Havana Club 7-Year

This is the flagship rum of Havana Club and sipping on it for a while I can easily see why. Like the Reserva Especial this rum has a very rich nose and palate that goes in some unexpected directions for a medium aged rum.

On the nose I get deep butterscotch and chocolate fudge notes alongside blackstrap molasses and maple syrup accompanied by a light fruitiness that is difficult to describe.

On the palate I get a rather pleasant and unexpected explosion of fruit led by a note similar to strawberry jam. This fades into a deep caramel accompanied by chocolate fudge, and light maple syrup. This reminds me in many respects of Bacardi Ocho but with a fresh fruit twist.

As the rum leaves the palate I am left with a short to medium finish with light maple syrup, caramel, butterscotch, a dry tobacco note (like cigar rolling leaf), and just the slightest hint of wood varnish.

In many respects this is reminiscent of Bacardi Ocho but with an unexpected fruity twist. It is altogether quite pleasant. It doesn’t blow you away but it is quite a nice rum to sip on. With water the same notes become lighter and drier but no less pleasant. Sipped straight from the Glencairn this rum is rich and in your face despite the 40% ABV. I haven’t mixed with it yet but I can already see how this would be an impressive mixer; it’s built beautifully for it. That said, with its rarity for me to obtain, I am perfectly content to keep it around as a rum to drink straight from the Glencairn.

All in all it definitely a rum I would keep stocked if I were able to do so. Thanks to the foresight of a close friend though, I will have a bottle to enjoy for quite a long time. Thanks buddy, we are definitely even.

Short Description: An improved Bacardi Ocho with an unexpected fruity twist.

Nose: Deep Butterscotch, chocolate fudge, Blackstap molasses, maple syrup, lightly fruity

Palate: very rich, multi-fruit explosion (led by a note like strawberry jam), deep caramel, chocolate fudge, maple syrup

Finish: maple syrup, caramel, butterscotch, dry tobacco and just a touch of wood varnish

Great for drinking neat or with mixers at parties. Excellent for cocktails too.

I try not avoid breaching £20 for mixing rums (Appleton's Estate Signature Blend is my go-to at that price point), but Havana Club 7 with coke really is a match made in heaven. The rich flavours hold up well against the treacly coke, unlike some other rums where all you really get is a generic 'rummy' taste coming through.
Although this was the "first sipping rum" produced by Havana Club, I would say it's only just smooth enough to sip neat. It's certainly rich and complex enough for me to want to drink it neat, but would benefit from being a bit smoother. Perhaps ice / water would mellow it out, but I like my rum neat and ever so slightly warm (heated subtly by the warmth of my hand cupped around the glass), or mixed in a rum & coke, so I haven't tried either.
I'm intrigued to try more expensive rums of this style to see how they hold up against the likes of Mount Gay XO.

concerning this rum:
The smell is very pleasant. it smells cocoa and vanilla.
The mouth: you can find the same flavors. The rum is well balanced. it’s very pleasant to drink.
it’s halfway between the mixer and the sipper.
I recommend this rum. Pleasant to drink alone or in a cocktail at an affordable price. a good Cuban rum

Sweet but more honey and not too caramel, vanilla but not too banana on top, definitely smooth neat. Little smoke but not much spice. Everything fades quickly on the rocks

Nos: słodycz, pomarańcza, toffi, lekka pieprzność, trochę kawy
Smak: słodki, w tle nuty pomarańczy, trochę migdałów i kawy
Finish: słodki, kawowy, karmelowy, średniej długości

wygląd: 0,5/1
zapach: 1,25/2
smak początkowy: 0,5/1
smak: 2/4
finish: 1,25/2

Suma: 5,5/10 ≈ 6/10

Dobry dla osób początkujących, chcących poznać świat rumów. Sugerowałbym pić Havana Club 7 w formie czystej lub na lodzie. Bardzo dobrze sprawdzi się też w koktajlach.

There is a lot of fruitiness and sweetness in the aroma. The taste is hard, with bitterness. The rum is perfect for a long tasting in a relaxed atmosphere.

I don't do reviews....Just want to keep up with my drinking problem....

I am stunned to think some rate this as a 10. I only give it a 3 because it is a tolerable mixer in Tiki cocktails. My son and I tried it simultaneously, neat. Initially (for about 1.5 seconds) there is an interesting flavour but I didn't get a chance to identify it because suddenly there was an overwhelming flavour-tsunami of what I could only describe as old boot leather which invaded all the senses and pervaded the remainder of the experience. Absolutely dreadful. This was a 1-time experience which will never be repeated. One of the worst tastes I remember experiencing. I am just beginning the rum journey but for fellow rum drinkers in Ontario I can already recommend an alternative: for the same money pick up a bottle of Plantation Xaymaca (see my review).....worlds apart!

A decent age Cuban rum, with the typical notes you'd expect. If done well here you can sip it or mix it and won't be disappointed