Santiago de Cuba Extra Anejo 12-Year

nose i get sweet barrel notes and coffee, no alcohol burn (ok the bottle is just 1/3 full and open around 3 years, probably it have oxhidized, but in the good way), in the mouth
again oak from the barrel, raisins,
ripe fruits, darker color than the havana seleccion de maestros (both similar priced), sweeter (but natural sweetness), very smooth, very strong plum taste that reminds me of some well aged sljivovica
i will give a 9 like the santiago 20 that is a little bit better but much more expensive ...
this is the cuban style i prefer ! i don t care for the cheap plastic cork if it s a good liquid
in the bottle ...

I actually liked Santiago de Cuba Anejo Superior 11 more than 12 years old. It tastes stronger and the alcohol is a little more noticeable, but it's still pretty good. There is a bit of oak and smoke, a rather sweeter taste. Next time I will buy another 10 € cheaper Anejo Superior 11, which has a softer taste.

Solid, round, soft, complete. No alcohol or sweetness. With prominent notes of prunes, leather, tobacco and barrel.

Единственный недостаток - завышенная цена.

Again.. SURPRISED others haven’t rated this one MUCH higher. Got mine as an gift from a friend upon his return from Cuba!

By complete chance a short while back someone offered to obtain a bottle of this for me, knowing that I had been looking for Santiago de Cuba. After my relative disappointment with my previous unicorn Santiago de Cuba 11 Year, I hesitated for a split second, but wisely my better rum nature prevailed and I said “sure let’s have a go”. After waiting over 5 years to try the 11 year I found it a bit light and plain to my tastes. “Ratings” for this bottling were lower but the descriptive terminology sounded pretty delicious to me.

When the bottle arrived, I immediately recognized it as the older version of the bottle. This is a molasses based rum made from sugarcane grown in the southeast of Cuba and distilled on the legendary former Bacardi column stills at Santiago de Cuba. It is then aged 12 Years in White Oak barrels and bottled at 40%.

Immediately upon opening the bottle I was punched in the face by the aromas wafting out of the bottle. Right away that is different from the recent 11 Year I tried.

Wafting it from the Glencairn this is *far* richer and deeper than the 11 Year which makes me think they had to have changed the production methods because this is *so* much richer and deeper than that bottling. On the nose here I get rich Brown Sugar, ripe Pear, slight Diesel fumes, Toffee, Caramel Apple, aged Tobacco, and Sherry floating in the background. These aromas are in your face, present, and pleasant.

Taking a sip I get almost knocked over by ripe Pear. This first note is rich and explosive. It is then followed by intense wild raw Honey and Brown Sugar. On the back end it is followed by noticeable worn old leather and a light coating of caramel. The rich fruit, honey, earthy notes here are a different universe from the light, one note caramel of the new 11 Year bottling. M

The finish on this rum lasts for ages and is crazy complex for a Cuban style rum. Like the palate it starts with a permeation of Pear and Brown Sugar. But then it transitions to a classic Cuban aged tobacco note followed by a chest tingling menthol and just the slightest hint of Chlorine. It rounds out with a rich Molasses note.

This rum is leagues ahead of the newer label 11 Year bottling. *This* is the unicorn I had set out to find. *This* is the droid I was looking for (happy Stormtrooper noises). This rum is deep, rich, and far complex than I anticipated for a Cuban column still rum. (Seriously…light industrial notes on a Cuban style column rum?). This is right up there with Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros and Grander 8 Year Single Barrel as the heights a true Cuban style rum can reach. I consider myself quite fortunate to have been able to acquire a full bottle. If you are looking to get a Cuban rum, this and Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros are the one you seek.

Short Description: The Cuban Caroni-lite

40%

Country of Origin: Cuba

Distillery: Santiago de Cuba

Nose: Brown Sugar, Pear, slight Diesel fumes, Toffee, Caramel Apple, aged Tobacco, Sherry

Palate: (explosive) Pear, wild Honey, Brown Sugar, old Leather, Caramel

Finish: (long) Pear, Brown Sugar, aged Tobacco, light Menthol, faint Chlorine, Molasses

Final Thoughts: This is the Cuban unicorn I had set out out to find years ago. This rum is quite impressive for a column still molasses based rum crossing the divides between 4 quadrants of fruity, desert, earthy, and industrial. That was unexpected, especially after my experience with the 11 Year. If Santiago de Cuba hasn’t changed their production methods then all those people fawning over that one must really love their super light 2 note drams. Me, I will take this one all day every day.

Fura hogy a 11 éves testvére finomabb nála.bár az már nem is kapható

It was just Ok and left me with a strange vibe / taste that was on the verge of being unpleasant. I will stick to Havana Club for my Cuban rum needs.

This 12 year old cuban rum had a lovely mahogany colour with ruby hints, notes of caramel, vanilla, smoke and sweet fruits. Good rum too smoke a cigar whit friends!

Schönes Bernstein im Glas.
In der Nase fruchtig und holzig. Dunkle, rote Früchte, überreif und schwer ziehen Dich herab zu dunklem Karamell und dunklen Vanilleschoten die auf dem Grund eines dunklen Eichnefass liegen. Gewürze, Harze und Beeren sind wie Sterne in der Dunkelheit.
Am Gaumen warm und weich. Gesalzene Lakritze trifft auf Karamell und die Früchte sind auf einen Schlag kandiert. Leder, Tabak, Harze und Exotische Gewürze setzen leckere Eckpunkte.
Im Abgang kommen die dunklen Aromen nochmals ins Licht und lösen sich ganz langsam auf.
Ein toller Kubaner, voller Lebensfreude trotz der "dunklen" Ausstrahlung. Für Liebhaber des Cuban-Styles und Geniesser. 7++

Beautiful amber in the glass.
Fruity and woody on the nose. Dark red fruits, overripe and heavy draw you down to dark caramel and dark vanilla beans that lie at the bottom of a dark oak barrel. Spices, resins and berries are like stars in the darkness.
Warm and soft on the palate. Salted licorice meets caramel and the fruits are candied in one stroke. Leather, tobacco, resins and exotic spices set delicious cornerstones.
On the finish, the dark flavors come into light once again and dissolve very slowly.
A great Cuban, full of vitality despite the "dark" appearance. For lovers of the Cuban style and connoisseurs. 7++

I’m very fortunate to be on my back porch on a beautiful spring Friday evening. So let the rum tasing continue to Cuba. Trying Santiago 20 last month being exceptional I find this 12 years old brother holding it’s own. This is a solid Cuban rum at 40%. I like it a lot, slight caramel scent on the nose first sip exceptionally smooth with little heat till swallowed. All in all this is a very solid rum against any other. I’m good for solid 8- 8.5. Enjoy.