"Havana Club", rum: description, brands, reviews. Havana Club

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

"Havana Club" - rum, which has become the national symbol of Cuba. A lot of worthy distillates are produced on Liberty Island. But the brand "Havana Club" is the most popular and sold among the rums of the world. For thirty years now, the largest alcohol producers, the Bacardi and Pernod Ricard concerns, have been fighting for possession of a controlling stake. In terms of sales of rum, Havana Club ranks fifth in the world. How does this brand win the hearts of alcohol consumers? Why do people choose Havana Club rum? We will talk about this in our article.

History of Cuban Rum

It all started with Christopher Columbus, who in 1493 brought sugar cane from North Africa to the New World. He did this by no means for the manufacture of rum. But the favorable climate of the Caribbean and fertile soils revealed the unexpected potential ofsea plants. This variety of cane, distinguished by its honey sweetness, juiciness and the ability to increase fermentation, began to be used by local residents for the production of taifa (moonshine). With the advent of the nineteenth century, copper distillers and burying vessels in the ground for aging began to be used in the technology of making alcohol (the so-called aguardientes method). This has significantly improved the quality of the drink. Nevertheless, until the middle of the 19th century, rum was considered a product for ignorant peasants and harsh sailors. There was a need to adapt it to the refined tastes of the aristocracy. This is how the soft and light "Ron Superior" appeared. The demand for it was so great that already in 1870 there were more than a thousand factories for its manufacture on the island. And soon Havana Club became one of them.

Havana Club Roma History

In 1863 José Arechabala Aldama set foot on the Cuban coast. The young man was not yet sixteen when relatives from Biscay gave him a job as a clerk in the BEA trading house in Havana. The young man showed remarkable abilities in commerce. Ten years later, the Marquis de Alava Julián Zulueta offered the young José the position of his representative in the city of Cardenas. This port was bustling with business. Zulueta owned huge plantations of sugar cane. He also owned plants for processing plants. But Arechabala decided not to trade in sugar. Light rum from Cuba has already won the hearts of gourmets in Europe and North America. Don José established and managed the distillery. And whenthe Marquis of Zulueta died, bought the company from the heirs. By 1923, the Arechabala joint-stock company, headed by the descendants of Aldama, had gained a good reputation and became known in Canada and the USA. In 1933, a tropical hurricane swept over Cuba, completely destroying the plant. The Arechabala family rebuilt it in its original place and named it "Havana Club". The rum produced at this plant bore the same name. So the birthday of the drink can be considered March 19, 1934.

Clash of the Titans

Now we need to clarify the question of why Havana Club rum is produced in two countries - Cuba and Puerto Rico. After the revolution of 1959, all the property of Arechabala was nationalized, and the family itself fled abroad. The enterprise in Cardenas continued to produce rum, which was exported to the USSR and other countries of the socialist camp. In the nineties, a representative of Perno Ricard contacted the Cuban government, who acquired fifty percent of the shares of the state enterprise Havana Club. Rum of this concern continues to be produced in Cardenas. At the same time, the Bacardi company bought from the Arechabala family all rights to the Havana Club rum, and at the same time the original recipe for the drink. This concern has established production in Puerto Rico. And now the World Trade Organization, the US Congress and the EU are involved in litigation between the titans of alcoholic products.

Cuban or Puerto Rican: which one is better?

Simple consumer onlybenefited from this thirty-year brand battle. After all, both "Perno Ricard" and "Bacardi" are trying to make their drink as good and quality as possible. On the labels of bottles from Cardenas, the proud inscription flaunts: “Cuban rum Havana Club” (El ron de Cuba). The quality of the drink is monitored by "maestro ronero". To become such a master blender, you need to study for fifteen years. This position is currently held by José Navarro. Quality control by origin obliged the Bacardi concern to indicate on bottles of rum that the drink was created not in Cuba, but in Puerto Rico. This can be considered a minus, if not for one "but". Bacardi owns the original recipe, which is over eighty years old. After all, the Arechabala family kept him a strict secret. Surely there are some nuances in the technology that give the taste of Bacardi rum a certain zest. And the soil and climate in Puerto Rico are similar to Cuban.

Production technology

A lot of the taste of rum depends on the quality of the cane. The juicier and sweeter it is, the better molasse is molasses. From it, as well as pure spring water and yeast, a mixture is prepared, called "batsion". After the fermentation process comes the stage of distillation in pot stills. Then it is cleaned. The rum spirits obtained in this way are aged in barrels made of precious white oak wood. This stage of production is the trump card of Havana Club. Rum of this brand is always seasoned. The term can be different: from two (“Blanco”), three years (“Anejo 3 Anjos”) to fifteen or more (“Barrel Proof”). Thenblending of various rum alcohols. This is done by Maestro Ronero personally. The blended drink is sent for re-aging so that all the ingredients come together. Cuba has a special "Museum Havana Club". The exposition shows all stages of production, from the cultivation of sugar cane to the finished product, which can be tasted.

Havana Club rum brands

The Bacardi concern produces only one kind, which is called Havana Club Anejo Clasico Puerto Rican Rum. This is rum with a strength of forty degrees. It has an excellent balanced taste, a rich bouquet and a beautiful dark amber color. The Pernod Ricard concern has a much wider range of products. In addition to rum, the Cuban factory produces four types of low-alcohol (5%) Havana Club Loco cocktail: with passion fruit, pink grapefruit, lemon and mango flavors. The youngest spirits (from eighteen months to two years of aging) are used in Anejo Blanco. This is a colorless 40-degree drink. The bouquet of rum combines notes of cherry, vanilla and cocoa. The taste of the drink is balanced, but a bit harsh, with a slight taste of alcohol.

Rum "Havana Club Añejo 3 Años"

This is the bestseller of the trading house. It combines price and quality optimally. At the international competition "Vine and Spirits Competition", held in 1996 in London, this brand of rum won a silver medal. As the name implies, spirits mature in barrels for at least three years. The drink has a pleasant straw color. The aroma thatthree-year-old rum "Havana Club", reviews characterize as caramel-vanilla, with notes of banana, pear and smoke of burnt oak. The taste of the drink is sweet, chocolate. A five-year-old rum has similar qualities.

Luxury brands

Expensive drinks from this distillery have a longer exposure and a rich blend. Rum "Havana Club 7 years" has the color of a noble mahogany. Vanilla and elite sorts of tobacco are guessed in its aroma. The taste of the drink is soft, with hints of tropical fruits and cocoa. Fifteen-year-old rum has an amazing ability to open up gradually. In its taste, honey, prunes, banana and pear alternately appear on the stage. Amber drink exudes the aroma of exotic fruits. "Havana Club Reserve" is a complex, carefully selected blend of spirits of different ages. The bouquet of rum traces the tones of caramel, pear and tobacco. Havana Club Añejo Especial is a blend of double aged distillates. Rum smells of flowers, spices, orange peel and vanilla. The taste of the drink is characterized by reviews as caramel. It also has hints of tobacco and cinnamon.

How to drink Havana Club rum

Luxury and collectible stamps should be consumed separately. Only in this way will all the halftones and elegant nuances of rum be revealed. You can throw a few ice cubes into the glass. Elite varieties of Havana Club rum leave a long spicy aftertaste, in which candied fruits and bitterness of burnt oak are guessed. Ordinary brands can also be drunk solo - paired with a Havana cigar. They can also be usedfor making the famous Cuba Libre, Mojito and Daiquiri cocktails.