It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to sit down with a new bottle of rum and now it’s time to get back in the saddle! This time we’re working on Dos Maderas Aged Rum, produced in the Caribbean and aged for five years in oak casks. After it’s aged for five years it’s placed in sherry casks for an additional three years, giving it the title “5+3.”
After pouring this brilliant copper colored aged rum in a glass, I had to take a sniff as the scent was rising up quickly into the air. The sweet smell reminds me of dark bing cherries blended with a brandy and dark rum. The nose is subtly sweet with hints of brown sugars that almost makes me salivate.
Upon first sip, I noticed a very smooth texture with light sweet brown sugar and a mild yet noticable oak which lasts into the finish. While there is a bit of alcohol bite, the light sweet flavor really helps round out the rum on the tongue. The finish ends with a slightly nutty oak and a nice light vanilla which lingers for fifteen seconds or more.
I can find a bottle of Dos Maderas 5 + 3 online for USD $30-$40 and I think this would work well into that price range. It’s not as sweet as a dark rum yet not as strikingly potent as a light rum, it falls in between and can be taken seriously as a sipping spirit. I’d have a hard time utilizing this in a cocktail because the aftertaste is so flavorful, I have a feeling it would lose some of its special taste if mixed into a cocktail with too many ingredients.
Definitely consider the 5+3 if you’re experimenting with above base-quality rums and develop an appreciate for the complex flavors. Than, you can start to think about their next higher up 5+5 rum.
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