Liberacion 15years OR Malecon 15years?

[Mickeman]

Can buy bottlings of

Liberacion Rum Cuba 15 years 40%

and

Malecon Rum Cuba 15 years 40%

for the same price, but can only afford one of the bottles.

Anyone have taste notes of these bottlings?

I will only use for straight drinking without ice.

Other bottlings that is may favorites:

El Dorado 15 years

Zacapa Centenario 23 years

Troi Rivieres 1977 & 1980

Any comments, taste notes or links is appreciated!

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

never had either...have had the L7, it was very good, never heard of the other

[El Ron de Cuba]

Are you in Cuba now? Just wondering...

When I was there, I was able to have a little bit of the Havana Club reserve stuff...NOT Anejo Reserva, and I don't think it was the HC 15, either. They were selling this stuff at the outside bar behind the Hotela Nacional in Vedado, Habana. It was phenomenal, but expensive. I believe it was quite high ABV, but remember it being smoooooooooth. The guy said it was a numbered series of bottles, and that they were old casks of Matusalem from before the revolution...can anyone confirm this???

I have always been told that it was better to stay away from the Cuban 15 year products. Their specialty is the 7 Anos. Besides, the 15 anos carries a HUGE price premium. For me, it's insane to buy a bottle of $50 Cuban rum when the 7 year is so good for $10.60 (in Cuba, that is.) I've heard of Liberacion, but if you're going to go for a 15 year, I'd hit the Havana Club or the Ron Santiago 15 year. They are probably the most respectable Cuban brands right now (Veradero is also quite good.)

Bruce

Can buy bottlings of

Liberacion Rum Cuba 15 years 40%

and

Malecon Rum Cuba 15 years 40%

for the same price, but can only afford one of the bottles.

Anyone have taste notes of these bottlings?

I will only use for straight drinking without ice.

Other bottlings that is may favorites:

El Dorado 15 years

Zacapa Centenario 23 years

Troi Rivieres 1977 & 1980

Any comments, taste notes or links is appreciated!

←

[Mickeman]

Are you in Cuba now?  Just wondering...

I have always been told that it was better to stay away from the Cuban 15 year products.  Their specialty is the 7 Anos.  Besides, the 15 anos carries a HUGE price premium.  For me, it's insane to buy a bottle of $50 Cuban rum when the 7 year is so good for $10.60 (in Cuba, that is.)  I've heard of Liberacion, but if you're going to go for a 15 year, I'd hit the Havana Club or the Ron Santiago 15 year.  They are probably the most respectable Cuban brands right now (Veradero is also quite good.) 

Bruce

←

Nope Im in Sweden!

Why is it better to stay away from the Cuban 15 year products?

Both 15 year bottlings cost about 37$ (30€) in Germany where I buy them.

The Havana Club 7 Anos cost about 25$ (20€) and they dont have the Ron Santiago 15. I also have to pay about 2$ postage for a bottle so I tend to stay away from the cheapier stuff.

I have not tested the The Havana Club 7 Anos.

Have tested the Metusalem 15 and don't like it.

You see what I do like in my original post above.

They have the following Cuban 15 year old bottlings also, but they are to expensive for me.

Havana Club 15 215$ (176€)

Varadero Club Rum 15 80$ (65€)

Thanks for the imput!

[Ed Hamilton]

I like the Liberacion 15 but haven't had the opportunity to taste the Malecon 15.

I completely agree about paying premiums for rum that is sometimes just not worth the price.

I have a couple of small casks on my boat and fill them with rum and it continues to age, and much faster than if it was in a larger cask on the order of the 168 liter casks used to age most Cuban rum.

If you have the opportunity to buy a small, 5 liter cask, don't hesitate.

One of my casks contains the last of my 25 year old Guatemalan Zacapa. But when it's gone, that cask will be filled with other rum.

[Rene]

I hope I don't destroy a wonderful feeling about a good Rum, but the Malecon is created in PANAMA.

It is produced by Varela Hermanos. Their master blender (Francisco J. Fernandez P.) used to work for Havana Club in Cuba years ago. They sold their Rum to a friend, who named it Malecon Rum. So the only Cuban about this Rum is its creator.

The Liberacion is a genuine Cuba.

All Cuban Rums have an extra small and wide green label on it. Without that one, it's a fake!

[Markus Lewalski]

I tried the Liberacion 15 and Malecon 25 (not 15).

The Liberacion in far away from the other 15 yo Cuban rums. IMHO it lacks the typical Cuban taste. The Malecon (25) has also nothing to do with Cuba taste.

The Varadero 15 is good but not as good as the HC 15.

The best buy is IMHO the Santiago de Cuba extra anejo (15 yo, even though the label says >20 years). It is 85 EUR but at least as good as the HC 15 (available here http://www.spirituosen-superbillig.de ), it is only half the price and the taste is very, very close to the HC 15.

They also carry the normal Santoago de Cuba anejo but here I prefer the HC 7 or HC Anejo Reserva (and do not care about the fact that they claim it is the "real Matusalem", this is bullshit)

Even though the Santiago might be too expensive. I'd prefer one bottle Santiago 15 instead of 3 bottles Liberacion 15. I'ts worth it and you won't be disappointed (if you like the HC 15).

Markus

[ctgm]

All Cuban Rums have an extra small and wide green label on it. Without that one, it's a fake!

←

Yes - most "Cuban" rums are not made in Cuba so as to be able to export to America.

I bought a Cuban to try - Havana Club Anejo Reserva. God it was awful!

[Rene]

Yes - most "Cuban" rums are not made in Cuba so as to be able to export to America.

I bought a Cuban to try - Havana Club Anejo Reserva. God it was awful!

←

Were are you from? USA. I thought all Americans liked Cuban Rum.

The name Cuba is often used as a marketing trick. Cuba sells, its hot. There are not many people (yet) who want to pay a lot of money for Panama Rum. So put the name Cuba on it and you sell more bottles for a better price. Thats a win-win situation for the salesmen. That's marketing these days and the buyer gets to pay for it (although its his own stupidity).

Scheer and I already mentioned it before: there are laws, but who's checking?

I think we should!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[El Ron de Cuba]

I'm going to disagree with both of you on this one :)

ctgm, I'd try the HC Reserva with some water...just a little tiny bit of water. I think it opens up the taste a lot and brings some character out. If I were drinking HC7, I wouldn't do that...I think it's good completely straight.

As for Cuban stuff, yeah, it does sell because of the "taboo" factor, but I can genuinely say that I like the Cuban-style rums a lot more than say, Jamaican or Martiniquan r(h)ums, etc. Most Americans haven't had actual Cuban rum, for the reasons you mention. I've got to say, as a bargain-seeking American, it's tough to pass up a bottle of HC 7 anos in Cuba when the price is $10.60 a bottle!

Yes - most "Cuban" rums are not made in Cuba so as to be able to export to America.

I bought a Cuban to try - Havana Club Anejo Reserva. God it was awful!

←

Were are you from? USA. I thought all Americans liked Cuban Rum.

The name Cuba is often used as a marketing trick. Cuba sells, its hot. There are not many people (yet) who want to pay a lot of money for Panama Rum. So put the name Cuba on it and you sell more bottles for a better price. Thats a win-win situation for the salesmen. That's marketing these days and the buyer gets to pay for it (although its his own stupidity).

←

[Ed Hamilton]

I have to agree about Cuba being used as a marketing ploy, Matusalem uses it to an extreme. I've had liquor salesmen in Massachusetts tell me that Matusalem was Cuban, it says so on the bottle.

I drink Havana Club Anejo in the islands, because I like it and it's a good value.

But I have noted that the various blends have changed over years.

[Rene]

About the quality of Cuban Rum: I agree that we disagree.