottles.

If I was a suspicious person or a conspiracy theorist, I might think that the Cuban Rum my friend bought in Cuba (which was labeled as 100 % Cuban) might possibly be transported to the free trade zone in Columbia, then be relabeled as Columbian. (Of course their is no particular reason to believe Cuban goods would have to be relabeled for export to Canada.)

But this would explain some of the difficulty in finding any rums to export from Columbia. You should look at the free trade zones where anything is liable to be possible if you are a suspicious person who believes in conspiracy theories.

[Ben]

Those Santero Rums you mentioned are now bottled under the Juan Santos Label in Western Canada. I have reviewed the 5, the 9 and the 12 year old bottlings on my blog .

Hi Mr. Wolf,

That is some precious information you're giving me. I came across your reviews of the Juan Santos line as I am familiar with your blog but obviously did not make the connection with Santero. Now that I look at the 12 yrs old bottle it reminds me of the Santero look. I'll make sure to grab a bottle next time I visit the Rockies.

How much can one expect to pay for the 21 yrs in Alberta?

[Arctic Wolf]

The 21 year Juan Santos, is available for about $75.00 in Edmonton.