🥃 Barceló

Barceló is a Dominican rum brand made in San Pedro de Macorís, in the east of the Dominican Republic. Its origins are linked to Julián Barceló, who moved there from Mallorca in 1929 and founded the company Barceló & Co. the following year. The rum under this brand, according to the sellers, appeared in 1950.

History. The family business grew, and the brand became one of the best known in the country. According to Forbes España, the brand is owned by the Spanish group Varma, which sells it in Spain; in 2021 Varma sold more than a million cases of Barceló Añejo, a record for the brand. Sources describe differently how the rights are divided between the Dominican producer and the Spanish group.

How it is made. The producer says Barceló is the only Dominican rum made entirely from sugar cane juice from its own fields. Other descriptions mention molasses, so we present this as the producer’s claim. Aged versions mature in oak barrels.

Range. On the producer’s website: Blanco Añejado, Dorado Añejado, Añejo, Gran Añejo, Gran Añejo Dark, Organic, Imperial and several Imperial versions finished in casks, including port casks and Japanese Mizunara oak. There is also a cream liqueur, Barceló Cream.

Why it matters to you. In the EU, rum is a distillate of sugar cane products with a strength of at least 37.5% ABV and no added flavourings. The word “Añejo” refers to ageing, but the age and strength of different versions vary: Imperial for the UK market is 38% ABV. Read the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.