Exploring Cuban Rum with César Martí

[DarkHellHunter]

Ich habe da ein ganz klares Bild vor Augen.

Eine intensive Kombination aus tiefgründig und wohl eingebundenem Holz und Getrockneten Früchten mit einer Spur dunkler Tiefe die hinten am Gaumen zum Abgang nochmal kitzelt.

Aromen von Tonkabohne, jungem Holz, Datteln und Aprikosen geben den Ton an und folgen mit einer prachtvollen Welle von leichten Floralen Noten und gerösteten Nüssen. Hinten raus kommt eine leichte Bitterkeit die sich nicht überwiegend in den Vordergrund stellt.

Alkohol technisch bin ich persönlich am liebsten bei 50% - 55% angesiedelt da es nicht zu wässrig oder zu stark ist und dennoch Platz zum Experimentieren lässt.

Eine Kombination aus einem leicht esterhaltigen Jamaica Rum, gepaart mit einem mittelalten Panama Rum und einer älteren Barbados Rum dürften da eventuell passen. Aber so viel zur grauen Theorie. Jedes Fass, jedes Destilat und jeder Zusammenführung bringen andere Aromen und Ergebnisse.

Jeder Blend ist spannend und auf seine Art einzigartig!

[Lot-NAS]

A blend should be, what a single cask can’t be, a combination of the powerful youth and rich flavours from much older casks. Leading to a balanced drop with a decent strength, ABV around 48%.

[TheJackDrop]

I like temper; and strength. I think about 56-58 ABV with dried fruits, Light Wood and peppermint would be great !

[Tarrus91]

Ein perfekter Blend muss für mich einen top integrierten Alkohol aufweisen sowie eine guten Mix zwischen sowohl fruchtigen als auch würzigen und leicht süßlichen Noten Haben.

Im Grunde eigentlich ein rund um gelungene Mixtur darstellen.

Allerdings sind gewisse Alleinstellungsmerkmale für einen Blend sehr wichtig. Ansonsten geht dss Ganze im großen Ganzen unter.

[TheRhumHoe]

Mmhh… that’s a open and complex question, but not least interesting !

A blend, by definition, assembles different types of rum to make one. In that sense, it should have a great balance between the terroirs, with an elaborated and sophisticated structure that has a minimum of coherence so that we can spend a joyful time to disassemble it, flavor by flavor, to understand it and let it express its whole personality.

On another aspect, this type of rum must have a great ABV integration. If estimated to strong, it can be toned down a bit, but cask strength is also good. Nonetheless, the ABV should remain above 50% to catch the flavors and the roundness. Obviously in that case, no sugar is a must.

Considering the flavors, it really depends on the terroirs themselves. It’s up to people’s convenience, but I would say that a minimum of aromas and flavors is essential to make the blend stand out from the crowd, because otherwise it would just a generic rum that nobody would remember.

In overall and in a few words : Balance, Coherence, Expression & Personality

Regarding Cuban rums, here are some thoughts I have for potential blends :

Cuba - Guyana - Foursquare : the ultimate gourmet rum that would focus on sweet, spices and some sweaty fruits but with a bit of power.

Cuba - Guyana - Jamaica : the Jamaica should have a slighter proportion but the strength it brings should balance very well the dark notes of Guyana and the aguardiente from Cuba.

Cuba - Trinidad - Martinique : Trinidad can bring either the empyreumatic or the menthol notes, while Martinique would bring the spices and some complexity that would fit well with Cuban rums.

Cuba - Guadeloupe - Australia : a big powerhouse with a nice kick, similar profiles yet in different approaches, which can be very interesting.

Cuba - South Africa - Thailand : here is a wild one with the exotic side of Asia, the originality from Africa and the traditional and ancestral style of Cuba.

[Quent187]

So first I would pick my preferred hampden and long pond marks that I would blend unaged putting more quantity of the preferred marks but trying to have also a bit of less prefered for balance.

Then I would age that blend in good quality ex-bourbon barrel and let it rest some time to develop.

Finally I would blend the resulting aged blend with some rounder rum from Barbados or maybe Cuba.

[Rowald]

I’m going for a floral, fruity and fresh blend with a bit of a dirty edge. Light on caramel/chocolate flavours (there’s lots of that out there already). A bit of funk maybe.
I imagine throwing some 90ties Port Mourant together with Bellevue 1998 (Damoiseau “molasses based” Distillery), together with New Grove and a splash of young Hampden and/or young Long Pond. It might need a bit of St. Lucia and TDL 00’s to broaden the palet. All ingrediënts molasses based but with a bit of agricole freshness. Vibrant, full flavoured but not too heavy.

[Steffmaus]

For me, a single cask rum with ABV around 50% would be preferable. That is where I find the most prominent tasting notes without a sharp spirit taste, and also rum that I think would be enjoyed by many others. A rum with a subtle depth and rounded taste. Maybe a blend with an un-aged edition and an aged edition

[MrRumantic]

As many have said a blend should give me something a single cask can’t. Like the combination of different styles. ABV 50-60. I think you can combine almost anything if it works in the end. For me, perfect examples are The very old navy rum and the Tiger Shark from Velier and the Black Tot 50th Anniversary. But the Black Tot Blends are also a example how it can go wrong. The 2023 is a boring blend in my opinion.

I am very interested in cuban rum but still have not found one that can keep up with the very good stuff from other countries. RX16159 was a first step i think.

[RareAkuma]

Quite an appealing thought exercise that I myself -much like many others on this forum, I’m sure- have done dozens of times. It’s interesting to see how several users have come to a similar conclusion as myself.

Apart from the obvious blend of high ester whites for cocktail purposes, lets try something that hasn’t been done before: TDL - Beenleigh - Bonne Mère. A potent base of wood, resin and mint further balanced with fruity pomes and spice, and enriched with floral and herbal agricole.

Obviously bottled unadulterated. No added sugar. And at a decent strength of no less than 51%.

[primus]

Very interesting opinions so far.
What I noticed from drinking blends and also trying to blend different rums of my collection is that it‘s very tough. I think it‘s not the best to amplify different flavours around the same group of notes, such as vanilla or a specific fruit, those rums can be overpowering. Other blends, that try to go into too different areas can cancel each other out and become flat.

I think overall I can just agree with some of the posts before, ideally the blend takes you on a journey, combining strong suits of each part not only in flavour but also along the drink experience, from nose over taste to finish.

[DevidedByZero]

This is a very wide field. Ask 10 people, get 11 different answers

What is the motivation behind a blend? Certainly not to waste exceptional single barrels.
I think blending is a necessity if you want to supply your audience with thousands of bottles that taste more or less the same. So for one, blending and mass marked go hand in hand.

If the mass market is not the primary reason and if we talk about making a blend out of 10ish barrels in order to create something special, I think the most important thing is that the result is greater than the sum of its parts. Now it also might be obvious that the parts are not super special – otherwise what’s the reason not to bottle them as single casks? This probably explains why blends have a “lesser” reputation, in general (the accusation of hiding flaws behind the blend is lurking around the corner). If executed correctly, the result of blending can still be great.

If I were to be granted a wish: do a single cask. There’s no better way to showcase your spirit.

If you insist on blending, do something deep and intense. I do realize that Cuban rum is on the lighter side (almost per definition) but I would like to see how intense can it get? Have a pot still? Great, use it! Coloumn only? Experiment with the plates, try the lower ones, maybe. And when the time comes: don’t water it down too much, don’t add any colour (sugar is forbidden as well). Aim for intensity. The base flavours of Cuban rum are very much to my liking. Now turn it up to 11

[FischeJ]

I believe most have been written already. So nothing further to add. Just one more opinion.
Blends tend to be seen as lower quality which they mainly are to be honest as they want to appeal to a certain audience which want the same taste and experience in each bottle and are on a smaller budget.
However there are also more and more higher quality blends combining the standout characteristics from certain distilleries. Plus, what has been mentioned multiple times before, no sugar added and higher ABV. I think the minimum requirement for a good blend is at least no additives and higher strength. If the blend consists of younger rum then you expect a certain sharpeness but that doesn’t necessarily has to be a bad thing. As long as the overall quality is good I’m quite alright with that. Although that might be not the taste of the targeted people.
Anyway I agree with everyone who said that a superb blend should reveal a new sensation in taste as the sum should be better than the individual spirits getting into the blend.

With that being said I want to echo what was said just before my post. Do a single cast from Cuba. And experiment with the production of Cuban rum in terms of disitilling and ageing.

[TheDunderHut]

The most important thing i want from a Blend is availability. The great and expensive blends that vanish soon are nice. But how great are the readily and long available blends that are more than the sum of their parts!

[FischeJ]

That is indeed a fair statement. I’ve seen more than enough single cask, limited bottlings that an “ever” availble, great blend would be a nice option.

[Lukas]

The perfect blend for me does not taste like a blend. It‘s an extreme rich, complex and long-lasting rum, which combines two or more different, but complementing rum styles. Ideally at cask strength, but also widely available, so you don’t need to stock bottles.

[MartinEkrt]

For me, it would be a ±55% blend, without additives and it wouldn’t be anything subtle. I will not describe the smell, although it is important, the taste will always be the most important.

At the beginning, a soft start with forest fruits ala TDL. Body with funky tropical fruit ala Jamaican production. At the long end, dense dirty tones ala Chairman’s Selection from St.Lucia.

In summary, such a Frankenstein’s monster among rums😃

[Lehofe]

For me, key for the perfect rum is an interesting blend that is, on the one hand, accessible for beginners to rum and, on the other hand, has a unique flavor that fascinates and surprises experienced enthusiasts and experts (e. g. due to special casks that is not ex bourbon oak and/or a special finish). It should be between 45 and 55 % but tasting like 37.5 %.

[Wagnerlicious]

Der perfekte Blend ist kein ‘Blender’!
Keine Farbstoffe, kein versteckter Zucker. Ehrliche und transparente Produktion.
In der Nase weckt die Erinnerung oder Sehnsucht nach einem Sonnenuntergang am Meer - am Gaumen verursacht er ein zufriedenes Lächeln bei geschlossenen Augen.

[Alex_Kunath]

Naja, für mich sollte ein Blend aus zwei Ländern bestehen. Der Rum sollte jeweils seine charakteristischen Eigenschaften zeigen und im besten Fall etwas Neues durch die Kombination hervorbringen. Und das Ganze mit 50+ %.