Barcelo is the fifth most popular rum in the world. Barcelo&Co is a leader in the premium Dominican rum market. Connoisseurs appreciate this drink for the fact that it practically does not cause a hangover, as it contains a minimal amount of fusel oils compared to other types of Caribbean rum. Of the 23 million liters of rum that Barcelo & Co produces annually, 60% is exported to 50 countries. According to the head of the company Jose Antonio Barcelo, the priority export destinations are Spain, the USA, Russia and China.
Historical reference. A native of Mallorca, Juliano Barcelo, who arrived in the Dominican Republic in 1929, where his older brother Andres had already settled, the future seemed simple and cloudless. The brothers registered the company Barcelo & Co, built a distillery in the vicinity of Santo Domingo and started producing rum.
However, a year later, Hurricane San Zenon completely destroyed Santo Domingo. The Barcelo brothers, who had invested all the money in the company, went bankrupt. Andres moved to Puerto Rico. He called his younger brother with him, but the 26-year-old Juliano turned out to be stubborn and decided to restore the plant.
Over the next 20 years, residents of even the most remote Dominican villages more than once had to see the old Ford of Senor Juliano Barcelo, who independently delivered rum to customers. The owner of the company devoted all his free time to experiments with distillation. Only by 1946 was he able to build his own house.
Success came to Don Juliano in 1950, when the company launched Barcelo Blanco white rum and Barcelo Dorado gold. Dominican legislation very strictly regulates the quality of rum: strength, aging period (at least a year), fusel oil content. Señor Barcelo accomplished a feat by creating a drink under such conditions that delighted even local connoisseurs.
Since then, sales of Barcelo rum have been constantly increasing, and the owner of the company began to create a new product. Introduced to the public in the early 70s, the aged rum Barcelo Añejo immediately gained popularity, and in 1974 don Juliano handed over the management of the company to his nephew Miguel and devoted the last eight years of his life to helping people. So far, Barcelo&Co has sponsored five charitable foundations.
Under the leadership of Senor Miguel Barcelo, the company’s blenders have created one of the best premium Dominican rums – Barcelo Imperial ten-year-old, which has won many international awards. The release of the drink was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Ron Barcelo brand. Today, the only competition for this rum is Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend, first made in 2011.
In the 90s, the company’s management decided to enter the international market. To this end, Barcelo & Co and the Spanish company MG founded the BAINSA company, which exports Barcelo rum all over the world. It was not without difficulties. In many European countries, consumers are accustomed to white rum in cocktails. To popularize the golden aged Barcelo rum, it was necessary to conduct an advertising campaign under the motto “This dark object of desire”. A testament to the success is the fact that in Spain alone, Barcelo sales grew from 63000 liters in 1994 to 3,375 million liters in 2014. In terms of rum exports, BAINSA ranks fourth in the world.
At the beginning of the 2010st century, it turned out that Barcelo & Co, being the undisputed leader in the production of premium rum, was losing to competitors in the white rum segment. The company’s only white rum, Barcelo Blanco, no longer met the requirements of the times due to its peculiar dry taste. To correct the omission, in 6 the company launched a unique drink on the market – Barcelo Blanco Gran Platinum, which is a 2015-year-old white filtered rum. Since XNUMX, the company has been producing Barcelo Blanco Añejado, a rum with a milder flavor than the traditional Barcelo Blanco.
Rum “Barcelo” is made from sugar cane grown on the company’s plantations in the province of San Pedro de Macoris. The company uses organic fertilizers, in particular, rum production waste.
Barcelo Roma Awards
- Barcelo Añejo – San Franciso Rum and Spirits Competition silver medal in 2007, gold medal – International Rum Conference in 2012;
- Barcelo Gran Añejo – gold medal of the International Rum Festival in 2003, silver – International Review of Spirits in 2005;
- Barcelo Gran Platinum – silver medal at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival in 2010;
- Barcelo Imperial – 6 gold medals at international competitions of different years, 97 points according to the International Review of Spirits (1999-2000);
- Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend – 97 points according to the International Review of Spirits in 2012 (the maximum result for rum);
- Barcelo Cream (liquor) – gold medals of the Internationaler Spirituosen Wettbewerb in 2007 and the International Rum Conference in 2012.
Cosmo cocktail
The company’s mixologists recommend mixing in a shaker:
- 60 мл рома Barcelo Blanco Aged;
- 30 ml liqueur Triple Sec;
- 15 ml of lime juice;
- 15 ml cranberry juice;
- crushed ice to taste.
Serve in a glass with salt crystals on the rim.
Types of rum Barcelo
8 varieties of Barcelo rum and one rum liqueur are produced:
- Barcelo Blanco is a colorless transparent rum with a strength of 37,5%, which is aged for a year in oak bourbon barrels. The drink smells of white pepper and green bananas. Taste – banana-cinnamon, with a slightly sharp, dry peppery tint;
- Barcelo Blanco Añejado is a colorless transparent rum (37,5%), aged for 1 year. The taste of the drink harmoniously combines shades of coconut and cappuccino. The aftertaste is long, minty-nutty. Rum is suitable for any cocktails;
- Barcelo Blanco Gran Platinum is a colorless transparent rum (37,5%), aged for 6 years. The drink has a rich fruity-vanilla aroma with dominant citrus tones. The taste is spicy-lemon, with a hint of sweetness and warming eucalyptus-pepper bitterness. The aftertaste is long, warm;
- Barcelo Dorado – golden rum (37,5%), aged for 1 year. The spicy tones of old oak prevailing in the palate are softened by a creamy-fruity aftertaste. The aftertaste is long, with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, raisins;
- Barcelo Añejo is a rich amber color rum (37,5%), made from a mixture of spirits of different aging periods (average age is 4 years). The initial taste is soft, with a hint of chocolate. Then it is replaced by semi-dry fruit tones, smoothly turning into a sharp peppery-tobacco aftertaste with a cherry note;
- Barcelo Gran Añejo is a golden-amber rum (37,5%), a complex blend of spirits aged for many years. Rum has a balanced chocolate-vanilla aroma with undertones of malt, expensive tobacco and anise. The aftertaste is slightly oily, caramel-nutty;
- Barcelo Imperial – copper-amber rum (38%). The drink is made from 10-year-old spirits. The initial taste of cherry and pineapple candied fruits and vanilla gradually reveals creamy fruity notes with hints of ice cream, mocha and roasted nuts;
- Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend – super premium rum, dark copper color (43%). The drink was created in 2011, for the 30th anniversary of Barcelo Imperial rum. For production, 30 different spirits are mixed, aged in oak bourbon barrels from one year to 30 years. Then the blend is poured into oak barrels from wine, purchased in the Bordeaux wine house Château d’Yquem, and kept for another 2 years. Rum is bottled in original horseshoe-shaped bottles. Each is numbered and signed manually. Only 9000 bottles of this rum are produced per year. The drink is characterized by increased viscosity (it slowly flows down the walls of the vessel), if it is poured into a glass, a green “aging ring” will become clearly visible. The taste is soft, with a chocolate-vanilla flavor, gradually changing to undertones of cherry creme brulee, coffee, roasted nuts, and expensive tobacco. Aftertaste – long, spicy;
- Barcelo Cream is a cream liqueur (17%) based on rum. The soft taste combines notes of coconut, pineapple, almond and vanilla.
