Havana Club is the biggest rum producer in Cuba and one of the best known rum brandies in the world. It was established at 1934 by Arechabala family. During the Cuba revolution years the distillery was nationalized and the owners escaped to USA or Europe, or was thrown to prison.
Nowadays it is produced by Havana Club International and owned fifty-fifty by the Cuban State and French alcohol gigant Pernod Ricard. To USA market it is made at same name by Bacardi. Havana Club Anejo white rum is matured 3 years in oak, and filtered before bottling. Price for 50cl bottle was 11.50€ (SuperAlko/Latvia).

When most white rums are very neutral on taste, Havana Club have obviously something to offer. Aroma is light, with hint of peanut oak and fruits. Taste is quite sharp, elegant, fruity, smooth but with plenty of character. 3 years of maturation in oak have done it’s job and the colour is a bit straw-colored, so it is not filtered too much. It is clearly rum, not a neutral vodka like spirit what many of other light rums are. Of course it is not a sippin rum, but for cocktails it’s a very good option for standard Bacardi.

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