Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar Rum

Brugal 1888 Rum is made from fresh, raw sugar cane, which is hand-cut from plantations across the Dominican Republic's countryside. Once the cane has been harvested, it is pressed and the remaining juice is turned into molasses. The molasses is then fermented for approximately 48 hours before it is twice distilled through Brugals' copper stills.

Following distillation, the rum is aged for six to eight years in toasted, American oak casks before being double-barreled, or finished, for an additional two to four years in casks that were previously used to mature Oloroso sherry (each sherry cask used in the maturation process is hand-selected by George Espie, The Macallan's Master of Wood, and is the same type used to mature The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky). "The big challenge was using a different kind of wood," said Juan Campos, Brugal's brand ambassador in the United States, when discussing how Brugal is differentiated from other rums. The sherry casks contribute notes of dark cherries, blackberries and dried fruits, and complement the notes of cinnamon, sugar cane and candied oranges inherent in the rum. "We call it the son of the marriage," Campos says of the rum. "It combines the heritage and knowledge of making rum with knowledge of the wood."

Tasting Notes

Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar Rum has a dark, amber hue, along with an aroma of milk chocolate, roasted coffee and dried apricots. The aroma opens up to a full-bodied rum with notes of lush cherries, raisins, cinnamon, strawberries, caramelized apples and candied oranges, and leads to a toffeed finish. Brugal 1888 earned a score of 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, which said to "enjoy the elongated flavors of toffee dusted with Mexican-spiced chocolate while you can."

Proof 80 (40% ABV)