Santiago de Añejo Superior 11 Años

Santiago de Cuba bottles this 11 Años in the island's own house style, a column still molasses rum matured in ex-bourbon wood and presented at 40%. It sits on the drier side of the Spanish style spectrum, where Cuban ron tends to favour spirit and oak over heavy sweetening.

The nose is smoky and spicy with a fruit edge, leading to coffee, dark chocolate, light fruit and vanilla on the palate and a dry, woody finish with a cocoa thread. The relatively long, spice-driven close gives it more presence than its modest proof suggests. It works as a carefree evening sipper and makes an excellent rum and cola, a dry, characterful Cuban that rewards drinkers looking for cocoa and coffee depth without added sugar or high strength.