Dictador 12 Years Rum
Dictador 12 Years Rum is a 750mL Colombian rum bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), solera-aged in pre-used oak barrels in Cartagena to an average age of 12 years, from components spanning 8 to 14 years. Like its older sibling, it is made from fermented virgin sugar cane honey and distilled partly in copper alembic and partly in steel continuous column stills. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Solera system — components 8–14 years, average age 12 years
- Base: Virgin sugar cane honey (not molasses)
- Distillation: Copper alembic pot stills and steel continuous column stills
- Origin: Cartagena, Colombia (Destileria Colombiana)
The Entry Point to the Dictador Solera
The 12 Years is the lighter, medium-bodied door into the house style: cane honey instead of molasses, two still families blended for balance, and a solera that marries 8- to 14-year-old rums into a 12-year average. It carries the same Cartagena production as the 20 Years, at an earlier stage of its depth. See the house on the Dictador vendor page, or browse our full rum collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the producer: rich amber with reddish tones; soft caramel, honey, dry seeds, and lightly roasted coffee on the nose opening to medium oak; a soft, round palate of caramel, cocoa, and light coffee; a lightly oaky, lingering finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat, on a cube, or as the aged base of a Rum Old Fashioned. Ready to step up? The 20 Years solera is in our rum collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every rum in Dictador 12 at least 12 years old?
No — 12 is the solera average. The blend spans 8 to 14 years, and solera casks are topped up rather than emptied, so the stated number is an average age.
How does the 12 differ from the Dictador 20?
Same cane-honey base and dual-still production; the difference is solera depth — an average of 12 years here against 20, with a lighter, more caramel-and-coffee profile.
What is virgin sugar cane honey?
The concentrated first press of sugar cane, fermented directly — Dictador distills from cane honey rather than molasses.
Start the solera range here — order Dictador 12 Years online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
