The forbidden fruit.

I remember the first time I tried Havana Club. We were in Florida, and I was at Walmart picking out rum, and I had heard of this rum, though I was under the impression that it was unobtainium. But this one was bottled in Puerto Rico… sneaky sneaky! I figured that the Cubans just shipped their barrels to Puerto Rico, bottled it there, and sold it as “Puerto Rican rum”. Nope. My god, it’s gross.

So, we recently had a trip to the Dominican Republic. This was before I did proper rum reviews, or even knew what to look for in a rum, so all I can really say is that I enjoyed Brugal Extra Viejo quite a bit, but I couldn’t give you any more details. That’ll have to be a review for a different day. However, at the airport on the way back home, I saw the real Havana Club in duty free, and decided to grab a bottle of the 7 year (as it was the most aged and most expensive, therefore objectively the best). Then, as I was checking out, I decided to grab the other two (3 and Añejo Reserva) just for good measure. I understand that Añejo Blanco, Añejo Especial, and 15 year (and maybe some others) also exist, but these were not options at the airport.

Review

Smell

This one has vanilla notes, and a mild fruityness, like an apricot or pineapple, perhaps citrus. The fruity notes aren’t very forward— you have to kind of dig for them.

Taste

It tastes like your typical Spanish-style column still rum, with some mild vanilla and oak flavor, a tiny bit of bitterness, and also a mild funk. Not like a Jamaican funk, but there’s definitely some fruity apricot notes going on, though it’s also quite mild.

In a daiquiri, it’s good. The rum complements the drink well, and I still sense some of the funk on the exhale.

Of course, I can’t do a cuban rum review without a mojito. This rum makes a decent mojito— I can’t really sense the rum much, but the overall drink is solid. The mint, sweetness, and boozy tastes all come together. After trying the other two mojitos and going back to this one, the fruity flavors in comparison are much more noticable, and I’d tie it with 7 year for my favorite mojito.

Verdict 6/10

(Edited from 6/10 on 1/20/26)

I believe that a lot of the appeal of these rums is the verboten nature of their acquisition, but judging them objectively, they’re good rums, but not something that can’t be beat by other Spanish-style column still rums.

Continuing my bias for younger rums, I rate the 3 year the highest, because it’s just a great light rum. It’s not very bitter, it’s pleasant to sip, and it makes good cocktails, and I love the mild fruity funk that it has, and I just wish that it had more of it. That being said, and I know that it’s sacrilege, but I bet that no Cuban rum makes a better mojito than Planteray 3 stars. 3 year is on par with other great rums that just don’t quite have the oomph that really make them outstanding. Though, for $22 per liter, it’s very good value and I would definitely recommend it for those not currently in the US. 7/10.

January 20, 2026 Update:

These have kinda not stood the test of time.

Havana Club 3 is just alright. I do like the fruity taste, but it’s just so mild. There’s better stuff out there. Maybe not in terms of Spanish-style whites, but… I mean, if you wanted a fruity white rum, I’d go Jamaican, and if you didn’t want it fruity, Diplo Planas is also very nice. It’s still not bad, but I’ll take it down to 6/10.