Ron Diaz 93 Spiced Rum
Bottled by: Prestige Wine And Spirits Group
Ron Diaz Rum on Facebook
46.5% ABV
93 Proof
$11.99/750ml
After quietly pulling from my bottle of Ron Diaz 93 Spiced for a few weeks, I found its volume had dwindled to about 4 ounces. Worried that I wouldn’t have enough to write a review I moved the bottle to the side to keep myself from finishing the bottle. Unfortunately that meant, I admit, that those four remaining ounces sat in the back of my cabinet for more than six months. So this past week I pulled about ten close to empty bottles from my cabinet with a goal of reviewing them ASAP.
Over the past few years a Spiced Rum war has been ragging. Multiple brands have been swinging away at the Captain (Captain Morgan) whom is the undisputed King of Spiced Rum. Brands like Sailor Jerry, Kraken, Malibu Spiced, Cruzan 9, Blackheart, Shellback, and many, many others have stepped up to challenge the King.
In this mighty struggle you will find Ron Diaz 93 Spiced Rum. Looking to one up Sailor Jerry (92 proof), Ron Diaz comes in at a higher proof (93 proof) than most rums. They hope that an affordable price, simple bottle presentation, and a somewhat mild, sugary palette will lead to more bottles of Ron Diaz in American liquor cabinets.
Presentation
Ron Diaz 93 Spiced rum is packaged in a fairly generic bottle with translucent labels that allow consumers to notice it’s dark wheat color. The label declares that it is “Crafted with Barbados Rum, Spices, Caramel, and Other Natural Flavors”‘
The back label states the following:
Whether you are looking to sip on the world’s best tasting Rum on the rocks, or rev up your night, Ronnie D 93 will take you there. We continue our award winning Barbados Aged Rum, the finest Madagascar Vanilla, and Spices from the West Indies to create the treasure in this bottle.
Below the quote, along side a fairly scary skull image the capitalized block print reads:
RON DIAZ 93 SPICED RUM
BEWARE OF IMPOSTORS
S0 there you have it…You’ve been warned!
Nose
Upon the initial pour, I immediately detected notes of vanilla and butter. After letting the rum rest for a few minutes, I caught a strong scent of sugar cookies which turned into a strong vanilla cake/vanilla frosting aroma.
Neat
Since this is a 93 proof rum I was expecting a more prevalent burn from Ron Diaz 93 Spiced rum but it never came. I would describe it as more of a warmth than a burn. On first taste, there is an immediate wave of vanilla and warm spice flavors. A definitive peppercorn spice followed which brought a nice tingle to my tongue. In ways, Ron Diaz 93 Spiced rum reminded me of a navy rum but smoother.
On Ice
The warmth from the higher proof was much less prevalent when I added a single ice cube to my glass. The vanilla and butter notes almost disappeared while the peppercorn, and a hint of cinnamon, coat the palette and leave a pleasant semi-sweet vanilla finish.
With Coke Zero
Ron Diaz 93 Spiced Rum makes a pretty good Cube Libre. I noticed the light oak, pepper spice and semi-sweet vanilla allow it to blend well with the Coke Zero. Most drinkers could easily enjoy a number of these mixes throughout an evening.
Conclusion
Ron Diaz 93 Spiced rum could be a strong challenger to the Kings of Spiced Rum if consumers give it a chance. While I do not believe it would win a flavor battle in a head-to-head with a giant like Sailor Jerry, I do believe Ron Diaz 93 Spiced rum has a number of things going for it:
– Sweet Vanilla cake aroma
– Warm peppery and spice flavor
– Light Oak with a semi-sweet vanilla finish
– Much less expensive then competitors
Ron Diaz 93 Spiced was exactly as the bottle described:
Ron Diaz 93 Spiced Rum is skillfully crafted with our unique blend of West Indies spices and Madagascar Vanilla, resulting in rich, complex flavors of vanilla, caramel, and baking spices.
6.5 Of 10