Ned Christiansen

So, is it chchaca or cachasa? Cachaca is what the denizens of Bogota call themselves, FWIW.

Pretty sure it was '60's or '70's of the twentieth, but I could be wrong. Anybody got a bottle handy?

I noticed last time I had Havana Club that one of the awards it has won was something like "Chicago, 1972". I thought it was odd that it could be awarded a medal where it is contraband. I don't think there's such a thing as rum not being on the proscribed list. Anything Cuban, anything that puts American money into Cuba, is prohibido, that's my undertanding.... could be wrong though!

I spent six weeks in Romania in 1996. I was curious of course, about local rum and was repeatedly warned away from it. I finally bought some, don't remember the name but it came in a bottle remeniscent of a Karo Syrup or molasses bottle. It was, indeed, bloody awful, no rum flavor at all, more like.... how shall I desribe it..... rot gut. When drinking was called for, I drank mostly Kalashnikov or Rasputin vodka. A couple of my faves are Venezuelan, Santa Teresa has one that's called 1765 or something like that, it's very tasty to me. Pampero is also a big name in rum there and I like it with "Maltin", a soda beverage made from-- as I understand it-- brewery left overs.