There was a period of time before I really got into rum last December, so I was still drinking Bacardi and Kraken and thinking nothing of it… but I still was curious about other rums. I vaguely heard that Cuban rums are supposedly really good, so I got myself a bottle of Havana Club at some liquor store just before a party.

Boy, was I disappointed.

Note: Originally made by Arechabala family in Cuba. Now manufactured by Bacardi in Puerto Rico.

Review

Smell

Much like bacardi, there is a slight vanilla coconut “rum” smell, overshadowed by a strong punch of alcohol fumes. Side by side with Bacardi Superior, I really can’t sense a difference in the nose.

Taste

First off, it’s very similar to Bacardi Superior in a lot of ways. It’s not far off from just plain old Bacardi. But it has a slight cumin-mustard spice note to it. Very slight, but otherwise it’s just a milder Bacardi with the same amount of burn. Which, actually is a bit unfortunate, because I tend to like the rummy flavor of Bacardi, and I don’t want it to be toned down in flavor of some spices that I don’t particularly like.

In a daiquiri, the difference only gets bigger. Bacardi makes a perfectly okay daiquiri. Havana Club just has… something off about it. There’s just that cumin taste that doesn’t really work, and the more I drink it, the more I prefer the Bacardi daiquiri.

Verdict 4/10

So, my understanding is that this recipe is meant to capture the original taste of pre-revolution Cuban rum. The Cuban government’s Havana Club is, allegedly, a departure from how good Cuban rum used to be. If that’s the case, then I feel agitated towards communism by this rum. The Cuban government’s Havana Club is probably my favorite line of Spanish style rums. Spanish style isn’t my favorite, but the Cuban government really doesn’t miss. Bacardi’s attempt to revive the old rum with their Añejo Blanco? There’s really nothing about it that Bacardi’s more popular option doesn’t do a bit better.