Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos ★

Rating:	★★★★★☆
Score:	92/100
ABV:	40%
Region:	Cuba
Body:	Medium
Intensity:	Medium
Texture:	Medium-oily
Balance:	Heavenly
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Rich sugarcane, fruit cake, oak, bakery spices, citrus fruit/zest (orange, lemon, lime) and lime leaves on the nose which erode on the palate and are replaced by earthiness and pure cocoa
In a nutshell:	Rich and creamy Cuban rum radiating oak, fruit, pure cocoa and sugarcane
Likes:	Elegant, complex and voluptuous with dense oak moderating big helpings of sugary character
Dislikes:	Light entry but intensity develops on the palate
Price:	$65

The Havana Club Anejo 7 Anos is another vibrant and seriously complex rum from Cuba, the land of cigars and the Cha-Cha-Cha! It is rich and luscious with a creamy texture that releases rich sugarcane with the spark of spice and bouquet of tropical fruits with a distinct citrus theme on the nose that transforms on the palate to become more earthy and aesthetically bitter. 

Nose

The dense aroma of fruit cake rises up with light oak and notes of cinnamon and vanilla  With time the oak begins to develop in intensity, while piercing lime and bitter orange beam through the fog of citrus zest and creamy meringue encased in dark chocolate. The citrus notes are complex, with a bouquet of lemon, lime juice and unripe bitter orange with lime and lemon leaf. The lime is a quite a presence in the glass after 20 minutes. The sweet bursts of juice sharply cut through the tang of zest, the fragrant lime leaves and fresh twigs. The tropical fruits shimmer gently, like the sun reflecting off a sea of oak and sugarcane, as notes of fresh banana and pineapple shine.

Taste 

Luscious and smooth, the vibrant flood of sugarcane merges with the bitter oak as it releases sparks of spice. The sugar is rich and pure like granules of panela as notes of vanilla and cinnamon merge with bitter oak to add a character that then releases freshly cut banana and pure cocoa. The citrus theme identified on the nose takes a backseat to a more earthy, almost nutty, character on the palate and the chocolate on the nose gives way to purer cocoa.

Finish 

The finish on this rum is skewed to the bitter side, as the bitter oak resonates on the palate with notes of pure cocoa powder and fatty brazil nuts which leave a dry yet silky end to a fun journey. The finish is moderate to long.