Review: Brugal Extra Viejo Rum (2009)
The Dominican Republic’s biggest-selling rum arrives in a new incarnation (well, new to the U.S. anyway): “Extra Viejo,” or “Extra Old.”
This bottling is a blend of older rums — no age statement is given — but age is certainly in mind when one sips this spirit.
Deep brown in color, the nose is immediately redolent of coffee and tobacco, but as it aerates that intensity tends to dissipate. The body offers notes much in line with the aroma — light coffee, vanilla, and a touch of smoke. The finish is clean and not at all boozy or bitter, as many rums can be. It is one of few rums I have no problems drinking at room temperature, but it works on the rocks and as a stellar cocktail ingredient, too.
Best of all: Since Brugal Extra Viejo is so inexpensive, it’s one that I wouldn’t mind using freely as a mixer. Want a top shelf rum and Coke? Go ahead, knock yourself out.
80 proof.
A / $25 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Brugal Extra Viejo Rum
$25
I have yet to see this on the shelves anywhere, despite the fact that Brugal Viejo is readily found.
Best rum in the world. In Dutch: as if an angel pisses on your tongue…
I have a bottle of this like in the picture and need to sell it. Don’t know how much it is worth.
It is worth $25 if you are run a liquor store.
I bought a bottle of this a few months ago, and I’m sad to say that l this rum disappointed me. As a fan of rum, I really wanted to like this (I really like dominican rums in particular). The nice vanilla carmel notes are there, to be sure, but there’s also a distinct chemical taste which I don’t care for. Almost if there’s highly mineralized or chlorinated water in the bottle. As much as I wanted to like it, I was unimpressed by its sippability and it’s not a very good mixer either.
Edoc – interesting, i’ve not encountered anything like that in two bottles from different years of production
So related to this exact Rum, I have a question. Back in the spring of 1988 (which I now understand is the 100th anniversary of the Brugal), my wife and I went to Puerto Plata for our honeymoon and we toured that factory while we were there. We bought one of the “just bottled” bottles of this Rum that day as they said it was one of their more expensive rums (we paid $3 for it then). We promised each other we would open it up for our 25th anniversary. Well, our 25th Anniversary is next month (April 30th) and this bottle is waiting to be opened.
A couple questions. Would this 25 year old bottle be worth anymore than any other vintage / year? Should it still taste as good as it would have if we had opened it that week? We have lost about an inch of the spirit (Angel’s Share) after all these year.
Pfreiling – Congrats on your anniversary. To answer your questions the best I can: It may have value to a rum collector, but rum does not have a very vibrant resale market the way whiskey does, so there’s no way to know for sure. 25 years may not be old enough to merit a huge bump in value. It should indeed taste the same, or nearly so, particularly if it is still sealed. An inch of loss to evaporation isn’t bad — though I should note the angel’s share only happens in cask… once it hits the bottle, the spirit may indeed go to the angels, but their share has already been exacted. At that point it’s more of a bonus.
Well thank you for the grats and also the information. I didn’t realize the angels share was only what was lost in the barrel. But I sorta figured it would not have any great appreciated value. Personally I am a Canadian Whiskey lover myself but we bought the Rum then because it was an opportunity for $3 :)
This rum will not disappoint you it is excellent!