Havana Club Selección de Maestros Rum
Reviewer: Tashtego
Distillery: Havana Club
Origin: Cuba
Bottle Size: 700 ml
Bottle Count: Unstated
ABV: 45%
Distilled: Unstated
Base Material: Molasses
Still: Column still
Aging specs: Unstated
Bottled: Unstated, purchased 2023
Nose: Whisky, wood, grain alcohol, sugar cane, vinegar
Palate: Dried fruits, apple, oak, vanilla, apricot, Demerara sugar
Finish: Barrel
If you travel outside the United States and head to a bar for a daiquiri, the default rum is going to be Havana Club 3. That’s how prevalent Cuban rum is everywhere but the United States. But because we have this asinine trade embargo with Cuba, you can’t actually buy Cuban rum (or Cuban anything) here. How big a deal is that for rum fans? Well, let’s examine one of their trademark aged releases: the Selección de Maestros. This expression is one of Havana Club’s most premium bottlings and comes in at what they call a “cask strength” of 45%. While that’s much lower than cask strength spirit from just about anywhere else, it’s actually pretty high for Cuban rum. Aside from this being made from casks selected by their rum masters, we aren’t given a lot more information about this bottle. Also note that this bottle is a couple years old - Havana Club has now branded their current master’s selection under their Iconica sub-brand, and I’m not sure how it differs in taste from this bottle.
On the nose, there isn’t much to judge. It smells like your standard Spanish heritage rum that leans a bit into whisky territory. There’s some sugar cane notes and maybe some fruit hidden in there. On the palate, this is barrel-forward: oak, vanilla, and bourbon-adjacent. I get some dried fruits alongside fresher apple and stone fruit notes. At 45%, it’s a smooth sipper. It’s so whisky-heavy that it feels almost dusty. This is the kind of spirit you might drink on the rocks in a dark paneled study, maybe with a cigar (I don’t do cigars, but this feels like the kind of rum you could do that with). It’s pretty sweet; I’m guessing there’s some added sugar in here. It’s not the most engaging sipping experience, but I think this rum would make a nice old fashioned or a rum sour.
I’m not going to be terribly forgiving on the rating. On Taste, this is just a 1 out of 5. Our ratings state that that’s still “serviceable, will do in a pinch” and I think that’s right where this plays. The allure here for American audiences is that it’s forbidden fruit - illegal to sell or buy. You’d have to bring this in yourself from abroad, or find a European retailer who will sell it and ship it to you despite the embargo. Ultimately, I’ll say it’s not worth it. On Haste, I’ll also give this a 1. I believe I got this for around $70 online - there are MUCH better rums, at MUCH higher proofs, that you can nab for that price. Is it cool to own Cuban rum? Sure. But if you’re looking for great taste or value, you have plenty of superior options.
Taste/Haste Scale: 1 / 1
