Whenever I travel, I always pick up a Cuban rum. I don’t think that Cuban rum blows me away. I don’t think that other Spanish country rums simply can’t compete. No, I think that Brugal extra viejo and Zacapa 23 are totally in competition with some of the best that Cuba has to offer. It’s just the forbidden fruit, man. I see Brugal extra viejo every time I visit the liquor store, but Cuban rum is only international…

In this case, I saw Ron Santiago 8, 11, and 12 in duty free, and I picked up 8 and 12, figuring 3 bottles would just be too much, and 11 is close enough to 12 that I cover my bases with just 8 and 12. I know they use a different blend for 11, it’s not like 12 is 11 just held for an extra year, but I wasn’t even sure if I would like anything from Ron Santiago, so I settled for these two bottles.

I will be comparing them against Havana Club 3 and 7 year rums.

Review

Smell

Both Ron Santigos smell very similar. They’re oaky and floral, with 12 having a slightly stronger oak smell, but they’re both quite flowery smelling, while Havana Club 3 smells more light and fruity, and Hanava Club 7 smells deep, rich, and woody.

Taste

Ron Santiago 8 and 12 both also have very similar tastes. In fact, it’s quite hard for me to even tell them apart. They’re both oaky, floral, and rummy on the front, ending with a bit of tropical fruit flavor, which goes quite long. I tried to tell them apart by just pouring a shot of one, sipping on it for half an hour and thinking about the lingering notes, and doing the same with the other, and they both have basically the same lingering sort of notes that taste like how a flower shop smells, with a bit of hibiscus tea. Havana Club 7 is deep, rich, and complex, but it’s very much just oaky, not even slightly fruity or floral. Havana Club 3 is a bit fruity, and actually comes across as a touch grassy, and towards the back has a medium fruity finish.

I tried them all in daiquiris as this can sometimes help, but Ron Santiago 8 and 12 become basically indistinguishable from each other. The daiquiri also has floral notes that I find to be quite good. Havana Club 7 continues to make an overoaked daiquiri that I don’t really prefer, and Havana Club 3 makes a great daiquiri, which is my favorite of the set. Of course, most Jamaican rums, even Appleton Estate Signature, with its relatively mild funk, still beat Havana Club 3, but just in terms of Cuban rums, there’s really no beating it for making cocktails.

Verdict 6.5/10

(Edited from 6.5/10 on 3/9/26)

(Edited from 7/10 on 1/20/26)

A while back, I have Havana Club 3 a 7/10 and Havana Club 7 a 6.5/10, and I would like to amend that to a 7/10, because I think that I didn’t regard the deep oaky complexity of Havana Club 7 as much as making cocktails, and I do think that they are very different rums, but equally good in their own way. And, I feel the same way about Ron Santiago. I struggle to tell 8 and 12 apart, but they are a more floral tasting rum, less fruity than Havana Club 3 and less oaky than Havana Club 7, but still perfectly enjoyable. I rate them both 7/10 as well.

January 20, 2026 Update:

I love the fruity floral taste from Ron Santiago.

Previously I scored them equal to Havana Club, but I need to change my score. Ron Santiago 8 year just barely edges out Havana Club 3, and Ron Santiago 12 is basically the same taste as 8, but I do notice that it’s slightly more concentrated. The differences at the time seemed miniscule, but now I am willing to award an extra half point to 8 over HC3. They’re genuinely close to HC3, and HC7 for that matter, but they do edge them out. As such, Ron Santiago 8 is reduced to 6.25/10 and 12 is reduced to 6.5/10, above the 6/10 that both HC3 and HC7 occupy.

March 9, 2026 Update:

I decided that RdS 8 is very close to 12 and I might as well make them both 6.5/10