Havana Club Selección de Maestros

This rum is stereotypical in the best way to me. It has an amazing caramel taste without being overly sweet. It has only minimal burn and is easy to drink. It is neither oily nor watery but somewhat in the middle with s very smooth mouthfeel. As a Cuban rum I don’t expect it to surprise me with taste notes like an agricole, it tastes like I expected it and then a bit better.

Tonight’s Rum, Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros. This special treat for me and comes via my excellent friend Al who picked this bottle up for me during the BC Liquor Specialty Spirit Sale in June while I was vacationing. Thanks Al! “Seleccion de Maestros” technically means Teacher Selection, but in reality it means Master Blender.

In my Rum Club Canada glass, this is a lovely copper coloured rum; it’s remarkably inviting. And while it’s 45%, and it could be be a bit sharp, I’m still optimistic as I’ve always been fond of older Havana Club rums, and like the Cubans I never add anything to the rum when drinking it. The nose hits me with vanilla, walnuts, nuts, orange ,and light caramel. It’s a great nose and has a minimal alcohol presence, but is fully a rum bouquet.

The first hit is delicate on the lips, it’s near water-like in the mouth. Only when you push the sip down do you get any sense that it’s a spirit at all, or even a higher ABV spirit. I’m drinking this rum at near room temperature and that might have something to do with it. Flavours in the mouth are mild. There’s little in there that stands out and I have to pick through it to let you know what flavours it presents. But the flavours do include, bitter pineapple, roasted nuts, and slight tobacco with a hint of molasses. It’s a pleasant blend, but I find it a bit lacking. In the throat, it’s diffused but does build sip over sip, unlike a number of other rums I’ve had that soften over time. The finish has a bit of a burn to it due to that 45% and holds a bit of a soapiness to it. It reminds me of a coriander over-biased Gin. The finish is also long with pepper lingering for a few minutes.

This is a fair rum, but not the great, special rum the name implies. I rate it 8/10 and this is due to the undefined, weaker flavours and the long bitter finish. I think this rum would be best mixed with some fruit juices and a hint of orgeat syrup to soften the bitterness, but neat works too. This is the 413th rum I’ve tasted. So Far! Cheers everyone.

To bad I live in the usa or this would get consumed more often

Very approachable for those looking to get into rums to drink neat or on the rocks. Even at 45% strength there is no burn to this on first taste. Classic Cuban aroma of cigar and not too sweet.

Na rumfeste mi toto bolo ponuknute ako vzorka vramci vstupu. A preto som si povedal, ze ked uz som po nom dlho pokukoval tal to skusim.
Farba krasna jantarovo karamelova.
V arome nejaky sud po burbone a sladkost, jemna alkoholovost na konci.
V chuti sa opakuje vyrazna sudovost lahky mix karamelu, nejakej vanilky.
Z nejakeho dovodu mi to pripomina dictador 12 ale menej cokolady a vsetko co dictador ponuka a to mi prave vyhovuje, ze tam nieje. Preto lepsie hodnotenie.

Easy sipping rum, full of carmelized and vanilla flawours and smooth as silk. Definitely a keeper.

7,5:The nose of this rum is clear and rather frank. It's a traditional Hispanic rum, simple and effective. One senses the warmth of roasting nuts, toasted wood and leather. Caramel and vanilla are treated with finesse and delicacy. The cane with pear/apple notes shines through. A well-crafted, balanced nose.
On aeration, a certain sweetness compensates for the alcohol emanating from the glass. This is a rather light rum, with a caramelized woodiness. Through this woodiness, hints of mango add dynamism. Smaller, drier notes of straw and hazelnut powder are enveloped in reduced cane syrup.
8,5:On the palate, simplicity is still the order of the day. We savor crushed red berries that are immediately sprinkled with caramel and molasses. The palate then becomes drier, with a toasty woodiness that releases a few roasted spices.
7:The finish remains in continuity, rather dry, with burnt caramel.

Its got everything I could ever want from a rum. It has a nice flavor from the aging barrels, and a very nice developed molasses flavor. The flavors are subtle but well rounded. Its also very smooth for being a 45% ABV. Much smoother than the lower ABV Añejo especial and 7 Year. All around a fantastic rum.

Great Cuban rum with smooth, sweet, leather and oak notes. Pretty good for the price too. Obviously the rum goes very well with a hand-rolled Cuban cigar, so thats always a bonus. Will likely buy again because it hits all the marks.

Café tabaco y especias, profundo y consistente. En boca cálido y especial