Barrica rum is made in Venezuela in CILCCA, a distillery that makes products for many other brands. In the case of Barrica, it’s one of the rums owned by the master blender and made under the Central de Licores Unidos de Venezuela C.A. name. Following their tendency to put the months of aging and not the years, Barrica 120 claims to be a 10 year old rum. In reality, the blend is up to 10 years old, but as young as two.
There isn’t much information on what type of alcohol is in the bottle, but since CILCCA only has column distilling, that is already an indication. No clue about the blend, but it’s bottled at 40% ABV.
Read in the magazine (rotate your device for a better reading experience):
Made by: Central de Licores Unidos de Venezuela C.A.
Name of the rum: 120 Don Sulbarán
Brand: Barrica
Origin: Venezuela
Age: 2 to 10 years
Price: $40
Nose: For a 10-year-old rum, Barrica 120 feels very aromatic. The brand itself says it’s a rum made for women. It has tons of flowery scents, but also some gooseberry, eucalyptus, mint, and synthetic grape. At the end of the scents there is some oak as well.
Palate: Much less frank and complex than I was hoping for. There’s a sweet coconut hint, but also a lot of vanilla, caramel and amaretto.
Retrohale/Finish: Strong caramel and a bit of coconut.
Rating: 6.5 on the t8ke scaleConclusion: Barrica 120 is one of those rums I could have at home, but would only drink a few sips per year. From my friends who drink rum, the opinions are very polarized. Some like it, some hate it. I don’t feel as extreme about it, but it certainly doesn’t feel like a 10-year-old rum, but more like a 4 to 6 year old, thanks to the intense flavors of caramel. I think there are better options for better prices, but I wouldn’t discard this one.
