This was bought purely as an easy to review rum from a few nips to make judgements and cocktails without knowledge of it’s importance. We’ve often lauded the superiority of Bacardi that is mostly unwarranted, but it seems we weren’t alone. Truly there are 2 names of rum in Cuba, and this is the other. SHIT. We got the Puerto Rican version.
In all seriousness though, due to the unique nature of the embargo on Cuban goods, this and Bacardi (both of which may or not be made in Cuba) segues into the story of rum, the Caribbean, and overall how much you shouldn’t care because both rums are just meh.
What they Say: “Based on the Arechabala’s original recipe, distilled and aged in Puerto Rico under the Caribbean sun for 1 year in oak barrels, Havana Club Anejo Blanco Rum develops notes of pineapple and banana with hints of vanilla and oak.”
Taste: 6.0 – You get a bit of that sweetness and banana (no pineapple though) and vanilla like taste. The kind you wish you could get in ice cream.
Aftertaste: 4.0 – However it turns, and more of this is the burn, but it loses the nice qualities it had for more alcohol taste.
Burn/Smooth: 3.0 – That burns, and is no where near smooth. It burns going doing like a scotch warmth. While not the worst – this is not good at all.
Aroma: 5.5 – While this it doesn’t smell like banana liquer, this does smell like a rum with ‘notes’ of banana. (god the term notes is awful). That being said, not exactly a good sign or smell.
Honesty: 5.0 – If they had not said pineapple this would be a full point higher, because it’s just not there. Yes it’s not pure banana and vanilla, but this needed more tropical flavor, or more aging to be true to words. It lacks wank, and is overall okay in terms of look.
Mixability: 4.5
Rum and Coke: 5.0 – Bog standard
Faux Mojito: 4.0 – Not enough to the rum to combat the mint here, and overall it doesn’t work.
Value: 5.0 – That’s standard for what you expect from a white rum used mostly as a mixing cocktail of ‘doing the job’. This is mid-tier bar fare, or decanter filler. You get what you pay for.
Google Shop Average: $20
Website: http://havana-club.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 4.0
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Metric Score: 33/70 |+| Metric Average: 4.71 |+| Reviewer Average: 4.0
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Final Thoughts: This is par, but that burn alone makes you do that whincing face, and that alone is why this becomes subpar. It could be better in so many respects, and as I’ve found out this is the Puerto Rican version, not the Cuban. With the recent change in politics, hopefully that can change, and the rum with it.
If there was ever a blog I don’t enjoy reading for reviews it has to be yours. Rather than looking at the flavor based on the price point you tear into them with this holier than thou attitude and the end the review with “you get what you pay for”. Plenty of solid rums, bourbon and gin sit in this price point and while they don’t wow with complexity they are good at mixing and even enjoyable on the rocks.
An honest booze review makes sense for anything above 35 dollars but for the 10-25 dollar range complexity is not expected.