Dictador is a Colombian rum brand owned by Polish businessman Mariusz Jawoszek. The brand is known for promoting art, Colombian culture, and traditional distillation methods, as well as marketing a rebellious, progressive, and luxury lifestyle.[1] One of their bottles sells for over a million dollars,[2] and the brand advertises itself as "a leader in investment-grade rum".[3][4] Experts consider it a non-distilling producer,[5] or a ghost distillery,[6] as they procure their rum from other distilleries.
The company claims that the rum is named after Severo Arango y Ferro, who in the 1700s oversaw trade between Spain and the Republic of New Granada.[7] His commanding demeanor earned him the nickname "El Dictador".[7] However, this figure appears to only exist in Dictador marketing materials after 2010.[8] In the 1700s, the Spanish monarchy strictly forbid the production and trade of rum in the colonies, and Cartagena was actually a destination for Frenchsmugglers to illegally import their rum into,[9] so a senior Crown official charged with overseeing the trade of a Spanish colony with Spain declaring his love of rum, and becoming a trader of rum,[7] would be notable in history.
History
The company was founded by Julio Arango y Parra, supposedly a descendant of Severo Arango y Ferro, in 1913,[10][11] and is currently run by Julio Arango y Parra's grandson, Hernán Parra.[12]
Due to the laws in Colombia, the distillery in Cartagena was abandoned, and a new one was opened in 1951 in Pororo, Agustín Codazzi, Cesar, Colombia.[13] It operated as an industrial distillery for fuel alcohol, and when demand fell, the vast majority of the distillery was abandoned, with only 20% of it still operating, now making rum.[13]
In 2009, the company was purchased by Polish businessman Mariusz Jawoszek,[5] and the Dictador rum brand was created under Dictador Europe Sp. z o.o.[14] Before 2010, Destilería Colombiana Ltd produced a rum called Ron Baluarte.
Previously, due to restrictions imposed by the government, Dictador rum was not sold in 98% of Colombia, with less than 1% of its total production making it to the Colombian market. However, in 2017, the laws were changed to lift this restriction.[15]As of 2023[update], a journalist noted that every bar he visited in Colombia had Dictador on the menu.[16]
The company markets itself as technologically progressive, making moves such as advertising NFTs and "hiring" Mika, an AI CEO, in 2022.[14] They also created what they call the "world's most protected bottle", to protect their bottles from being counterfeited.[17]
In 2026, they hired actor Will Smith to be their artistic director.[1]
Production
Dictador master blender Hernán Parra
Hernán Parra, director and rum master at Dictador, claims that the distillery uses "sugar cane honey", from fresh pressed sugar canereduced to a syrup, and fermented before being distilled in column and pot stills.[12] The rum is then either aged in a fractional blending system that the company calls solera,[18] but unlike traditional solera used in sherry, or other Central American solera models used in rums like Ron Zacapa Centenario, Dictador uses the word to mean the topping up of barrels from the same vintage to compensate for losses to Angel's share.[13] Dictador also claims to age its rums in ex-bourbon, sherry, and port barrels, with the exception of Best of 1987, which was aged in Scotch barrels.[13] They claim to age their rum on ships, so that the movement of the ocean creates a different interaction with the barrel compared to a rum on dry land.[19]
In an interview with DuRhum, Parra provided photos that do not align with Dictador's stated distillery or allow for the volume of distillation that they claim.[6] Parra also claimed that the distillery distills cane honey, and a pot still is used to distill the rum 4 times, and the wine is fermented to 14% ABV, all of which were called very unusual, and DuRhum said that other masters confirmed that "there is indeed no interest" in doing so, though no evidence of the pot still's existence was even found.[6] 80% of the former distillery in Cesar has been abandoned for decades and is used for art projects,[3][20] and the distillery offers no public visitation,[16][21] and journalists have discovered that their current address in Cartagena looks like a warehouse.[22] Their website currently does not claim distillation, and says that all of the "production" happens in Cartagena,[23] and other journalists have found documents showing that they buy aged rum and "sugar cane spirits" from another distillery in Panama.[6]
Parra vehemently denies adulterating the rum. In a statement to Sotheby's, he has stated that this is "not acceptable".[12] In a response to DuRhum, he responded "We no add sugar - We dont add gliserine - No additives like vanillin"[sic].[6] However, hydrometer testing shows that the rum actually contains additives equivalent to 17g/L of sugar.[6] Lab tests also show that the congener levels do not align with what is expected from a rum containing pot still distillate, aligning more with a very light rum with additives.[22]
Products
Dictador's products are divided into 7 types:
2 Masters - A collection of collaborations between Dictador and other distilleries, where Dictador's vintage rums are sent to other distilleries, to allow them to finish them "however they saw fit".[24]
Black Edition - A blend of rums from 2003 and 2005, with the defining feature being the matte black limited edition bottle.
Game Changer - A collection whose defining feature is that the bottles are designed to look pastel colored and low-poly, and the cork topper features a King Kong head.
Richard Orlinski - A collection whose defining feature is that the bottles are designed to look pastel colored and low-poly, and the cork topper features a King Kong head. These are priced from tens of thousands of euros, up to €100,000.
Totem - A collection featuring various designs inspired by the art of various indigenous groups around the world.[25]
Vintages - A collection of rums from specific years, labeled "Best of (year)", that have been finished in barrels of other spirits or wines. Journalists have raised doubt whether these vintages are from the years that they state.[26]
Essentials - The core commercial range of rums that are shipped to distributors of spirits. Not including limited edition releases, these include:
Claro 100 Months Aged - A rum aged for 8 years and 4 months in ex-bourbon barrels, then filtered through charcoal several times to remove all color.
Amber 100 Months Aged - A rum aged for 8 years and 4 months in ex-bourbon barrels, then filtered through charcoal lightly to maintain an amber color.
12 Year - A blend of rums, aged 12 years in ex-bourbon and sherry casks.[13]
20 Year - A blend of rums, aged 20 years in ex-bourbon and port casks.[13]
Aurum (formerly XO Perpetual) - A blend of rums, aged between 25 and 35 years in ex-bourbon, sherry, and port casks.[13]
Platinum (formerly XO Insolent) - A blend of rums, aged between 25 and 35 years in ex-bourbon, sherry, and port casks. As a final step in the aging process, while it is aged in Oloroso sherry casks, the barrel is emptied, charred, and then the rum is added back to finish in the charred barrel, and this process is repeated several times.[13]
Awards
Dictador 12 and Dictador 20 both won gold at the 2010 RumXP awards.[27] Dictador 20 won gold at the 2013 RumXP awards, and Dictador 12 and Dictador XO Perpetual both won bronze.[28] Dictador XO Perpetual won gold at the 2013 RumXP awards.[29] Dictador 20 won gold in the 2017 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition.[30]
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