Interesting article on Brugal rum

Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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Nice article. Thanks Matilda. I really love Brugal Extra Viejo but can only get it here when I head from Philly to NYC or to DC. What is the price for a bottle of Siglo de Oro and can I get it in the capitol?

Appears to be from 3,000 to 3,200 RD$, and is on sale in some of the supermarkets. From Google search it seems it should be cheaper in the duty free shops at the airports. Other reports said it was hard to find!

Matilda
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Alcohol (spirits as the industry calls it) processing is a very interesting process which I fortunately learned intimately as I implemented a system for one of the larger bourbon distillers in Kentucky (Was there for about a year). It's also one of the most profitable business models I've seen as they make money at every step on the process.

The process goes something like this. They first distill the grains (mash) and out of it comes neutral grain spirits (basically straight up moonshine). They cut down the potency and then put it into brand new charred oak barrels (they have to be this way to be considered Bourbon). They sell these barrels to the distributors (profit), they then charge the owners of the barrel a yearly fee to store them in the distiller's warehouse (profit), when the distributor decides to bottle the barrel (anywhere from 4 to 20+ years later) they charge them for bottling it (again more profit), etc, etc...

There's one point where the article is not correct from my understanding. The used barrels are typically first sold to Whiskey distillers (i.e. Scotch) and then once they've been used in whiskey is when they're used for rum. You can see and taste the oaky taste difference from a Bourbon to a whiskey to a rum. This is all very interesting stuff to me.

BTW out of the stuff I drink on a somewhat regular basis my favorite Bourbon is Maker's Mark, favorite Whiskey is Vat 69...I know, I know is cheapo stuff, but I've had some of the best ones in the world and still like Vat 69's taste. It's definitely an acquired taste as it's harsh. Favorite Dominican rum (Brugal de mallita). Favorite rum altogether Havana Club and Babancourt 5 star.
 

dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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my family proudly represents few generations of clandestinos :) i watched moonshine making before i was able to walk: from grains, sugar, potatoes... :)
interestingly as a child i thought rum was more like wine than spirit because in the pirate movies it was always drank directly from the bottle and i knew that vodka was drunk in shots and (cheap) wine from the bottle :)
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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my family proudly represents few generations of clandestinos :) i watched moonshine making before i was able to walk: from grains, sugar, potatoes... :)
interestingly as a child i thought rum was more like wine than spirit because in the pirate movies it was always drank directly from the bottle and i knew that vodka was drunk in shots and (cheap) wine from the bottle :)

It sounds like you fit right into the family...:cheeky:

After seeing the process in action in Kentucky I often thought about distilling my own stuff in The DR.
 

southwardbound2

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Jun 5, 2008
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I have only had it recommended to me and didn't know how to spell it obviously.

What is your opinion of it, say compared to Dominican rums?
 

belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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I have only had it recommended to me and didn't know how to spell it obviously.

What is your opinion of it, say compared to Dominican rums?

Eddy has it in stock, well not the 5 star, but the regular stuff. Even the regular stuff is a lot smoother, and nicer in taste than the Dominican rum. Mind you, it ain't cheap. I think it is around 600 rds for a bottle.

BelgianK
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I bought some Barbancourt in Haiti and shared it with a few aid workers and it was ok but everybody liked the Brugal Extra Viejo better. The Barbancourt had almost a hint of a tequila taste to a couple of us.
 

belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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I bought some Barbancourt in Haiti and shared it with a few aid workers and it was ok but everybody liked the Brugal Extra Viejo better. The Barbancourt had almost a hint of a tequila taste to a couple of us.

so tastes are personal. I personally do not like the brugal extra viejo (i like the anejo, and sometimes like to switch to barcelo). I feel it is like drinking cough syrup. For me it has a real medicinal taste to it.

Mind you... good for the companies, so they can sell to everyone.

BelgianK