February 22, 2016

More Cuban rum

I know, this is supposed to be a whisky day, rums and other possible malternatives being for Sundays on Whiskyfun. But you see, I’m still in Cuba, and when in Rome ... so…

Santiago De Cuba 'Carta Blanca' (38%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

Well, apparently, absolutely no one is claiming that this baby’s supposed to be sipped neat and naked (so to speak) and it’s very popular in Cuba. As the name suggests, it’s made in the city of Santiago de Cuba, in the South-East, where original Bacardis used to be distilled, almost 800km away from La Habana. Colour: extremely pale white wine. Nose: there’s a sucrosity, and hints of crushed bananas and, perhaps, strawberries. Also a little white chocolate, but that’s pretty all, this is no ‘nosing rum’. Mouth: honest, sweet, light, without any off-notes, although there is some kind of spirity burn. It’s not exactly thin, but narrow it is. Finish: short, but with touches of lemon. Comments: I think I liked Caney’s white card rather better, there was a little more happening. It probably IS for cocktails, but it’s ‘lightly flawless’. SGP:430 - 70 points.

Santiago De Cuba 'Añejo’ (38%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

This is the aged version, which has an excellent reputation. In Cuba. Colour: amber. Nose: really really smooth and light, rather on vanilla, butterscotch, ripe pineapples, perhaps ripe peaches, a little custard… It is not a rum that’s very ‘rum’, and at times you could even think of Glenlivet’s new Founder’s Reserve. That’s probably the sweet oak. Mouth: starts a little rough, perhaps. Some caramel and various eaux de vies, a little fudge, roasted peanuts… But the whole is really very light and thin. Not really unpleasant, but you got to be thirsty. Finish: short, light, but rather clean. A little caramel, a little liquorice. Comments: I hope they’ll let me out ;-). Seriously, I liked the blanco rather better. SGP:330 - 65 points.

A little independent and we’re done. Of course, these bottles aren’t to be found in Cuba...

Sancti Spiritus 2003/2015 (43%, Bristol Spirits)

This one was bottled in the UK. It was distilled in the official Distilleria de Sancti Spiritus, in central Cuba. It’s to be noted that there used to be some small illegal distilleries in Sancti Spiritus and thereabouts, but the Cuban police dismantled them two or three years ago. Not something that Bristol Spirits would have bought and bottled, naturally. By the way, we tried a Sancti Spiritus by Duncan Taylor a few years ago, and found it lightish. Colour: straw. Nose: indeed it’s light rum, but I find it better structured than most official Cubans, with more aromas of, well, sugar cane, as well as a mineral dustiness that adds dimension. Concrete, plaster, gravel after a tropical rain (yeah)… Then bananas and pineapples, like in many a rum. Mouth: it’s got the same rough arrival as the Santiago Añejo, but this one’s firmer, tenser, and a little more sugar-cane-y and even grassy. Nice notes of tangerines, while it tends to ‘take off’ after a few seconds, becoming a little more complex. Cinnamon cake? Finish: medium, a little grassy and a little candied. Some liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: probably one of the bigger Cubans, with some nods to La Guadeloupe or even Trinidad. But it’s not ‘big’ rum. SGP:450 - 80 points.

Hasta luego!

Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far