Joel Richard Esencia 21 Year Old Colombian Rum
Joel Richard Esencia 21 Year Old Colombian Rum is a 41% ABV (82 proof) rum in a 750mL bottle — distilled from pressed sugar cane juice rather than molasses, aged 21 years in used American oak bourbon barrels, and blended by master blender Hernan Parra, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 41% (82 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 21 years in used American oak bourbon barrels
- Origin: Colombia — 100% Colombian rum, imported by Pacific Edge Spirits
- Base: pressed sugar cane juice (cane-juice/agricole style), not molasses
- Blender: master blender Hernan Parra
Twenty-One Years in Ex-Bourbon Oak
Most long-aged rums start from molasses; Joel Richard Esencia starts from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice, the South American cane-juice style that gives a cleaner, more refined sweetness. That distillate then rests for 21 full years in used American oak bourbon barrels under master blender Hernan Parra — two decades-plus of slow oak integration before bottling at 82 proof for the US market. (Do not confuse this with the rarer Esencia 25 Year, a separate 40% ABV expression.) Find more in our rum collection, see the Joel Richard lineup, or compare other long-aged rums from Single Cask Nation.
Tasting Notes
The nose is strong with oak, dark chocolate, and cream; the palate follows smooth and sweet — chocolate, coffee, nougat, and caramel — with a round, smooth finish. Two decades in ex-bourbon wood read as polish rather than woodiness.
How to Enjoy
This is a sipping rum first: pour neat in a snifter or Glencairn at room temperature. If you mix, keep it simple — a rum Old Fashioned with a single demerara cube lets the 21 years of oak do the work. A square of dark chocolate alongside is a natural pairing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Joel Richard Esencia different from molasses rums?
It is fermented from pressed sugar cane juice (an agricole-style base) rather than molasses, giving a cleaner, more refined sweetness than typical molasses rums.
What is the difference between the 21 and 25 Year Esencia?
The 21 Year is bottled at 41% ABV (82 proof); the 25 Year is a separate, rarer expression bottled at 40% ABV. Both are 100% Colombian cane-juice rums aged in ex-bourbon American oak.
Who blends Joel Richard Esencia?
Master blender Hernan Parra blends it; Pacific Edge Spirits imports it into the US.
For the rum drinker who has tried everything — order Joel Richard Esencia 21 Year Old Colombian Rum online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.