Without a doubt Cuba’s most famous exports are its cigars and rum.  I always wanted a Cuban cigar and got my first one when I was in Germany back in 2002.  To be honest, they taste like sh*t but then again I don’t care much for cigars anyways.  This didn’t stop me though from bringing some back as souvenirs though.  We took a tour one day to a tobacco factory and was able to see how they hand-rolled the cigars.  I wanted to get some pictures of the place but they wouldn’t allow it.  It was pretty neat to see a lady take a hand full of leaves, roll them tight and cut the end off in about 10 sec for a perfect hand-rolled traditional Cuban cigar.  On the way out from the tobacco farm was when I was able to score the above box of Cubans for only $15 USD.  He started at $25 but was able to work my way down to an offer I couldn’t refuse.  Just the thought that I could sell that box of Cuban cigars back in the USA for a $1,000+ and that I was only going to pay $15 for it, just made the deal all that sweeter.  When I got harassed at the airport when leaving, I did see a guy they had detained for trying to take out almost 500 cigars…guess he had the same idea as me!

Moving on to the rum, there is vodka for Russians, whiskey for Americans, tequila for Mexicans and Havana Rum for Cubans.  To say Cubans love their rum would be an understatement.  You can order just about any mixed-drink at the bar, just as long as it’s got rum in it.  I did see Jack Daniel’s whiskey there (how they got it there I’m not sure) but you paid a huge pretty penny for it, whereas rum was cheap and plentiful.  The main rum of the country is Havana Rum and I was able to carry out 2 bottles with me when I left.  I took home a bottle of the Especial ($7) and Reserva ($10) as they were the premium of the lot.  Below are the 3 Havana rums that I tried.

• Havana Club Añejo Blanco: Is what you use to make the perfect mojito!  You’ll never be able to make a perfect mojito in the US because it’s banned but Bacardi is a close 2nd.
• Havana Club Añejo Especial: A premium golden rum, combining the lightness of white rums and the robust aroma of dark rums.
• Havana Club Añejo Reserva: A perfect example of the exceptional smoothness of Cuban blended rums, combining a powerful taste with a light aroma.
• Planchao Crema di ve Al Ron:  Cubans love their rum so much that you can even pick some up in a juice box!  I don’t know if it’s targeted to get the kids hooked early in life (this tasted like a chocolate mudslide) or they just needed an easy way to get their fix.  Either way it doesn’t matter because drinking rum through a straw out of a juice box is damn cool!

Next week I’ll be posting on how to make the perfect mojito from a local Cuban.

 

Previous Post Cuban Beers…What Castro Drinks!

Next Post Recipe for the Prefect Cuban Mojito