Chapter 7 Cuban Rum 1978

Chapter 7 bottles this rare Cuban as a 45-year single cask from the 1978 vintage, presented at cask strength. Cuba is the home of the light ron ligero, and decades in oak have turned a clean column spirit into something deep and contemplative without losing its elegance, an old rum to sip slowly rather than mix.

The make is pot-still molasses rum drawn from a single ex-bourbon cask and bottled at 49.7%. The long ageing shows in silky wood, caramel, raisin and toasted aromas, a palate of toasted oak, wood, raisin and fudge, and a finish of wood, bourbon, leather and gentle spice. Despite its age the alcohol sits quietly and the sweetness stays gentle, so the oak leads without turning harsh or bitter. An old, oak-forward Cuban where caramel and dried fruit carry the day and the strength supports rather than shouts, this is a measured after-dinner pour for lovers of well-aged rum.