Havana Club Selección de Maestros

Selección de Maestros surely is no rhum for everyday. But which Cuban Rhum is it? Due to limitations of innovation and technical improvement over past decades the rhum is characterized by the typical dry taste of Cuban rhums.

This edition of Havanna Club is strong in taste, starts with a punch at first but gets followed by a long-lasting intensive taste of Wood, citrus and leather. I love this rhum and when I had enjoyed a special dinner it's the right choice to finish the evening with a cigar!

During the week I prefer others, easier rhums ...

Super go rom. Klart den beste Havana club jeg har prøvet

I got this one as b-day present from my colleagues. I really enjoy that bottle. Great full flavor, very smooth, just at right level of sweetness. So easy to sip that I finished bottle sooner than I would like :)

No bad, but you can find much better rums in this price range

Kubánsky rum v o.k. fľaši s modrou etiketou...=) to sa len tak nevidí. Má peknú jantárovú až mahagónovú farbi. Po naliatí typická kubánska vôňa, dominuje kakao, tabak, snáď orechy. Zacítil som aj hrozienka, rum má skôr ťažšiu, zemitejšu arómu. Chuť celkom kopíruje aromatické vnemy, je veľmi dobre vyvážený, komplexný, neskôr je zemitý, v dlhšom závere je cítiť aj drevo. Rum je stáčaný do fliaš priamo zo sudov, preto nesie aj označenie "barrel proof". Povedal by som, že tento suchší rum je skôr pre skúsenejšieho rumového degustátora...slušná práca maestrov ronerov...je to dobrý rum, ale nie pre každého.

Truly rich in taste and flavours...I always start thirsty and within few weeks a slow down as the bottle is getting more and more empty. This is a perfect rum for gift(it comes in a stylish packaging), dinners, etc.

This rum is unusual to me. Although it has a lightly strong alcohol taste (45%) the flavour is very well balanced, don't know if smooth is the right word here as alcohol presence still hits hards. It tastes a bit fresh with lot of wood (typically Havana Club I would say), a bit of leather and much more probably I can't describe, not sweet at all, very dry. The first glass surprises as it is really interesting, but it is difficult to drink a second one immediately after it, you get enough of it very soon too. Does not make a good mixer and for the price I would not recommend that. I have divided feelings about this rum: I like it and don't at the same time.

Was given to me as a gift from a very popular rum aficionado. My only previous experience with Cuban rum was Havana Club Anejo Especial which I found had a strong tobacco taste. This one is quite different. Somewhat strong smell, but with a no excuses flair. Still quite a bite, but much smoother than the Anejo. Not too much sweetness, and still a taste of tobacco but much lighter. It has a bit of a burn, but not too strong. Overall a nice addition to the collection.

Only just getting into rum and most certainly not an expert in any ways but I would say its a very good effort. I have had my share of rums over the years and I found Selection de maestro to be very smooth. I tend to find common rums to be enjoyable when mixed but on its own they can be a bit too sharp for me. Nothing special and relatively high in price but I would recommend it. Bottle looks nice, accompanying canister doesn't add value for me at all.

A unicorn! At least to little ole American me. This bottle comes with tremendous gratitude thanks to a fellow rum aficionado.

So this is a high end Cuban rum, comprised of a blend of Cuban rums aged 10-15 years in bourbon oak. The blend reportedly selected each year by the Maestros of Havana Club. It is available in most rum shops outside of the US. It is unlike most Cuban and Cuban style rums in that it is bottled at 45% ABV instead of the ho-hum usual 40%. So what is it like?

On the nose first off I get straight ethanol which immediately fades to Oak, faint Butterscotch, then a rush of Pear and Cinnamon. The nose is lighter than I anticipated or hoped for and initially it made me a bit concerned that the palate would be light and underwhelming as well…

Then I took a sip. The palate is far more expressive than the nose would lead you to believe this rum to be. I get Oak, Cinnamon, and Pear. Still, taken straight from the Glencairn, the palate initially didn’t open up as much as I suspected it could. So I poured it over an ice ball in a temperature controlled cup…and the palate blossomed into a wonderful array of delightful tastes. With a touch of water, the palate of this rum becomes rich and intense - oddly more so than straight up. I get the aforementioned oak, cinnamon, and pear, but now also strong notes of Porto, Toffee, Tobacco, Caramel, Bourbon, and Brown sugar. The palate reminds me quite a bit of Panama Pacific 15 Year but it is perhaps a touch more expressive than that. In a way it also reminds me of a Foursquare rum with the intensity of the bourbon oak notes. This is absolutely delightful over an ice ball, a wonderful expression of what a good Cuban Ronero can do.

The finish is medium in length and starts with light notes of Butterscotch. As you sip on it, more notes begin to linger - Oak, and then Port. After putting the glass down a while you are left with a sort of pleasant Pipe tobacco note in your mouth like if you just finished smoking a pipe.

This is a pretty great experience for those who enjoy Spanish/Cuban style rums. I get that some here get bored with the Cuban style. But I don’t…at all. Don’t get me wrong I love my Jamaicans and my Agricoles, but those experiences do not in any way dull my enjoyment of a well crafted Cuban style rum. The Spanish colony rums, and especially the Cuban roneros, are able to create a wonderful intensity in their earthy and dessert notes, even without added sugar that invokes a real sense of enjoyment and relaxation to my senses. This rum is an excellent example of that, and might I add, without any added sugar.

Interestingly, this is one of those rums which becomes far more expressive and flavorful with a touch of water than it is on its own. It seems to be made to sip over an ice ball, and I imagine it pairs immaculately with a Cohiba, though my cigar days are in the past.

For my fellow Americans who are normally barred from getting actual Cuban rums, this rum matches up extremely closely with (Don Pancho’s) Panama Pacific 15 Year. So if you want this experience but can’t actually get this rum you can get nearly the exact same experience with Panama Pacific 15 Year. This rum is maybe slightly more intense in flavor than that and the Panama Pacific has a tapioca note that isn’t present here, but otherwise they are pretty darn close.

Overall this rum is really quite a treat. It is not the single greatest rum I have ever had, but I rate it pretty highly.

Short Description: the very essence of the Cuban style and a portrait of the island itself. The capabilities of the expressions of sugar it’s forms and tobacco.

Nose: Alcohol, Oak, light Butterscotch, Pear, Cinnamon

Palate: Oak, Cinnamon, Pear, Port, Toffee, Tobacco, Caramel, Bourbon, Brown sugar, rich and decadent

Finish: (medium) Butterscotch, Oak, Port, long afterwards Tobacco