Bacardi re-launched this rum only last year in the UK. Until then Bacardi Gold (as it was then) was bottled at 37.5% ABV. This was increased to 40% ABV. Now the whole Bacardi line up has been re-vamped and Bacardi Gold has been re-named in a more contermporary style whilst still keeping some of the distinguishing Bacardi features.
Tag Archives: Cuban Rum
Havana Club have recently re-branded and re-formulated their entry level Anejo Especial dark rum. Whether this has anything to do with Bacardi’s recent re-branding exercise I’m not sure. I doubt however that the two giants weren’t aware of what the other had planned……
Bacardi Carta Fuego – Red Spiced Rum to give it it’s full moniker. In 2011 Bacardi moved away from creating weird and wonderful Flavoured Rums and introduced their competitor in the Spiced Rum market – Bacardi Oakheart.
If things had went to plan then we would all be at least familiar with, if not drinking an Oak And Coke. As many of you will be puzzled by this, its safe to say that things didn’t go quite as planned for Bacardi as Oakheart failed to make a major dent in Captain Morgan’s Musket and The Kraken seem to have the Dark end of the Spiced rum market all sewn up. That’s not to mention Sailor Jerry and the numerous copy-cats which have sprung up in the wake of the success of the now deceased Tattoo Artist at the tail end of the “noughties” (00’s).
Brugal have made a concerted effort to break into the UK market over the past couple of years. The rum has been re-branded and has even found itself in one or two of the nations supermarkets. The rum is imported into the UK by The Erdington Group based in Glasgow, Scotland.
In its home country the politically separated island of Hispaniola, or more accurately the Dominican Republic (as opposed to Haiti) it is one of the three “B’s”. The other big rum producers on the island being Bermudez and Barceló.
I’m pleased to reveal that I will be joining Peter Holland of The Floating Rum Shack in an online Twitter Tasting on Monday 1st June. Along with other Rum Enthusiasts and UK based bloggers.
The Tasting will be overseen by Havana Clubs Global Ambassador Melmi Sanchez who will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have on Havana Club and Cuban Rum making in general.
Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos (Aged 3 years) is a white rum from the Cuban rum producers. With news of a possible embargo on Cuban products in the US I felt it a good time to review this staple of the UK and Europe’s style bars.
Distributed in the UK by Pernod-Ricard, Havana Club’s main competition comes from the Puerto Rican powerhoubse Bacardi. Which is distributed by Bacardi-Brown-Forman. Oddly I cannot think of many White Rums which have any kind of meaningful presence in the UK other than Havana Club and Bacardi. To be honest Bacardi has become such a byword for white rum that I doubt many people who drink Bacardi even realise it is rum!
Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros. Even if this was your favourite rum and you bought it every week and dreamed about it every night. I bet you still would struggle to spell it!
I apologise now for any spelling mistakes contained within the rum. Wherever possible I will use the term “rum” alone to describe this, ermmmm…..rum.