Dictador XO Insolent

I had this rum as well as the Dictador Perpetual on my wish list ever since I got a bottle of their 20-year rum at Dorignac's in New Orleans. I found this bottle (and a Perpetual) at Total Wine and More in Jacksonville, FL. I am so glad I got it.

Let's get started...

First off, the color of the rum is a gorgeous mahogany..deep and rich.

Excellent legs and a most wonderful aroma in my snifter.

Then the flavor...

Out-freakin'-standing!!!

Honesty, no rum in my history of sampling tastes quite like this. I've seen the testing results and this is not a sugared rum but on the outset there is a wonderful subtle sweetness along with the closest-to-perfect vanilla/toffee flavor I have ever tasted. Further sippings give me a little cinnamon/sugar buttery toast flavor. This comes as close to a 10 as I will consider.

Burn? Not even a major warmth. This rum envelopes you in a cozy blanket in the throat. No burn. The finish is a tad dry with the vanilla/toffee flavor even more predominate but not overwhelming.

Whomever is the rum-master behind this specific rum deserves major kudos. I would love to shake his or her hand. AWESOME!!!

Mixing rum? Perish the thought!!!

This is a sipping rum through and through. Nothing else.

Next time I'm in Jacksonville, I am getting at least one more bottle to have on-hand.

If you come across a bottle of this, get it. It's worth every penny of the $100 USD. This is one of the best rums I have ever tasted.

I think I have found my new favorite rum.

Okay...for those of you asking why I didn't give it a 10, let me explain once again...

Personally speaking I cannot give any rum a 10 because I do not believe a perfect rum exists. The late great Vince Lombardi once said, "Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good."

And this rum embodies what Coach Lombardi meant.

I had this side by side with the Dictador Perpetual, and to me, this was much better. This has a sweeter, more rum-like flavor to it.

Honey, toffee, caramel, vanilla, and a hint of anise. Beautiful smell! This is definitely my favorite of the Dictadors!

This is smooth so smooth that you do not get any afterburn. Writing this the flavour jusy goes on and on and stays forever. Its not as sweet as Zacapa XO but this is something you can share with mates no ice needed. You will notice the coffee taste but trust me it is not overpowering. This is well balanced, complex medium body rum. You will not be disappointed with this in your collection

Dictador XO Insolent smells delicious with sweet toffee, mocha and vanilla. You also sense some oak, spice and raisins. Let the rum rest in the glass for a while and the great aromas gets even better.
 
In the mouth you get flavours of oak, spice and wonderful sweet flavours like vanilla, nuts and toffee. You also can find flavours of coffee and orange.
 
In the throat this rum is like velvet, so smooth. The flavours of oak, spice, vanilla and toffee is still there and you also sense them in the long and smooth aftertaste.
 
A high class sipper that I recommend to drink neat. I was happily surprised when I tasted this rum. There are a lot off different opinions of this rum so I was a bit unsure before I tasted it. But now I am certain that the Dictado XO Insolent will be one of my favourites for a long long time.

What a Rum ! Balanced balanced balanced. Sweet sweet sweet !
Would compare with any superior XO...

Coffee and anise dominate. The anise is usually a dealbreaker for me, but in this case, it's ok. I know what the testing says, but this is cloyingly sweet.

edited to add sugar test results- 4g

I bought a bottle after seeing it rated so highly by online reviews. Thought it had a taste I couldn't put my finger on. Re-read some reviews and agree it is like a butterscotch/toffee. Smooth though, no burn aftertaste.

I have less expensive rums which I think taste much better. Paid $100 US for the bottle.

Purchased a sample from Master of Malt for around the £8 mark. Decent sipping rum with notes of coffee and intense caramel for a powerful nose. Good rum with loads of character!

Excellent aroma. An unique. Full taste with touch of coffee, almond or chocolate. I am totally surprised with such a good taste.

Absolutely disgusting, I dont think I am drinking the same stuff as the other reviewers. White Captain Morgan made my face twist less than this butterscotch syrup.

Gorgeous deep amber colour. The caramel nose is dominant, making me think it would be too sweet. It wasn't. Smooth. Clean. Just sweet enough Caramel, honey and maybe a touch of vanilla. Definitely a sipping rum. Don't waste it as a mixer. Hard to find in Australia. But worth the search.

Not too sweet, rich and smooth.

Very good choice.

This is one of my special treats. Rich and smooth. Lots of rich notes to the nose and mouth.

Early on in my rum search, I made the mistake of buying Don Q Gran Anejo, which inspired my strict self imposed limit of $50 per bottle. So what would it take for me to take the risk up to a much higher cost? Based upon my top 5, the older version of El Dorado 12 seemed like the best choice, but I was not as pleased with their ED15 and was not about to risk the bucks on ED21. My Dictador 12 had slowly worked it's way up into my top 5 and I also found out that it can be considered dry for a minimal amount of added sugar. It obtains it's sweetness from the barrels that were used to age aguardiente. I then began reading reviews on more pricey Dictador rums and chose their XO Insolent.

Since this was a candidate for my rating of a 10, I had to compare it side by side in Glencairn glasses with two others. My only rum that I rated as a 10 had to be one of them and the Dictador 12 had to be the other one. So essentially, I was comparing the overly sweetened (but very well done) Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva to the dry Dictadors at 5 gpl or less added sugar.

I was quite surprised! I could barely tell my two Dictadors apart and the DRE held onto it's lone top spot at my rating of 10. However, with me needing to back off on sweet rums, I am so glad that I have two bottles of dry Dictador rum to choose from in my top six.

Update 06APR18: My XO Insolent has been resting in its darkened bottle for almost 30 days now. Trying it again, it has proven itself to be a leader of the pack! IT REALLY NEEDS TIME TO BREATHE IN THE BOTTLE TO BRING OUT IT"S FLAVORS!!! After letting it rest in it's bottle, I seriously doubt that I could find a better rum with minimal added sugar.

By the way, good rums improve in taste after opening, but most only get worse after opening. This is truly the ultimate test. No one should make a bad judgment on a rum after only the first taste unless it is totally disgusting with no chance for improvement after being allowed to breathe.

“ Honey, that’s amazing” my gal said as she handed me back my Norlan glass half filled with this rich and luxurious rum. Strong scents of maple,oak, cinnamon and honey with a nice little heat at the end. My gal knows her shit, give this rum a try!

Can't make up my mind about this one. It's a good rum, but I've had better and for the price I don't think I can recommend it. That said, if you're splashing out or buying a gift, it is a decent rum and I enjoyed the taste.

This is my first Colombian rum , what a great start ! Nice presentation box and cool looking bottle.
After uncorking , the first aroma is coffee.. this is a definite leave in the glass for 20mins rum.
Upon tasting i find toffee , coffee , licorice and milk chocolate , absolutely fantastic taste. Then with a teaspoon of filtered water added it changes down a bit to more floral tones plus a lot of honey coming through.. no burn just a wonderful warm mouth feel , not too much aftertaste but still very nice.
How this rum is so sweet without a ton of sugar added is amazing ? I hope its the real deal.. Maybe the re charring of the barrels is the secret ? Great idea anyhow..
Its expensive but truly worth it , could of been my first 10.. and still might be after further tastings.
I will be searching out more Dictador and other Colombian rums. Cheers...

Love this Rum.... Molasses and butterscotch, sweet and smooth, flavorful from start to finish! Put this on your top shelf and enjoy!

Mere af de gode sager fra dictador. Fortsat mit favorit mærke

Light molasses flavor, well balanced rum.. if you like rum with a bit of burn on the back, try the perpetual. I prefer fruity, molasses rums. Cheers !!!

Delicious... smooth with sweet toffee, mocha and vanilla.

Part of Rum Calendar 2016: very nice scent of caramel, well balanced, delicate, but a bit thin and a short aftertaste.

This rum is amazing from pop of cork to last sip ,
Amazing aroma , vanilla , cinnamon and caramel what a wonderful experience. I shall savour every glass I pour smooth , smooth , smooooooooth . FREAKING AMAZING RUM !!!10 and the way