Havana Club

pa990

What is the difference between Havana Club Silver and Havana Club Anejo Blanco.

I initially thought they were one and the same, but online shops sell them at slightly different prices

the beer revolu

I'd imagine that Havana Club Anejo Blanco is slightly aged in wood but not for long enough to give it colour.
Anejo means aged.
It should be a bit more full flavoured and more mellow than the silver.
I'm open to correction on this.

MediaTank

HC Silver is clear rum with no age just water added to bring it to 40% ABV. As the beer revolution says, the HC AB is aged in wood (bourbon barrels) for 3 years before bottling. It has more flavour IMHO and is my preferred rum for mojitos.

There are also 5, 7, 10 and 15 year variants avaialble. And occasionally if you are in Cuba a 25 year old version.

lmtduffy

Are you sure its bourbon I heard irish whiskey barrels,

pa990

there is a 3yr old HC as well as silver and anjo blanco

MediaTank

lmtduffy wrote: »

Are you sure its bourbon I heard irish whiskey barrels,

In fact it's raw barrels or barrels that have previously held HC.

MediaTank

pa990 wrote: »

there is a 3yr old HC as well as silver and anjo blanco

3 year old = Anejo 3 Anos
Silver = Anejo Blanco

Next is the Especial (5 years old), HC 7, etc..

BeerNut

lmtduffy wrote: »

Are you sure its bourbon I heard irish whiskey barrels,

Yeah, I'd imagine exporting barrels from the US to Cuba is a bit of a no-no.

I confess that I did the Havana Club Museum tour a few months ago and I can't remember what they said about the barrels. However, I think MediaTank is right.

MediaTank

BeerNut wrote: »

I confess that I did the Havana Club Museum tour a few months ago and I can't remember what they said about the barrels. However, I think MediaTank is right.

Been to the museum myself a few times. Great tour. Did you visit the actual distillery?

BeerNut

MediaTank wrote: »

Been to the museum myself a few times. Great tour. Did you visit the actual distillery?

Nope. Just the museum with the fancy train set.

MediaTank

BeerNut wrote: »

Nope. Just the museum with the fancy train set.

The distillery AFAIK doesn't do tours. It's on the Havana to Matanzas (Varadero) road and is huge and very industrial looking. They make many of the other Cuban rums there too and the raw can alcohol beloved of the locals.

lmtduffy

Yeh the tour isn’t great but I do remember the guide saying they used Irish whiskey barrels and I was talking to an Irish distillery rep who confirmed this for me.

It really gets me when these kinds of tours get too touristy,
I remember being on the courvosier tour and having to explain to the tour guide and the group that you can make cognac with the lees left in......such a good week in that town.

MediaTank

lmtduffy wrote: »

Yeh the tour isn’t great but I do remember the guide saying they used Irish whiskey barrels and I was talking to an Irish distillery rep who confirmed this for me.

The same company that built the Irish Whiskey Corner also built the Havana Club Museum and HC is marketed globally (excluding USA) by Pernod Ricard who own Irish Distillers. This URL confirms raw (white) barrels are used http://www.irishdistillers.ie/brands/havanaclub.shtml
My recollection is that they may have some Irish (and other) whiskey barrels in the museam simply becuase of the connection above.

GenghisCon

I was in Cuba last year and picked up a bottle of 7 year old Havana Club. Its the state sponsored rum so its ubiquitous over there. Unfortunately as we were changing in Charles de gaulle they confiscated the bottle. I thought the fact that it was bought post security check would save me. Alas...Still though its lovely stuff, considering Jamaican sea dog rum was my first ever spirit of choice back in the day.