Dictador creates $1bn rum collection

Aug 05, 2023

Columbian rum producer Dictador has unveiled a limited edition rum collection with an estimated value of US$1 billion.

The Dictador M-City Golden Cities series is described as ‘the equivalent of haute couture in the world of the most exclusive spirits’.

Purchase of a bottle from this exclusive collection is an ‘invitation-only experience’, which is available to ‘very few of the most discerning individuals in the world’. These people are said to have proven to be ‘among the elite connoisseurs of fine art, masters of style and culture’, and ‘belonging to the few tastemakers of extraordinary vision and inspiration’.

The invitation offers the rare opportunity for buyers to visit Dictador's art-masters distillery in Cartagena, Colombia, where they will create their own one-of-a-kind blended rum.

The buyer can choose their blend from 110 private casks held by the Parra family that have been carefully selected for their extraordinary character and range of vintages available.

This vast spectrum of casks will be used to create the buyer's choice of non-repeatable bottling under the supervision of the brand's master blender, Hernan Parra.

The blended rum will be presented in a handmade 24-carat gold one-litre bottle created by contemporary artist M-City.

The brand is open to tailoring projects going forward at sizes that reflect the buyers’ wishes.

Each unique bottle will depict a map of the city that is closest to the owner's heart, with cities being portrayed only once, underlining the ‘once-in-a-lifetime character’ of each blend.

The price for each bottle starts at US$1.5 million, however each bottle's value is dependent on the customisable factors and the specifications chosen by the buyer.

Once the whole collection of Dictador M-City bottlings reaches a combined value of US$1bn, the collection will be concluded and no further bottles will be sold.

In other expensive bottling news, last month a bottle of 81-year-old Macallan sold at auction for £300,000 (US$332,266).

In addition, a bottle of Macallan 1926 60-year-old Scotch whisky set a new world record in 2019 after fetching £1.5m (US$1.9m) at auction.