I really enjoyed the bottle of Havana Club Edición A I have on my bar so I was open to snagging the other edicións even if the reviews I’ve read of them are less than glowing. To each their own, ya? So when I found C at a very enticing price I didn’t hesitate to bring home a bottle. I figured: worst case scenario I drink a lot of daiquiris. Never a bad decision, IMO.
Havana Club Edición Profesional C
- Distillery: Havana Club (Cuba)
- 50% abv / 100 proof
- Aged: 1-12 years
- Martin Cate Classification: Blended Lightly Aged (2)
- Dosed: No.
Neat
Pale golden straw with medium lacing. I’m punched with what I swear is an agricole aroma right out of the gate. Grassy, green cane, floral, very faint vanilla, and some raisin. I read and re-read the description a few times after that aroma thinking I had somehow missed the cane juice rum note … I had not. But it obviously comes from the aguardiente portion in this rum. I just wasn’t prepared for its intensity. Medium palate. The agricole profile dips some in the flavor and skews a bit heavier to a classic Cuban rum. Some grassy notes still exist along with green apple, but otherwise there is light oak, vanilla, some caramel, and lightly nutty with raisins. Finish is very warm with floral and fruity notes over lightly toasted oak.
It’s an interesting sip though not one I really want to sip neat very often. I can see how this will make some very nice cocktails, though.
Daiquiri
Since the C has a touch of color the daiquiri is slightly darker- but it is not dark. That minor note aside, the rum makes a nicely bright, tart and refreshing daiquiri. The grassy note dulls a little into more of a fresh feel than green and the rest of the rum carries along in the background, too. THe resulting drink is somewhat dry and very tasty.
I think I’ll have another daiquiri.
Papa Doble
Source: Constantino Ribalaigua Vert / El Floridita, Havana
- 3.5 oz Lightly Aged Rum
- 1 oz Lime Juice
- 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- 0.75 os Maraschino Liqueur
Shake all with ice and strain into a coupe.
Initially, I’m drawn to this drink for the story. It’s a fun story in a bygone era of drinking that connects with me, and I presume a lot of us cocktail-imbibers. But after that, it is a damn tasty beverage. The classic version, omitting the sweetener, is a bit dry for me, but as laid out above it’s such a good daiquiri. For this specific drink, I had to substitute vanilla syrup for the simple cause Iw as out and didn’t feel like making a new batch. I think it added some depth with the vanilla that was really nice. The Edición C works wonderfully here- giving it strength and a bit of intrigue without mushing up the thing. It’s refreshing and sweet without being overly so. It’s full of tangy fruit notes and really just hits. It’s a big drink … 3.5 ounces of rum will do that … but it doesn’t drink like it with all the ingredients really working together even with the 100 proof rum here. Lovely drink.
The Final Sip
I waffled back and forth here until it became obviously that this was a worthy rum to have on the bar. While not a sipper in my book, it works great in a daiquiri and would work fine in other drinks that call for a lightly aged, Spanish-style rum. The agricole-ish notes really make for an interesting rum and one I’m glad I have on my bar.
Tuesday Pints 