Ron Medellin 5 Year Rum

Ron Medellín 5 Year is an aged Colombian rum from Antioquia, the department whose capital, Medellín, gives the brand its name. The label carries a five-year age statement, which places it in the amber-gold, dark-leaning range of aged rum. The details provided don't include a tasting profile, so what follows describes what aged rums of this style usually show. Expect caramel, vanilla and toasted oak on the nose, with dried fruit, light baking spice and a soft cane sweetness on the palate. Colombian rums are often made lighter and smoother than Caribbean pot-still styles, so this should read as dry-leaning and approachable rather than heavy or funky. Five years in barrel is enough to take the edge off a young spirit and add wood character, but not so long that oak overwhelms the cane. That makes it a rum that works two ways. Neat or over a single large ice cube in a rocks glass, it is a reasonable sipper. Give it a few minutes in the glass so the vanilla and oak open up, and serve it at cool room temperature with no more than a splash of water. It also holds up in mixed drinks, where its aged character comes through instead of disappearing behind citrus and sugar. For cocktails, the Rum Old Fashioned is the clearest fit. Stir it over ice with a small amount of demerara or simple syrup and a few dashes of aromatic bitters, then finish with an orange peel. The caramel and oak notes typical of an aged rum suit that build. In a Dark 'n' Stormy, use it as the base under a firm ginger beer and a squeeze of lime, in a highball glass over plenty of ice. A Daiquiri made with an aged rum tastes rounder and slightly richer than the white-rum version. Shake it with fresh lime juice and a little sugar, and strain it into a chilled coupe. A Mojito or Piña Colada made with it will taste warmer and less sharp than one made with white rum, and many drinkers like that. For the Mojito, build it in a tall glass with mint, lime and soda. For the Piña Colada, blend it with pineapple and coconut cream and serve it in a hurricane glass. If you plan to use the bottle mostly in highballs and tropical drinks, a white or gold rum is the more economical choice. This one makes the most sense when you want to taste the aging as well.