On the label of Varadero rum there is an image of a “security” stylized as an American dollar, stating that the Republic of Cuba guarantees the originality and quality of the product. This drink is indeed one of the treasures of Liberty Island. Many emigrants who left the country after the revolution are involved in the production of rum and shamelessly advertise their products as “Rum with a Cuban spirit” or “Rum from a company founded in Cuba.” The gray-green stripe on the label is a sign that the drink is really made in Cuba.
Historical reference. Don Facundo Bacardi Masso is remembered by the world as the creator of the Cuban technology for the production and purification of rum. Rum was Don Facundo’s life’s work. Even his own enterprise, opened in 1862 in the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba, the great blender called the “Cathedral of Roma”. In the people, the distillery was nicknamed the “Cathedral of Don Pancho” (Nave Don Pancho). This name stuck to it, and in the XNUMXth century it completely turned into an official name.
At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, when the sons of Don Facundo ran the plant, blender Valentino Perez Farina, having improved Bacardi technology, created a new Varadero rum. Varadero is a famous Cuban resort, whose beaches are considered one of the cleanest in the world. By the end of the XNUMXth century, Varadero’s light, aromatic rum surpassed the city it was named after in popularity.
After the revolution, the Bacardi family emigrated to Puerto Rico. The rights to the Varadero brand remained with the Cuban corporation Cuba Ron. The drink is made in Nave Don Pancho (the former distillery of Bacardi) in compliance with the old technology.
According to Cuban standards, the age of rum is the average age of all rum spirits in a blend. In the production of Varadero, the young distillate from molasses (“aguardiente”) ages for several years in charred white oak barrels, then it is mixed with demineralized water, young rum spirits and aged for several more years. If, for example, the age of “aguardiente” was 6 years, then at the time of mixing, according to the law, it is halved. That is, the composition of the 7-year-old Varadero includes spirits aged from 4 to 10 years, and in another Caribbean country such rum would be considered 10-year-old.
Another secret of Varadero is the use of not only new, but also very old barrels, some of which are already 80–90 years old. Before each use, they are carefully dismantled, fired and reassembled (without a single nail). All the cracks are caulked with sugar cane leaves, then the containers are filled with water so that the tree swells.
There is a version that the taste of rum produced at the former Bacardi distillery is largely due to the proximity of the railway. From frequent vibration, the drink in the barrels is constantly mixed and ages faster, and the oak wood is compacted and acquires a special structure.
Senor Humberto Corona, senior technologist of the Varadero line, answering questions from journalists, never directly confirms, but does not refute this theory either. The trains are still running, he says, and the Varadero rum is still great.
Types of Rum Varadero
8 varieties of Varadero rum are produced:
- Varadero Silver Dry is a young rum, colorless and transparent, 38% abv, with a light citrus aroma. The drink is intended for cocktails;
- Varadero Blanco 3 Años – ivory rum (38%), 3 years old, with mint aroma. The taste is dominated by notes of prunes, candied fruits and caramel, ending with a long aftertaste with a hint of coffee;
- Varadero Añejo 3 Años – pale straw-colored rum (38%), 3 years old, with a mild chocolate-vanilla flavor;
- Varadero Oro 5 Años – rum golden color (38%), aged 5 years, with a spicy-fruity aroma. Taste – soft, citrus, with a long aftertaste;
- Varadero Añejo 7 Años – rum color of old amber (38%), 7 years old. Delicate chocolate-vanilla flavor is balanced by tones of dry herbs and grapefruit;
- Varadero Añejo Reserva is a mahogany-colored rum (40%), a blend of the best multi-year rums. The chocolate-vanilla taste of the drink seems a bit drier due to the Brazil nut note;
- Varadero Añejo 15 Años – amber-colored rum (38%), aged 15 years. The sweetness of prunes in taste is harmoniously combined with spicy shades and light oak bitterness;
- Varadero Añejo Supremo is an 18-year-old copper-colored rum. In a moderately dry taste, hints of hops and peach are effectively intertwined, ending with a long warm aftertaste.
