CUBAN RUM & CIGARS

The largest portion of the world’s rum production comes from the Caribbean and Latin America. It was for many years closely associated with Cuba. Rum is a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice or sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses. The juice is fermented, and then distilled. Rum is most commonly made at approximately 80 Proof.

The rums made from the sugarcanes of Cuba helped make fine rum world famous.

Many famous producers today originated in Cuba, such as Bacardi. Rum has an odd history.  Mixed with beer or water to make grog, rum was among the engines of the British Royal Navy. It also fuelled a number of pirate ships, where similar mixtures were referred to as “bumbo”.

Of course, like whiskey, it was good in demand where trading was concerned, and became an important cog in the Triangluar trade or the slave trade. It regained popularity during Prohibition, when rum runners brought Caribbean rums to American shores via clandestine night time off shore deliveries.

Like the whisky world, there are many kinds and grades of rum. White or light rums are among the most popular commercial brands. They tend to be sweet, and are mainly used for making mixed drinks. But some dark or brown rums were aged in oak. Finally there are premium brown rums, aged in oak, they have much more in common with fine brandies, cognac or whiskeys.

Like whiskeys and other potent potables, there is a market for the finer versions of this spirit. And it has its aficionados. It is this group we are interested in. Fine rum is an impressive drink. Firstly, they are made from molasses. Molasses makes the best , high quality rum. These rums are barrel aged, and can be served in brandy snifters or whiskey glasses.

They are drunk neat or on the rocks. They give off impressive aromatics, filled with oak, stone fruits, raisin, honey, apricot and honeysuckle, among others. They are not sweet, but rather gorgeous elixirs.

For many years, there were varying traditions on what to sip while enjoying your cigar. Port? Brandy? Whiskey? Winston Churchill was famous for liking brandy and cigars. A frequent guest at Churchill’s home Chartwell once remarked; He is an exceedingly kind and generous host, providing unlimited Champagne, cigars, and brandy. One of his most famous biographers reported that Churchill always followed dinner with a cigar and a snifter or two of brandy, sometimes reading or writing until the wee hours of the morning.

Americans seemed to favour whiskey and cigars. Men like Ulysses S.Grant and Mark Twain made this combination famous. Mark Twain once quipped; “Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskeys barely enough.”

But when in Cuba, savouring a fine Cuban cigar, the idea of sipping port, brandy or whiskey is unthinkable. In Cuba you savour a fine, barrel-aged rum. One of the most popular terms you will notice as you start investigating Cuban rum is the term “Ron anejo” which essentially means “old rum”. That term seemingly indicates that this is a premiere product, though the degrees vary greatly from producer to producer.

Cuban rums have not been available in the United States since the early 1960s, but are available elsewhere around the world. They are highly collectable, the fine rum market is vibrant and alive. As these brands start to filter into the market, they will be easier to find and become more well known. But if you are lucky enough to travel to Cuba, these are some of the brands and rums you will want to sample. So sit back , pour two fingers of aged Cuban rum in a snifter or whiskey glass, and set it right down next to you as you begin to contemplate that Cuban cigar.

Should you wish to learn more about the Cuban Rum and Cigar pairing, please contact us today at Taylors Tobacconists.