Havana Club Añejo Especial

I would rate this rum as basic rum. If you want to drink cheap rum, maybe with drinks, maybe in pure form, it's pretty good for its price range. You can feel the drugs in the nature of what rum offers. A bit of a barrel, a bit of sweetness, it's slightly spicy. You have to bear in mind that this is only the basic version of rum, which does not give any special sensations. If you haven't had a chance to try what good rum tastes like, after tasting it, you still won't know it. In my opinion, a good quality rum costs at least about 4 times as much as this one.

It is estimated that the rum, made from sugar cane molasses, matures in Cuba's tropical climate in former bourbon barrels made from American white oak, for around six years. For the finish, the Maestro Roneros fill the rum into young, burned-out oak barrels. The rum is bottled with an alcohol content of 40 percent and caramel as a coloring. Conceived as a competitor product to Spiced Rums, the Havana Club Anejo Especial can be classified as a classic rum, as it does not use any flavoring.

It is a very affordable classic at 15€ and best with a coke. However it doesnt perform well if you sip it.

I found it very pleasant and mild. Not a sipper, great for mixing with cola. I appreciate subtle notes in the taste and properly balanced sweetnes

Tento rum lze označit za takový etalon kvality. Svého času podpultové zboží z Tuzexu, nyní rumový průměr, který nikoho neurazí, ale ani nepřekvapí nějakými chuťovými orgiemi.
Vůně po masovém karamelu a vanilce zahalená tóny dubového sudu. V chuti taktéž dominuje karamel, vanilka a dub.
Lehké alkoholové zakončení v hrdle. Příjemně nasládlý. Vodnatější konzistence.
Jediné co mi chybí je větší komplexnost vůní a chutí a olejovitější charakter.

Nice flavour ,not complex, overpowering or overly sweet but great in diet coke with ice and a slice of lime.

The lower rating this rum has must be from people expecting a sipping rum and being disappointed. This is a Gold Standard Rum for Mixing! Fantastic in Mojitos when you want some extra depth and punch if the 3yr Havana Club doesn't cut it. Amazing with Coke and Lime. Nothing comes close for taste at it's pricepoint. If you're after something similar though, try Appleton Estate signature blend (Jamaica) or Bati Dark Rum (Fiji) both are good but just missing that something special that this Anejo Especial has. Highly Recommended!

This is my go to rum and a nice all rounder that seems to blend well with most mixers.

Top shelf at a mid-range price! Typical Havana. Can’t go wrong. Mix or sip.

I bought this rum along with the Havana Club 7 Year Old at the same time so that I could compare and contrast between the two. And in my opinion, they don’t seem to be that dissimilar from each other. But if I had to choose one over the other, then I would go for the Especial, only because the smoky, whiskey like aftertaste which I’m not so keen on(note to myself, must stop buying rums aged in ex-whiskey casks) is not as over powering. But don’t be fooled by my comment. Even though the smoky aftertaste isn’t as potent in the Especial, it’s still very much noticeable. It’s that evident to me, that I can sum up this rum in eleven words. Havana Especial tastes like a sweeter, mellower version of Jack Daniels! So if you don’t mind a JD & Coke every now and again, then I recommend you buy the Especial and the 7 Year Old as well. But if your budget won’t stretch to buying both, then I say buy the Especial.

Use it for a good mix. Beats most of the commercial rums