The Rum maker's Gin.

In 1913, Don Julio Arango y Parra founded Destilería Colombiana in Cartegeña, Colombia. For most of their history they have distilled high quality Rum for other brands and blends. But in 2009, investors from nearby Barranquilla, Colombia, joined forces with Don Julio’s grandson Herńan to help launch a private label brand — Dictador Rum. Huge success followed — along with several prestigious awards — and they now have eight Rums, two Gins, three custom-wrapped cigars, and a private brand of coffee. It’s as if they were trying to bundle all the best vices in the highest quality under one roof.

Dictador Treasure Colombian Aged Gin has all the information you need on the label. The Dictador Distillery has been producing very high quality Rums for more than a century, so their Gins are sugarcane-based and distilled five times. It is aged for 35 months in ex-Rum casks — which gives it a light amber color and surprising smoked-toffee note in the fore-palate. And they named it "Treasure"… well, because it tastes that good. They keep the botanical mix a secret, but juniper, citrus zest, and a floral are there, plus a strong influence from their signature ingredient — Limon Mandarino, which is a hybrid of mandarin orange and lemon.


Smartass Corner: 
When it comes to liquor, Columbia operates as 32 different markets and Dictador is only available in two of them. That’s because local governments are allowed to control access and tax liquor for revenue, so politicians have a strong incentive to only allow certain "politically friendly" Spirits to be sold in their regions.