Dictador XO Rum
Dictador XO Rum is an 80-proof (40% ABV) 750mL Colombian solera rum, aged 23 to 35 years in the solera system at the Destilería Colombiana in Cartagena de Indias. Made from first-press sugar cane juice (not molasses), fermented 60 hours, and 100% pot distilled, it matures in ex-bourbon barrels, ex-sherry butts, and charred port casks — the emptied XO casks are re-charred over open flame to caramelize the rum-soaked staves before refilling, Dictador's signature "re-charging." It is never sweetened or colored, and it earned a Silver Medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL (US SKU; EU market is 700mL — bottle check settles it)
- Age: 23–35 years, solera system
- Production: first-press cane juice; 60-hour ferment; 100% pot distilled; no sugar or color added
- Casks: ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, re-charred port casks
- Origin: Destilería Colombiana, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (est. 1913)
The "Insolent" Solera
This is Dictador's XO Insolent — the silver-packaged expression and the XO most American drinkers know — named for the brand's insolent approach to rum-making: cane juice instead of molasses, a 60-hour fermentation that builds deep flavor, and a barrel program that ends with open-flame re-charring of the port casks. The Perpetual (gold packaging) is a different, column-distilled expression — if the bottle on Del Mesa's shelf is gold, flag it, because these drafts describe the Insolent. Browse the Dictador collection and the rum shelf at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Deep mahogany. The nose is strong vanilla and honey, white chocolate, and parfait caramel (per Dictador's catalogue). The palate brings fudge, intense vanilla, and Colombian coffee — rich but dry, never cloying, with a long finish that stays sweet-yet-strong.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass, ideally with a few minutes of air — this is a contemplative rum. It also holds its own in a rum Old Fashioned, where the coffee-and-vanilla depth needs no help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "XO" mean in Dictador XO?
Extra-old solera rum — here, a 23-to-35-year solera blend. Note Dictador makes two XOs: Insolent (silver, pot distilled) and Perpetual (gold, column distilled).
What is the "re-charging" barrel process?
Emptied port casks are open-flame re-charred to caramelize the rum-soaked wood, then refilled — it deepens flavor without added sugar.
Is Dictador XO sweetened?
No — Dictador states it is neither sweetened nor colored; the richness comes from the cane-juice base and the re-charred casks.
Colombia's insolent masterpiece — buy Dictador XO Rum online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.