Nino wants me to follow him to Venezuela to see how they make rum at Destilerias Unidas. A sort of diplomatic visit -- to promote international rum relations. Sounds good to me.

I check with top officials at the Ministry of Rum. They agree to send their best man along for the adventure. He's like the James Bond of rum. His name is Ed Hamilton.

I throw a half dozen Rum Reggae shirts in a small carry-on bag, along with some shorts and some bare essentials. We fly from Miami to Caracas, then catch a domestic flight to Barquisimeto, a small city about 160 miles west near the Terepaima National Park.

From here, we're within 25 miles of the distillery, the sugar cane fields and the town of La Miel (The Honey). But first, we'll relax at our hotel and enjoy a pleasant meal. We're joined by several key executives from the distillery. The conversation quickly turns to rum distilling, aging and blending; our favorite subjects.

The steaks are excellent, as is the service at the restaurant. Our meal ends with a special treat. It's a fine liqueur named Hacienda Saruro, made from 100% aged rums, served right out of the freezer in a delicate tulip glass. It pours like honey. This rich, heavy rum is not overpowered by sweetness; the balance is perfect. The flavor of dry fruit and hints of vanilla are unique. The finish is beyond smooth.

Ed Hamilton asks for a second serving of Hacienda Saruro. I concur. We all toast to international affairs. Everyone is smiling. Our diplomatic nightcap will produce sweet dreams.

The next morning, as we're traveling south down the modern highway toward the distillery, our conversation returns to rum and spirits production. According to general manager Humberto Arispe, back in the 1950s, Seagram (then the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world) came to Venezuela to establish a partnership in the production of whiskey, rum, gin, vodka and other spirits. This distillery is capable of producing a wide range of products, including popular ready-to-drink beverages, such as Smirnoff Ice.

As we near our destination, we pass many dozens of aging warehouses, where hundreds of thousands of oak barrels filled with rum are resting. Passing through the main gates, we've entered a virtual city.

More than 400 people work here, producing and bottling spirits seven days a week. They have their own fire department, make their own electricity, provide medical services, feed everyone and provide transportation to the local town. They also recycle all their waste, sustaining a cattle operation with food and cane fields with natural fertilizer. If this "city" had a mayor, it would be Humberto.

We proceed to the visitor's center, a colonial home with an impressive bar for displaying and demonstrating their wide range of beverages. We'll also enjoy a meal featuring 4 courses of local gourmet ingredients prepared by a master chef.

Our tour of the facilities, lead by director of distillation Tito Cordero is impressive. In addition to the modern column stills that produce large volumes of highly distilled spirits, and the traditional pot stills which produce heavy rums rich in flavor, this distillery operates a unique batch kettle still like I've never seen in the Caribbean region. Another notable technique is their process of distilling their fermented molasses to 56 percent alcohol in the column still before the product enters a pot still.

We see the aging warehouses up close, visit the bustling bottling facilities, learn about the blending process and observe their quality control procedures. One of the highlights of our tour is experiencing the blender's laboratories where we're given a preview of new products under development.

Rum enthusiasts recognize the Diplomatico line of rums as unique and desirable. The Anejo is a medium-bodied gold rum blend based on four year old column and pot still rums. The Reserva features a higher percentage of heavy pot still rums up to eight years old, delivering more full-bodied flavor and a long, smooth finish. Reserva Exclusiva is their premium product, derived from mostly heavy pot still rums up to 12 years of age. It's noticeably sweeter, exhibiting a concentrated bouquet, full-bodied rich flavors and a smooth, creamy, luxurious finish that is a favorite among many rum lovers.

Destilerias Unidas produces much of the rum that is blended into Pampero Aniversario, as well as the very popular Cacique (ka-SEE-kay) which sells more than one million cases per year worldwide, the most popular rum in Venezuela and Spain.

They produce Wellington Dry Gin, Stanislaff Vodka, Chemineaud VSOP, Manager's Special Edition Whiskey and many more. I also enjoyed their popular Kafe Noir coffee flavored liqueur and the Naiguata coconut flavored rum.

Of great interest to my fellow rum enthusiasts will be the new ultra-premium aged white rum, Diplomatico Rum Blanco. While perfectly clear, this rum aged in whiskey and bourbon barrels has a light aroma and subtle flavors reminiscent of a heavy bodied blend, with ultra smooth finish. Export manager Ybrahim Camero tells us this new premium white rum will be available in the United states soon.

Finally, we retire to the ranch Hacienda for a mellow respite before returning to the city. Once again, Hacienda Saruro liqueur is served from the freezer. We delight in the exquisite texture, aroma and taste of this fine nectar; a fitting and soothing salute to our mission of diplomacy.

Robert Adams Burr
Gifted Rums Guide
www.GiftedRumsGuide.com

cane fields stretch for miles near La Miel

barrels resting in aging house

molasses ferments in stainless steel tanks

classic multi-stage alembic pot stills create heavy rums

barrels are filled with rum to be aged

director of distillation Tito Cordero explains his methods

Ed Hamilton testing new products in development

the quality control laboratory is vital to consistency

the bottling line is always busy