Porto, 16th June 2021 – Award-winning Colombian rum brand Dictador is delighted to announce its partnership with historic Port maker Niepoort to launch a unique limited-edition rum: Dictador 2 Masters Niepoort. The new limited edition was launched in Porto on the 16th of June by winemaker Dirk van der Niepoort and Dictador’s Master Blender Hernan Parra, who travelled from Columbia to Portugal to celebrate the launch.

This is the ninth and latest addition to the Dictador 2 Masters collection of ultra-premium rums; the result of an ambitious and pioneering project by Dictador’s Master Blender Hernan Parra. Never before have these different wines and spirits been blended – and the result is astounding, creating an entirely new luxury category for fine rums. Parra has entrusted a portion of his vintage Dictador rums to a select group of highly respected and prestige wine and spirit producers worldwide to ‘finish’ the Dictador blends as they wish. The aim for these partners is to apply their unique styles to infuse and finish the master rum with their own layers of flavour and texture, creating an individual, characterful and rare masterpiece. In the case of aging the rum in Port shipping barrels, the Dictador blend results in a deep red colour with a rich and refined palette.

Dictador 2 Masters Niepoort combines Hernan Parra’s masterful blend of four Dictador vintage rums – 1971, 1974, 1978, and 1980 – with the knowledge and techniques of one of Portugal’s most renowned winemakers, Dirk van der Niepoort. Dirk is the fifth generation of his family to produce Niepoort Port, with the brand having been established in the Douro Valley in 1842.

“Niepoort has a long tradition in the production of old aguardente (wine brand), aged in oak casks, in our cellars,” says Dirk Niepoort. “Producing such a special rum with a good friend seems the perfect combination for such a special bottling.”

Hernan Parra explains that:

“Port is a symbol of rich flavors and intense maturity. To me, Niepoort is the symbol of merging family traditions, high quality products and ever- evolving creativity. Combining this, it symbolises what this project stands for: the synergy of 2 Masters. Only 620 bottles will be available of this beautiful liquid so you better be fast!”.

The Dictador rum has been aged for 12-16 months in 550 litre pipa barrels, yielding 620 bottles-worth of 48% ABV ultra-premium blend.

“Today, all Port is shipped in bottles, but in the olden times they sailed the world in ‘pipas’ or pipes,” explains Dirk. “Smaller sized barrels were called hogsheads, which was a half pipe, quarters and octaves. Wealthy individuals would order a ‘pipe of Port’ from their wine merchant, either for their own consumption or to lay down as a gift for a young relative. A pipe should not be confused with a cask, which is a larger type of barrel used for aging. Casks are always made from oak, but shipping pipes could be made of either oak or chestnut.”

The tasting notes of Dictador 2 Masters Niepoort include rich leather, red cherries and dark chocolate on the nose, with a hint of cola, cardamom, nutmeg, marzipan, toffee and espresso. A perfect digestif, on the palette one senses dark chocolate, coconut husk, bitter orange and fennel, which gives way to plums, figs, quince jelly and cloves, and a big, fulsome finish. To protect the authenticity of this unique spirit, and the integrity of the partnership, Dictador has developed innovative and robust bottle security features. The 2 Masters label contains 11 layers of protection, guillochés, gold paint with UV glowing protection, microtext and typographical numbering, including holistic cryptographic technology. Special safety packaging made of armoured glass uses fingerprint technology for unlocking; it can legitimately claim to be the most protected bottle in the world. Other 2 Masters partnerships have been forged with globally renowned houses including Royal Tokaji, Hardy Cognac, Glenfarclas Distillery, Champagne Leclerc Briant, Château d’Arche Sauternes, Vignobles Despagne, Laballe Armagnac, Barton 1792, and now Niepoort. Hernan Parra’s vision and collaboration with these elite professionals and connoisseurs has created a remarkable range that leads the way in the new luxury category for fine sipping rum, underlined by the incredible auction result achieved at SPINK in October 2019, when a bespoke trunk carrying eight Dictador 2 Masters was sold for a staggering €12,500. Dictador 2 Masters Niepoort will be available at Farr Vintners for SRP £828.00.

Dictador 2 Masters Niepoort tasting notes

Nose: Red cherries and dark chocolate combine with rich leather, polished oak and walnut shells.
Palette: A smooth texture and taste which starts sweet dries elegantly to a long, warming and lightly spiced finish. Notes of dark chocolate, coconut husk and aged cigar tobacco with a hint of bitter orange and fennel, which gives way to plums and figs with quince jelly and cloves.
Finish: Liquorice and leather, with blood orange and copper notes give a big, fulsome finish.