Santiago de Cuba Rum Anejo Superior 11 Years, 0,7 L, 40%

Havana Club Rum Seleccion de Maestros 0.7L 45% The history of Cuban rum It was Christopher Columbus who introduced the world-famous sugar cane to Cuba in 1493. The fertile soil and the ideal climatic conditions of the Caribbean ensured that the sugar cane could thrive. The locals, pirates and sailors quickly realised that the juice of the sugar cane could be easily fermented and used to make "Tafia" (an earlier variant of rum). Over the years, the so-called "Maestro Roneros" (rum masters) developed the art of distilling further and the first drinkable rums were brought onto the market. However, it was not until the 19th century that the quality of the rum really reached a decent level. This was mainly due to the introduction of copper distillation equipment and the first experiments with storage. The idea came from Pedro Diago, known as the father of Cuban rum, who filled the sugar cane spirits of the time into earthenware vessels and buried them in the ground. The result was a harmonious rum that lost much of its otherwise harsh character. Nevertheless, this new type of rum was not yet gentle enough for the Spanish royal family. The Spanish crown wanted a finer, lighter rum to satisfy the elite of the kingdom and the court. The result was Ron Superior, a refined, light, gentle, fresh rum that was first produced in the second half of the 19th century. Ron Superior spread quickly and is considered the father of today's Cuban rum. The production of rum at Havana Club As already mentioned, Cuba offers an excellent mixture of ideal climate and privileged soil. This results in excellent sugar cane, from which Havana Club selects only the freshest molasses. This molasses is mixed and fermented for a few days using pure water and yeast. This mixture, known as "Baticion", is then continuously distilled in column stills. The raw rum, also known as "Aquardientes", is then ready. This is followed by a long storage phase, after which the various rums are blended by the company's master blenders. This rum base is then mixed again with fresh sugar cane distillate and stored and mixed again until it is perfect for the respective rum class. One of the most important elements in this process are the oak barrels. Here, Havana Club uses both young barrels to bring color, aroma and expression to the rum, as well as older barrels that allow the rum to breathe and thus harmonize it. Only the best rum barrels for the Seleccion de Maestros The Maestros Roneros (the "rum masters") of Havana Club select some of the best barrels from the storage cellar for the "Selección de Maestros". These prestige rums are first set aside and tasted again after several years to check whether they still have the required quality. If this is the case, the rums are married and filled again into specially selected barrels that are chosen based on the aromatic and powerful potential of the wood. The Maestros Roneros then come together again and blend these barrels again before they are filled into the bottle directly from the barrel at 45% vol. This process is called "Cuban Barrel Proof" and produces a rum of exceptional quality with a particularly aromatic bouquet. This high quality has also been confirmed by many internationally recognized experts who awarded this special bottling the gold medal at three of the most influential spirits competitions (San Francisco World Spirits Award, Beverage Testing Institute's International Review of Spirits, International Wine and Spirit Competition). The taste of Havana Club Rum Seleccion de Maestros The amber-colored rum has a delicate bouquet of roasted pecans, spicy notes, tobacco and fine oak. The palate also reveals fine spice aromas that combine with earthy notes of coffee, cocoa and sweet tobacco. The long aftertaste is very full-bodied and impresses with delicate smoke and candied fruit. Overall, the rum conveys an impressive balance and offers enormous quality for its price!