The LCBO finally has these in stock. HC aged in Islay Scotch barrels. Sounds interesting. I loved the Pactio Navio rum which was finished in Sauternes barrels. That added a honey and woody sweetness to the rum. I’m curious as to how a Scotch barrel affects the rum.
Let us know your thoughts after you crack the bottle
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Thoughts on HC Cuban Smoky 
Visual
Amber , opaque, no legs.
Nose
Oak barrel. Vanilla. Cinnamon (similar to Fireball) , Rum. Sniffing definitely opens the sinuses. I swirl the glass to open it up.
Taste
Fire up front. Vanilla oak on the finish. Some smoke along the way for sure. I take small sips, let it sit on the tongue for a second then swallow.
It definitely drinks like a Whiskey more than a rum. The burn going down isn’t as pronounced and maybe the sugar in the rum tones it down but I definitely get the impression that the barrel imprinted itself on the rum more than batteries barrel did on Pacto Navio. Notice legs on the glass now
The flavour of rum is still present, just not sweet on the palate. I hold my next sip for a bit longer. The oak comes through a bit more.
The label says aged in Islay barrels which I assume means barrels that once held Scotch. Not raw barrels.
Overall I’d say this is a good balance between the two spirits. I think I’d prefer a bit more sweetness of the rum to come through. If you served this blind I’m not sure people would think it was rum based.
Added some ice. Will give it a few minutes. Outside of obviously watering it down the ice brings out more oak and vanilla and lowers the burn I think I’d prefer it cold especially with a cigar. I enjoy Smokey Scotch so this is right up my alley but I’m left thinking it’s less of a rum but it’s not quite a whiskey. Ay 40%ABV it still packs a kick though.
Conclusion.
No regrets on the purchase. I have a lot of rum in my house. Most of it Cuban. I killed my Pacto Navio bottle pretty quick. I don’t think I’ll do the same with this one as it is not as smooth. My favourite rum is Zacapa XO which is very close to Cognac taste wise. Rum that is too sweet does nothing for me.
This strikes a nice balance between rum and whiskey but is not as refined as what a Sauternes cask did for Pacto Navio. If anyone grabs a bottle give a friend a blind taste. I’d be curious to see the results.
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I was a bit disapointed with this rum. I was expecting the “smokey” to be more pronounced. In fact, I was not able to distinguish it at all. I think the “smokey” is more in the colour than the taste with this rum. I have no regrets in buying it. I love trying new stuff out!
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