Southern temperament, global character
Dictador breaks the boundaries between types of alcohol. It proves that today, rum is the most genuine liquor among the category of brown spirits.
Dictador is a matured Colombian rum. Its untamed character has already surprised many admirers of exquisite spirits. Although the brand was established in 1913 and has over a 100 years of history, its real development began in 2009. It was then that a distillery from Cartagena that has been family-run for generations, was taken over by a private investor. From then on, the alcohol created by master blender Hernan Parra, representing the third generation of distillers, has gained a new glow and earned its rightful appreciation. Today, Dictador is the fastest-growing private rum distillery in the world and aspires to be the king of the whole product category.
Quality without compromise
The unique nature of the products and the combination of a long tradition with a modern approach have gained the Cartagena rum a great popularity and publicity throughout the world. Dictador is not afraid to experiment, invite other premium brands to cooperate, and explore new, undiscovered territories. Importantly, it still remains faithful to its history and master approach to creating spirits. The unique taste of Colombian rum is equally influenced by the production process itself and the place of its origin. Dictador is produced as a result of virgin sugar cane honey fermentation - not from molasses, like most of the products of this type. The distillation process takes place partially in a copper alembic, and partially in a steel continuous column. This allows it to obtain its full, distinctive strength. The proximity of the ocean and a specific microclimate are equally significant throughout the process. The temperature above 25 degrees, paired with the air humidity above 85%, facilitate the ageing of rum in oak barrels. These factors allow the development of deep, rich flavours that distinguish this brand’s rum from all the others.
The rising star in its category
In the recent years, the rum of Cartagena has won more than 50 prestigious awards at festivals and exhibitions in the United States, Germany, France, and Japan. This has gained it the title of the most award-winning rum in the world. Due to its originality and an innovative approach, it continues to surprise not only in the world of rum, but also in the entire category of brown spirits. A bottle of Dictador Generations en Lalique – an innovative cooperation between the exquisite rum producer and the most renowned glass manufacturer in the world – has gained the title of the most expensive bottle of rum ever sold. It achieved the staggering sum of £30 000 at an online Sotheby’s auction in March 2021. That event was a real break-through in the world of dark spirits, and has set the bar higher than ever before.
Dictador’s iconic products are the 12 and 20- year old rums, as well as the icing on the exquisite cake - Dictador XO Perpetual (a careful selection of 12-20 year old distillates, prepared in copper alembics and matured in Xérex barrels) and Dictador XO Insolent (distilled in modern steel alembics and matured in burnt barrels).
The brand is also proud of its series of rums that are unique on a global scale: the Dictador 2 Masters, created in collaboration with master blenders from the world of whisky, cognac, champagne, and wine. Forty-year Dictador spends 6 months in barrels of such recognized brands as: Glenfarclas, Hardy, Chateau d’Arche, Champagne Leclerc Briant, Despagne, Laballe, Barton, Royal Tokaji, Niepoort, and the soon-to-be-released Ximenes-Spinola. Blurring the lines between worlds, different rums are obtained, surprising you with tasting notes that have never been discovered before.
Dictador Jerarquía is another gem among Dictador’s collections. It is a collection of special blends, carefully guarded and personally selected by the Master Blender Hernan Parra. Introduced to rum enthusiast for the first time, they bring to the table a wide range of exotic flavours – Borbón, Fino, and Padro.
Rum that is a form of art
The true artistic approach and creativity involved in the process of alcohol creation is also visible in the limited edition of Dictador Wixárika. Every single bottle from this collection was hand-decorated by the Huichol Indians from Mexico. The designs, inspired by their long-lasting tradition and manufactured with the blessing from the gods, are vibrant and awe-inspiring. The Wixárika collection is a part of Dictador’s TOTEM series – soon to be joined by yet another limited-edition project, MOPA MOPA. This time, Dictador will enter into a cooperation with Colombian artists, showing the appreciation and respect it holds for its Colombian roots.
Dictador Generations en Lalique – a project of cooperation between the rum-making leader and one of the greatest glass manufacturers in the world, Lalique, is yet another proof that Dictador’s creativity knows no limits. The art of producing superb alcohol comes together with the intricate craftsmanship of glass-making, blending together into a breath-taking crystal decadent filled with top-quality rum.
Given Dictador’s approach to art and creating timeless objects, it is not surprising that the brand has established the Dictador Art Master Foundation. Its goal was to transform an abandoned distillery in the heart of the Colombian jungle into the largest museum of street-art in the world. The money collected this way, with the help of graffiti artists, has been donated to organisations concerned with environmental protection.
