Facundo Exquisito

This is my first review, and I am excited to do it on "The best Sipper" i have tried thus far. The bottle sets it off from the start with it classic design and beautiful labeling. The cork is unusual then a normal cork( it don't catch or get discoloration from the rum) placed in a brass top. Now the contents in the bottle, dark red in color must say one of the darkest rum I have ever had. Must be from the finished in sherry casks for at least a month, FACUNDO EXQUISITO is incomparably mellow in profile. From the time you take the first sip you be surprised how mellow it is, but after you let it a irate after a few its incredible almost sweet in taste, This is what catches me every time I drink it.Price was just under 100 and I believe it's worth every penny. I may go pick up the last one they had at my liquor stor and I hope you enjoy yours.

Let me be upfront, it was the bottle design that got me curious about this. At the time I though "Facundo" was just another brand of premium rums but learned soon that "Facundo" was, in fact, Facundo Bacardi of the Bacardi Rum conglomerate. The rum itself is a blend of different rums aged between 7 and 23 years in American oak barrels in the Bahamas. And if that weren't enough the rum blend is then finished in sherry casks for about a month or more and hand bottled in Tultitlán Mexico. I like the art deco design on the bottle. Photos do not do it justice. It is a beautiful gold leaf. The cap is metal with a wide rubber cork. Brace the bottle well when pulling that cork out. Mine was TIGHT. Made a bit POP sound when I got it out.

The color of the rum is a rich, dark mahogany fading to a golden hue in the shallower points of the snifter. The aroma is wonderful. When I tasted it I noticed a marked vanilla flavor and a sweetness to it (sugared?) but not overly sweet (tempered by the sherry casks perhaps?). Extremely smooth. There is a distinct oakiness to it but not bitter. The finish reminds me of toffee. At $90-$100 USD a bottle this is not a rum you pick up on a whim. This is a rum for special occasions and for display. This is an extremely well-crafted rum in a well-crafted bottle. Highly recommended as a sipping rum. It would be a crying shame to use it any other way.

After more than six weeks, I finally got to try this Facundo side by side with their Eximo. As others have stated, the Eximo has a bit stronger taste, almost in your face. This Facundo Exquisito is much smoother, however it reminded me of my bottle of South Bay Batch 18 from the Dominican Republic. Now I had three to compare side by side. The Exquisto is definitely more complex than the South Bay, but something was missing from the South Bay. Hmm!!! What if I made a 50/50 mixture of the $32 South Bay with the $75 Facundo Eximo? Voila!!!! With this blend, I could barely tell it apart from my new bottle of Facundo Exquisito that ran me $90 yesterday. Shocking!!! I now have this new bottle ranked one notch below it's cheaper brother and one notch above the South Bay. It pays to experiment! The Eximo is still the better buy between the two. The Paraiso is simply too expensive for me to risk purchasing. This whole experiment proves that Bacardi is indeed capable of producing very good rums and trying to improve their bad image as bottom shelf crap.

Update August 16, 2019 (National Rum Day in the USA!): Being hell bent on finding the exact mixture for the blend mentioned above that will match this rum, I experimented further. Using 3 parts Facundo Eximo to 2 parts South Bay Small Batch 18 produced the blend that closely matches this Exquisito rum. The only way to tell them apart is that this Exquisito has more of a burn. So save your empty bottles of Facundo Exquisito and make your own blend from what I just mentioned at about half the cost. Your guests will never know the difference!

I have bought and enjoyed all of the dark Facundo rums and this one is by far the best. Much better finish than the Paradisio a d half the price. Great nose and excellent finish. Slight hint of sweetness with lots of dark fruits.

Very nice gold-amber colour. Mostly raisin and dried fruit on the nose. Strongish alcohol scent covers a hint of butterscotch. Same flavours going down. Burn is oddly light, but I find the alcohol tingles the tongue instead - which is enjoyable in a way - but masks any sort of pleasant aftertaste you may get from the dried fruit. Happy that I tried it. But at $300 CAD a bottle I think this will be the one and only. It is an enjoyable rum but I can find others of a similar level at a better price.

Great rum consistent time and time again. Not my favorite in this price range but still warrants a strong 8+ so I had to give it a 9-. Dark rich smooth easy to drink. Exquisite bottle and cap. Update still love this rum.

A very good rum, recommended 100%. It has a very good presentation very showy and striking, when served in a cup you can see a very nice mahogany color, and a very balanced flavor as well as the aroma.

Un ron muy bueno, recomendable al100%. Cuenta con una muy buena presentación muy vistosa y llamativa, al servirlo en copa se aprecia un color caoba muy agradable, y de un sabor muy equilibrado al igual que el aroma.

The color is nice, the scent is a bit strong with alcohol, bit there is a strong touch of coffe.. In the mouth there is not much going on.. The finish has a strong alcohol kick and then the pallet comes to life.. Great notes, a bit dry for my taste.. But it lasts long..

Quite an odd smell. Taste and smell reminds of punsch. Smooth and rich

After trying most of the high priced rums, this one is The Favorite. Well balanced, easy to drink, not too sweet, not too dry, not too strong, just right. Has all the tastes and qualities that you look for in a rum. In my opinion, there is no need to look for the perfect rum anymore.
This is a rum that you do not want to use in a mixed drink. Why spoil a work of art.

A must in a collection. However, it will not last since it will be the one that you will drink. Better buy more than 1 bottle. Not too expensive at $90.