Havana Club Ritual

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In 2018 my wife and I visited Cuba for the first time. Among the many souvenirs we brought home was a bottle of Havana Club Ritual. Originally released in March of 2012, this product was created for the Spanish rum market. This rum was engineered specifically to be used in the Cuba Libre cocktail. The company distills fermented molasses with a column still system. All rums from Cuba are aged a minimum of two years in used white oak casks. The rum is then filtered and put through a second maturation blending process before bottling. Havana Club Ritual is blended to 37.8% ABV and does not list a specific age range.

Appearance

The 70 cl slender bottle has a metal screw top with a star centered just below its short neck. The front label features Havana’s famous oceanfront Malecón and the basic information about the product is shared on both the front and back labels. In the bottle and glass the rum has a bright amber color with gold highlights.

Nose

Pouring the rum releases a strong toffee note into the air. As the toffee aroma settles, I picked up the glass and discovered dark cacao, sweet prune, ripe tropical fruit, subtle spices, and old leather.

Palate

The initial sip delivered a rush of sweet vanilla, cinnamon, and dark chocolate with a thick syrupy texture. subsequent sips revealed brown sugar, black pepper, banana pudding, and old paper. As it begins to fade, the toffee note from the aroma takes over mingling and amplifying the spice notes before a mature tobacco note manifests and lingers in a medium bodied finish.

Review

Before finishing the review I made a couple of Cuba Libres since the rum was engineered for that cocktail. The spices merged with the cola and lime flavors to create an enjoyable version of the drink. The tobacco note added an interesting twist bringing forward some of the earthier flavors in the drink.

This was my first deep dive in evaluating a Cuban rum and I was not disappointed. Some of the complex notes were buried deep in the flavor profile and were only revealed after several sips. I can understand why the tobacco note would be polarizing, but enjoyed the earthiness it brought to both the neat sip and the cocktail. Several of the markers from the texture to spice notes remind me of rums I have enjoyed from islands colonized by Spain. The next time we visit Cuba I will make sure to pick up another bottle, I do not think this one will last long.

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My name is Paul Senft - rum reviewer, tasting host, judge and writer. My exploration of rums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. I quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and United States visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. I have also had the pleasure of learning from bartenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum.

The desire to share this information led me to create www.RumJourney.com where I share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that I would inspire others in their own explorations. It is my wish in the pages of “Got Rum?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. Hopefully my tasting notes will inspire you to try the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others.

Cheers!