Cuban Rum, a favorite pastime.

 An appreciation for Cuban Rum can sometimes come through the strangest of avenues. In my case it came by ways of a free drink, everyone loves a free drink and in my case a new found love of Rum was included.

One evening while enjoying a fantastic dinner at Havana's famed Paladar (Cafe El Doctor  #111 28th street Miramar, Havana) I found myself in the mood for a Cognac the apologetic Manager explained to me that they sadly were out of Cognac but a complimentary glass of barrelproof Havana Club Rum could be a fine alternative.

That glass has led me on a years long path of discovery in the wonderful World of Cuban Rum. There are so many brands that it is in fact a lifelong odyssey to try and experience as many as you can. This of course comes with a cost. The most expensive of Cuban Rums are the extremely rare and very old oak aged Havana Club products that are very hard to come by. A good if expensive alternative is Havana Club 15, but at a cost of $150 cuc is far beyond the means of most People. 

 Let us instead concentrate our interests on the fantastic products created and sold under the Santiago brand. These are in my opinion the best Rums in the World. My personal favorite is the 11 year old bottle pictured here. It has been explained to me that Santiago Rum is the process and recipe abandoned by the Bacardi family when they fled Cuba around the time of the Revolution.

Cuban Rum that is considered good enough to undergo the aging process is always stored in American white Oak barrels that have all been used in the making of Bourbon. Yes that is in fact the case every drop of properly aged and produced Cuban Rum owes a debt of gratitude to used Oak barrels that once held American Bourbon, how ironic. And delicious.
I will profess a love for fine Cognac and fine Rum and will say that in my opinion well aged Rum equals or surpasses most French Cognacs in taste and ease of drinking.  The difference in cost is of course the icing on the cake, for even the best Cuban Rum is a great bargain when compared to even a mid range Cognac.

Of course most people outside of Cuba and many inside will never get the chance to sample these incredible Spirits that is why at: www.havanadiscoverytours.com we arrange individual and group Rum appreciation tours.




Visit our Custom Tours page at:
www.havanadiscoverytours.com and tell us you appreciate Cuban Rum and want to learn and sample more.
We will be glad to arrange a tour and join you in the tasting.