I’m a sucker for the Ron del Barrilito line (as I’ve indicated in the past), so I wanted to spend some time highlighting the 2 Star on its own. This had already taken a place as my primary light, Spanish-style mixing rum before writing this, so I wasn’t coming in cold.
I’ve covered the Ron del Barrilito backstory in the past <https://thehoochherald.com/2020/06/28/review-ron-del-barrilito-3-star/>, but to quickly recap, they’re a (relatively) small distillery in Puerto Rico making rum. They’re still family run, although they’ve recently started to increase their profile and have a pretty slick website now.
The 2 Star is bottled at 43% ABV, putting it a bit higher than the mainstream Puerto Rican rums like Bacardi Superior. It’s a bit pricier, as well – I picked this up for around $30, which is a bit high for a rum for mixing, but it’s good enough that I think it’s worth it. It’s aged 3 years, which is more than most of the rums I’m comparing it to and accounts for some of the price difference.
After pouring, I get lemon notes on the nose, with some slight vanilla. The mouthfeel isn’t quite as smooth as the 3 Star, and burns a bit more going down. I can taste some vanilla and spice notes, and the overall profile isn’t as complex as the 3 Star. However, it’s still relatively mellow.
I can definitely say this rum is more of a mixer than something I’d buy to enjoy straight, although it’s not bad on its own. I’ve been using this for mojitos <https://thehoochherald.com/2020/07/02/mojito-recipe-and-bonus-don-q-gold-review/> and I’ve been very happy. I’d definitely recommend this one if you’re willing to spend a bit more than your typical lightly-aged mixing rum.
The Hooch Herald 