February 23, 2016

More of Cuba's rum

Still in Cuba, Obama's not here yet, so let’s have yet another bunch of rums, since these are days ‘mas especial’ at WF. Why would I post about whisky while being in a rum country? Besides, all the whiskies one can find in Cuba are heavy sellers that we’ve already tasted many times. So, let’s have a few… Havana Clubs. Btw the Cubans (and Pernod-Ricard) seem to be very proud of the fact that they just won it against Bacardi and may now use their brand name again in the US.

Havana Club ‘Añejo Blanco’ (37.5%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

This baby was aged for a few months – perhaps two years? – and heavily filtered afterwards. It’s not meant to be sipped like that, and is advertised as ‘perfecto for daiquiris’. But still… Colour: white. Nose: raw alcohol, almost ‘industrial’. White spirit, raw plum spirit… And then a discreet herbalness, with perhaps touches of lime juice. Other that that, pretty nada. Mouth: what’s good is that it is dry, totally unsweetened, and kind of lemony. But other than that, this feeling of industrial alcohol remains. Finish: short and kind of, well, absent. Comments: mind you, this is made in huge stainless steel columns, and filtered through charcoal. I doubt many congeners would have made it into the distillate. But then again, they do not sell it as a sipper! SGP:220 - 50 points.

Havana Club ‘Añejo 3 años’ (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

This is the one they traditionally use in mojitos in Cuba. Not meant to be a sipper either. Colour: very very pale white wine. Nose: gone are ‘industrial’ notes, while there’s more lemon, as well as, perhaps, a little cane juice. Just a little… Still very discreet. Mouth: rather fresh, probably a little rough and ‘industrial’ as well, but less so than the cheap blanco. The lemon’s a little more obvious, and indeed you feel a little cane juice. Touches of burnt sugar, perhaps? What’s kind of enjoyable is the freshness, and the fact that it’s not sugary. Finish: short, with touches of lemon lemon juice with drops of cane syrup. Or rather pure cane juice. Comments: I believe one could sip this on ice. Perhaps with a little lemon juice, some sparkling water, and a few crushed mint leaves. But that would be a mojito. SGP:230 - 65 points.

Havana Club ‘Añejo Reserva’ (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

Not too sure how old this is, probably around four or five. Colour: gold. Nose: not much. Some burnt sugar with ideas of overripe apples and a little green oak. A little spirity, perhaps? But other than that, it’s rather innocuous and harmless. I think I liked the 3 years old better. Mouth: the same kind of raw alcohol, with notes of burnt oak and some similarly burnt cake. A little bitterness, over-brewed tea, vanillin… I do not find this too pleasant. Finish: short, burnt, a little bitter. Bitter caramel. Comments: not quite my cup of rum, unless you use this baby to make a canchancharra, a lovely Cuban cocktail that involves 2 or 3 parts rum, 1 part limejuice, 1 part honey, and 1 part still water. SGP:240 - 50 points.

Havana Club ‘Añejo 7 años’ (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

This is the Havana Club I really enjoy. I mean, really. Colour: gold. Nose: pretty nice whiffs of praline and milk chocolate, plus some sugar cane juice, then notes of tinned pineapples and citrus. Hints of wood smoke as well, which is nice. Some vanilla too, obviously. Mouth: I find this really good, balanced, fruity, without any burnt notes this time. You’ve got citrus (oranges and tangerines), pineapples again, notes of ‘mildly soapy guavas’, and then a slightly mentholy and tarry side that adds structure and fatness. But then again, this is certainly no fat rum, and remains as light as any Cuban. Finish: short but clean, fruity, and delicately chocolaty. Comments: I do really enjoy this little 7yo, even if I’m usually not into these lightish rums. SGP:530 - 80 points.

Varadero 5 yo (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

Varadero 5 yo (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015) We had tried the 7 yo the other day and it was way too sweetened for me. Let’s give its younger sibling a go… Colour: dark gold. Nose: not a lot happening, having said that, there are rather nicer touches of honey and, perhaps, orange juice and sugarcane juice. Noses a bit like some good canchanchara (that’s the honey). Some (Cuban) guava as well, perhaps, with a faint metallic touch. Mouth: it’s really sweet, with plenty of caramel, candy sugar, molasses, and coffee liqueur. Some raisins as well, kugelhopf, cassata, more molasses, even more molasses… Finish: medium, extremely caramely. Comments: once again we’re closer to some ultra-sweet South-American rums such as Zacapa, than to lighter Cubans. But in its own style, I find it pretty good. I rather enjoy these raisins that abound. SGP:720 - 72 points.

We had liked the blanco, and rather disliked the ‘Anejo’ by Santiago the other day (perhaps was it yesterday, I’ll all depend on internet access ;-)). Time to taste some of their their older siblings…

Santiago de Cuba 11 yo ‘Anejo Superior’ (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

Colour: dark amber. Nose: very rich, fragrant, molassy and fruity at the same time, which works well. Beautiful notes of sugarcane juice, as well as ripe oranges and coffee, without any excessive sweetness or roundness. This one does punch in the upper category. Lovely whiffs of some kind of smoked chocolate as well. Mouth: it does start rich, not too sweet (hurray), and rather on coffee and cinnamon, plus various ‘tropical’ jams. Banana jam, papayas, pineapples… All this dry coffee fights the sweetness and wins it in the end, which is most pleasant. Quite some ‘black’ honey too. Probably my favourite Cuban rum so far. Touches of black tobacco as well (Gauloises, of course). Finish: quite long, roasted, surprisingly dry. Something reminds me of Mexico’s best Mocambos. Coffee beans in the aftertaste. Comments: really really good. And of course, 40% vol. works better than 37.5 or 38%. SGP:561 - 85 points.

Santiago de Cuba 20 yo ‘Extra Anejo’ (40%, OB, Cuba, +/-2015)

Colour: dark amber. Nose: we’re obviously in the same family, but this older version’s smoother and rounder, seemingly a little syrupy (but we’ll see on the palate), although there are nice hints of furniture polish. Something floral as well, musk, roses, honeysuckle… I’m really curious about the palate… Mouth: great news, it is not too syrupy, and there’s even this dryness that works so well. Bitter chocolate, walnuts… But it does tend to lose steam a bit, becoming just a touch too molassy and kind of flat. But it’s no flat rum! Ripe bananas, overripe guavas (but clean ones!)… Finish: goes on with bananas, sugarcane syrup, and just the right amount of coffee and bitter chocolate, so that it doesn’t get flabby. Comments: totally high-quality rum, it’s just that the 11 years old had more oomph and, would I say, more personality. This one’s a little bit too smooooooth for me, in comparison. SGP:640 - 80 points.