There’s perhaps a perception that the alchemy and science behind luxury spirits doesn’t always find its way into the rum world, but Andrés Brugal is challenging those perceptions tastefully with each limited-time offering. The latest to follow suit? The new Andrés Brugal Edition 02, billed as an “ultra-premium expression” and available in seriously limited quantities globally, Maxim can exclusively reveal.
Crafted under the care of Maestra Ronera Jassil Villanueva Quintana, the rum (with just 416 bottles on the market globally) gets its character through, as the producer says, “meticulous craftsmanship, exclusive cask selection, and the legacy it embodies.” More specifically, it levels up from past Brugal expressions by using liquid from just four single casks (three of them ex-bourbon American Oak casks, and one new American Oak), as opposed to a mix of cask types (and a larger quantity of spirit). The process is also billed as a “a rare and precise method that ensures unparalleled complexity and depth,” quite the tantalizing prospect in a category often dominated by large-scale producers.
Housed in a handblown crystal decanter in a beautiful wooden display case, the release toasts to Brugal’s role in pioneering premium rum worldwide, an effort that dates back to early post-Prohibition days (and indeed, the company’s 1888 founding). The bespoke wooden travel-inspired case is even adorned with a map of America in a nod to the globetrotting efforts of its Maestros Roneros (rum masters), but even more impressive is the “radiant golden amber hue” and “rich complexity” of the spirit within.
A lucky few will experience aroma notes of fresh vanilla pods, brown sugar and toasted pecans, along with hits of citrus, followed by a sense of richness, plus baking spice and caramelized banana on the palate. Vanilla and spice shine through in a long, dry finish. If it sounds unlike any rum you’ve yet experienced, there’s good reason for that: Few producers undertake Brugal’s taxing methods.
Brugal (part of the Edrington portfolio, which includes luxury purveyors like The Macallan Scotch) is no stranger to carefully crafted luxury rum. In October 2022, the producer shipped just 50 bottles of its most expensive rum ever to the United States in the first wave of the Andrés Brugal Edition series. The first offering leaned heavily on a combination of double-aged family reserves and first-fill Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks, but the focus shifts internationally with the debut of the second collection. Brugal is no stranger to experimentation, having used the likes of barrels toasted with cacao beans to add further subtlety and depth to Brugal rum releases.
Medium toasting on the bourbon casks selected for this particular release unlocks smoky oak notes, plus caramel and toffee, a delicate interplay alongside the use of new American oak casks (the company says those casks lend themselves to “a richer structure and fuller body” for the rum).
If a premium bourbon goes into (and exits) one cask, and then a luxury rum follows suit for aging thereafter, the results are bound to be exceptional (and at the very least, distinctive). With utterly gorgeous packaging and a deep sense of care and respect for the past (and the modern production process), it appears the latest Brugal Rum release goes a long way toward cementing its status as a pioneering luxury rum producer — then and now.