Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap

Owen Roberts wrote:
> Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
>

Surely you must be joking? You mean to tell me you never heard of the
Embargo?

Anyway, I agree with you that Havana Club is one of the best rums (the
aged one they sell to tourists,) in the world. You may want to try El
Barrilito 3 stars; a superb aged rum from Puerto Rico. It's the closest
you'll get to a good Havana Club.

BTW, Bacardi was originally from Cuba. When the family had their
property confiscated (stolen) by the state, they left Cuba.

Regards,

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

Owen Roberts wrote:

> Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap


There is a big trademark dispute this subject:

http://www.havana-club.com/uk/conflit02.html

"The United States is, by far, the world's largest rum market in terms of
value (approximately $1.5 billion). Americans consume 12 million cases each
year, half of which are sold by Bacardi. The United States accounts for
one-third of the global brand's sales. Legislative protection is allowing
Bacardi to treat this market as its own private backyard. The 1962 embargo
law that bans imports of the only serious competitor in terms of image, the
genuinely Cuban Havana Club, has enabled Bacardi to keep its near-monopoly
on this market.

In 1996, the Helms-Burton Act was passed on the initiative
of federal legislators close to Bacardi's interests. The law further
tightens the embargo by providing for retaliatory measures against
companies, especially foreign ones, that have established trade relations
with Cuba.

Lastly, Section 211, a measure passed in October 1998 to protect Bacardi in
the dispute with Havana Club Holding, forbids
the registration in the United States of trademarks that belonged
to Cubans before they went into exile, even if they brands were voluntarily
relinquished by their former owners or have fallen into
the public domain. In fact, this clause of the law was made-to-order to
serve Bacardi's interests and is retroactively applied to Havana Club. But
soon it could concern a large number of European companies".

</>

http://havanajournal.com/business_co.../A590_0_4_0_C/

The worldwide dispute over rum hit Washington on Tuesday as the US Congress
considered a bill that would bring a longstanding trademark dispute between
Pernod Ricard, the spirits company, and its rival Bacardi to a federal
court.

At stake is control of the Havana Club brand name, a foothold in the
potentially lucrative US market for Cuban rum and worldwide trademark
protocols.

Tuesday's bipartisan measure would repeal an obscure, Bacardi-backed passage
of a 1998 appropriations bill, Section 211, that halted a pending trial to
award the Havana Club trademark and send the dispute back to federal court.

Like so many disputes involving Cuba and the US, the issue is deeply rooted
in Fidel Castro's socialist revolution and his nationalisation drive of
1961.

When the island's rum distilleries were seized, Bacardi, then Cuba's leading
rum producer, moved its headquarters to the Bahamas, while José Arechabala
SA, manufacturer of the struggling Havana Club brand, quit the business and
José Arechabala returned to Spain.

As the Havana Club trademarks lapsed in the few foreign countries in which
they were registered, the Castro government renewed them until November
1993. With the trademark renewed and consolidated in the US and registered
by Cuba in over 60 other countries, Pernod Ricard and the Cuban government
began a joint venture, Havana Club Holdings, to market the brand worldwide.

Bacardi responded by importing its Havana Club brand rum into the US and
paying the Arechabala family $1.25m for their claimed interest in the trade
name that they say was stolen by the Cuban government.

Pernod Ricard sued Bacardi for brand infringement, but before a New York
federal court could give its decision, Bacardi-allies in Congress slipped
Section 211 into a 4,000-page appropriations bill and took the dispute out
of federal jurisdiction.

Since its passage, Section 211 has caused grumbling among free-trade
advocates. While the law restricts foreign companies from using trademarks
allegedly confiscated by the Castro government, a loophole allows American
firms to use such trademarks.

The World Trade Organisation ruled the law discriminatory against non-US
business and has given a deadline of June 30th to correct the legislation. A
repeal, as proposed on Tuesday would also bring the United States into WTO
compliance.

"The WTO deadline drives the train on this," said Bill Reinsch, president of
the National Foreign Trade Council, a Washington-based lobby group for free
trade.

"There are key congressman who want to put us back in compliance, to
strengthen our trade credentials, and repealing Section 211 is the simplest,
cleanest fix. It removes an obstacle in the US free-trade agenda."

"We expect a similar bill to be introduced in the senate soon," said a
senior Democratic congressional aide. "It has good bipartisan support." The
legislation would also head off a potential trademark duel with Cuba itself.
While the United States and Cuba have had rocky trade and political
relations, the two nations are bound to honour each other's trademarks as
signatories to the 1931 Inter-American Convention on Trademarks.

If Cuba determines that its Havana Club trademark has been compromised in
the United States, it could retaliate by ignoring the 5,000 US trademarks
registered in Cuba, such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Calvin Klein, Gillette
and Heinz.

</>

Thanks for the explanation below

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> Owen Roberts wrote:
>
> > Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> > Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
>
> There is a big trademark dispute this subject:
>
> http://www.havana-club.com/uk/conflit02.html
>
> "The United States is, by far, the world's largest rum market in terms of
> value (approximately $1.5 billion). Americans consume 12 million cases
each
> year, half of which are sold by Bacardi. The United States accounts for
> one-third of the global brand's sales. Legislative protection is allowing
> Bacardi to treat this market as its own private backyard. The 1962 embargo
> law that bans imports of the only serious competitor in terms of image,
the
> genuinely Cuban Havana Club, has enabled Bacardi to keep its near-monopoly
> on this market.
>
> In 1996, the Helms-Burton Act was passed on the initiative
> of federal legislators close to Bacardi's interests. The law further
> tightens the embargo by providing for retaliatory measures against
> companies, especially foreign ones, that have established trade relations
> with Cuba.
>
> Lastly, Section 211, a measure passed in October 1998 to protect Bacardi
in
> the dispute with Havana Club Holding, forbids
> the registration in the United States of trademarks that belonged
> to Cubans before they went into exile, even if they brands were
voluntarily
> relinquished by their former owners or have fallen into
> the public domain. In fact, this clause of the law was made-to-order to
> serve Bacardi's interests and is retroactively applied to Havana Club. But
> soon it could concern a large number of European companies".
>
> </>
>
> http://havanajournal.com/business_co.../A590_0_4_0_C/
>
> The worldwide dispute over rum hit Washington on Tuesday as the US
Congress
> considered a bill that would bring a longstanding trademark dispute
between
> Pernod Ricard, the spirits company, and its rival Bacardi to a federal
> court.
>
> At stake is control of the Havana Club brand name, a foothold in the
> potentially lucrative US market for Cuban rum and worldwide trademark
> protocols.
>
> Tuesday's bipartisan measure would repeal an obscure, Bacardi-backed
passage
> of a 1998 appropriations bill, Section 211, that halted a pending trial to
> award the Havana Club trademark and send the dispute back to federal
court.
>
> Like so many disputes involving Cuba and the US, the issue is deeply
rooted
> in Fidel Castro's socialist revolution and his nationalisation drive of
> 1961.
>
> When the island's rum distilleries were seized, Bacardi, then Cuba's
leading
> rum producer, moved its headquarters to the Bahamas, while José Arechabala
> SA, manufacturer of the struggling Havana Club brand, quit the business
and
> José Arechabala returned to Spain.
>
> As the Havana Club trademarks lapsed in the few foreign countries in which
> they were registered, the Castro government renewed them until November
> 1993. With the trademark renewed and consolidated in the US and registered
> by Cuba in over 60 other countries, Pernod Ricard and the Cuban government
> began a joint venture, Havana Club Holdings, to market the brand
worldwide.
>
> Bacardi responded by importing its Havana Club brand rum into the US and
> paying the Arechabala family $1.25m for their claimed interest in the
trade
> name that they say was stolen by the Cuban government.
>
> Pernod Ricard sued Bacardi for brand infringement, but before a New York
> federal court could give its decision, Bacardi-allies in Congress slipped
> Section 211 into a 4,000-page appropriations bill and took the dispute out
> of federal jurisdiction.
>
> Since its passage, Section 211 has caused grumbling among free-trade
> advocates. While the law restricts foreign companies from using trademarks
> allegedly confiscated by the Castro government, a loophole allows American
> firms to use such trademarks.
>
> The World Trade Organisation ruled the law discriminatory against non-US
> business and has given a deadline of June 30th to correct the legislation.
A
> repeal, as proposed on Tuesday would also bring the United States into WTO
> compliance.
>
> "The WTO deadline drives the train on this," said Bill Reinsch, president
of
> the National Foreign Trade Council, a Washington-based lobby group for
free
> trade.
>
> "There are key congressman who want to put us back in compliance, to
> strengthen our trade credentials, and repealing Section 211 is the
simplest,
> cleanest fix. It removes an obstacle in the US free-trade agenda."
>
> "We expect a similar bill to be introduced in the senate soon," said a
> senior Democratic congressional aide. "It has good bipartisan support."
The
> legislation would also head off a potential trademark duel with Cuba
itself.
> While the United States and Cuba have had rocky trade and political
> relations, the two nations are bound to honour each other's trademarks as
> signatories to the 1931 Inter-American Convention on Trademarks.
>
> If Cuba determines that its Havana Club trademark has been compromised in
> the United States, it could retaliate by ignoring the 5,000 US trademarks
> registered in Cuba, such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Calvin Klein, Gillette
> and Heinz.
>
> </>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Thanks for the explanation below

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> Owen Roberts wrote:
>
> > Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> > Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
>
> There is a big trademark dispute this subject:
>
> http://www.havana-club.com/uk/conflit02.html
>
> "The United States is, by far, the world's largest rum market in terms of
> value (approximately $1.5 billion). Americans consume 12 million cases
each
> year, half of which are sold by Bacardi. The United States accounts for
> one-third of the global brand's sales. Legislative protection is allowing
> Bacardi to treat this market as its own private backyard. The 1962 embargo
> law that bans imports of the only serious competitor in terms of image,
the
> genuinely Cuban Havana Club, has enabled Bacardi to keep its near-monopoly
> on this market.
>
> In 1996, the Helms-Burton Act was passed on the initiative
> of federal legislators close to Bacardi's interests. The law further
> tightens the embargo by providing for retaliatory measures against
> companies, especially foreign ones, that have established trade relations
> with Cuba.
>
> Lastly, Section 211, a measure passed in October 1998 to protect Bacardi
in
> the dispute with Havana Club Holding, forbids
> the registration in the United States of trademarks that belonged
> to Cubans before they went into exile, even if they brands were
voluntarily
> relinquished by their former owners or have fallen into
> the public domain. In fact, this clause of the law was made-to-order to
> serve Bacardi's interests and is retroactively applied to Havana Club. But
> soon it could concern a large number of European companies".
>
> </>
>
> http://havanajournal.com/business_co.../A590_0_4_0_C/
>
> The worldwide dispute over rum hit Washington on Tuesday as the US
Congress
> considered a bill that would bring a longstanding trademark dispute
between
> Pernod Ricard, the spirits company, and its rival Bacardi to a federal
> court.
>
> At stake is control of the Havana Club brand name, a foothold in the
> potentially lucrative US market for Cuban rum and worldwide trademark
> protocols.
>
> Tuesday's bipartisan measure would repeal an obscure, Bacardi-backed
passage
> of a 1998 appropriations bill, Section 211, that halted a pending trial to
> award the Havana Club trademark and send the dispute back to federal
court.
>
> Like so many disputes involving Cuba and the US, the issue is deeply
rooted
> in Fidel Castro's socialist revolution and his nationalisation drive of
> 1961.
>
> When the island's rum distilleries were seized, Bacardi, then Cuba's
leading
> rum producer, moved its headquarters to the Bahamas, while José Arechabala
> SA, manufacturer of the struggling Havana Club brand, quit the business
and
> José Arechabala returned to Spain.
>
> As the Havana Club trademarks lapsed in the few foreign countries in which
> they were registered, the Castro government renewed them until November
> 1993. With the trademark renewed and consolidated in the US and registered
> by Cuba in over 60 other countries, Pernod Ricard and the Cuban government
> began a joint venture, Havana Club Holdings, to market the brand
worldwide.
>
> Bacardi responded by importing its Havana Club brand rum into the US and
> paying the Arechabala family $1.25m for their claimed interest in the
trade
> name that they say was stolen by the Cuban government.
>
> Pernod Ricard sued Bacardi for brand infringement, but before a New York
> federal court could give its decision, Bacardi-allies in Congress slipped
> Section 211 into a 4,000-page appropriations bill and took the dispute out
> of federal jurisdiction.
>
> Since its passage, Section 211 has caused grumbling among free-trade
> advocates. While the law restricts foreign companies from using trademarks
> allegedly confiscated by the Castro government, a loophole allows American
> firms to use such trademarks.
>
> The World Trade Organisation ruled the law discriminatory against non-US
> business and has given a deadline of June 30th to correct the legislation.
A
> repeal, as proposed on Tuesday would also bring the United States into WTO
> compliance.
>
> "The WTO deadline drives the train on this," said Bill Reinsch, president
of
> the National Foreign Trade Council, a Washington-based lobby group for
free
> trade.
>
> "There are key congressman who want to put us back in compliance, to
> strengthen our trade credentials, and repealing Section 211 is the
simplest,
> cleanest fix. It removes an obstacle in the US free-trade agenda."
>
> "We expect a similar bill to be introduced in the senate soon," said a
> senior Democratic congressional aide. "It has good bipartisan support."
The
> legislation would also head off a potential trademark duel with Cuba
itself.
> While the United States and Cuba have had rocky trade and political
> relations, the two nations are bound to honour each other's trademarks as
> signatories to the 1931 Inter-American Convention on Trademarks.
>
> If Cuba determines that its Havana Club trademark has been compromised in
> the United States, it could retaliate by ignoring the 5,000 US trademarks
> registered in Cuba, such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Calvin Klein, Gillette
> and Heinz.
>
> </>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>

Nothing keeps you from trying some of the excellent Central American products.

But, on the whole, hair-splitting among rums--which don't have a whole lot to
distinguish themselves by--is not very rewarding, unless you really have little
else to do. Presumably, you call Bacardi "crap" and Havana Club "best rum"
because you have some nongermane point to make.

"WardNA" > wrote in message
...
> >Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> >Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
> >
>
> Nothing keeps you from trying some of the excellent Central American
products.
>
> But, on the whole, hair-splitting among rums--which don't have a whole lot
to
> distinguish themselves by--is not very rewarding, unless you really have
little
> else to do. Presumably, you call Bacardi "crap" and Havana Club "best
rum"
> because you have some nongermane point to make.

You presume wrongly
>

In article >,
(WardNA) wrote:
>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
>Nothing keeps you from trying some of the excellent Central American products.

Or Jamaican. If you like rum, try some of the Appleton's line.
Barbancourt (from Haiti) is also quite good.

--
Mark Shaw contact info at homepage --> http://www.panix.com/~mshaw
================================================== ======================
"I'm very glad we've got... Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney,
Condoleezza Rice... our president George W. Bush. We need them there."
- Gen. Wesley Clark

Owen Roberts wrote:
>
> Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap

Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
friends have done.
Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami

Arri London wrote:
> Owen Roberts wrote:
>
>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
>
> Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
> friends have done.
> Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
>

For sure you can get it in Miami, and in many other cities as well. I
personally know where I can get some (at 60 bucks a bottle,) as well as
true blue Cohiba Lanceros (at 20 bucks a cigar.)

However, since friends and family travel back and forth, I usually have
someone get some for me.

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

IMO Appleton makes several of the best rums in the world, Myers probably #2.
Barbancourt rhums are sweet, but good also. I've never had Havana Club.
Dick

Mark Shaw wrote in message ...
>In article >,
(WardNA) wrote:
>>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>>
>>Nothing keeps you from trying some of the excellent Central American
products.
>
>Or Jamaican. If you like rum, try some of the Appleton's line.
>Barbancourt (from Haiti) is also quite good.
>
>--
>Mark Shaw contact info at homepage --> http://www.panix.com/~mshaw
>================================================= =======================
>"I'm very glad we've got... Colin Powell, Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney,
>Condoleezza Rice... our president George W. Bush. We need them there."
> - Gen. Wesley Clark

Arri London wrote:
>Owen Roberts wrote:
>
>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
>>Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there?

Why bother... anyone can claim something tastes "best", to them.

Rum is the only spirits I routinely keep in my home larder and about the only
liquor I drink... Havana Club tastes awful, doesn't even taste like rum, it's
the retsina of rums... to me the best rums are produced in Belize.

http://www.rum.cz/galery/cam/bz/travellers/index.htm


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

PENMART01 wrote:
> Arri London wrote:
>
>>Owen Roberts wrote:
>>
>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>>
>>
>>>Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there?
>>
>
> Why bother... anyone can claim something tastes "best", to them.
>
> Rum is the only spirits I routinely keep in my home larder and about the only
> liquor I drink... Havana Club tastes awful, doesn't even taste like rum, it's
> the retsina of rums... to me the best rums are produced in Belize.
>
> http://www.rum.cz/galery/cam/bz/travellers/index.htm
>
>
> ---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
> ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
> Sheldon
> ````````````
> "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
>

You probably got the crap the locals drink, or got ripped off. I've
tasted many rums, and I can say that Havana Club's aged ones are superb.
After that: El Barrilito 3 stars from PR is good.

I haven't tasted the Belize ones, and I'm intrigued.

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
> Owen Roberts wrote:
> >
> > Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> > Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>
> Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
> friends have done.
> Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
>
Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?

Owen Roberts wrote:
> "Arri London" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Owen Roberts wrote:
>>
>>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
>>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>>
>>Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
>>friends have done.
>>Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
>>
>
> Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
> If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?
>
>

I guess he is NOT familiar with the US Trade Embargo against Cuba!

-Frank

Owen Roberts wrote:
>
> "Arri London" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Owen Roberts wrote:
> > >
> > > Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> > > Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
> >
> > Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
> > friends have done.
> > Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
> >
> Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
> If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?

You can't possibly not have known about the embargo! That answer should
have been obvious.
If the rum is so important to you, the suggestion was made as how to
obtain some.

However, it is available in the US if one knows where to look and is
willing to pay. After all why drink 'crap'?

Frank wrote:
>
> Owen Roberts wrote:
> > "Arri London" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>Owen Roberts wrote:
> >>
> >>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e. Havana
> >>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
> >>
> >>Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
> >>friends have done.
> >>Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
> >>
> >
> > Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
> > If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?
> >
> >
>
> I guess he is NOT familiar with the US Trade Embargo against Cuba!
>
> -Frank

Apparently. It certainly is taught in UK schools and has been since the
Embargo was put into place.

"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
> Owen Roberts wrote:
> >
> > "Arri London" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Owen Roberts wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e.
Havana
> > > > Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
> > >
> > > Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
> > > friends have done.
> > > Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
> > >
> > Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
> > If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?
>
> You can't possibly not have known about the embargo! That answer should
> have been obvious.
> If the rum is so important to you, the suggestion was made as how to
> obtain some.
>
> However, it is available in the US if one knows where to look and is
> willing to pay. After all why drink 'crap'?
>
There a lot of rums that exceed (by a long shot) Havana.
There are very few that are worse than Bacardi.
To quote an old wine merchant friend, "I wouldn't wash my dog with it."

Ken.

Ken Dave wrote:
> "Arri London" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>Owen Roberts wrote:
>>
>>>"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
>>>
>>>>Owen Roberts wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e.
>>>>
> Havana
>
>>>>>Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
>>>>
>>>>Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
>>>>friends have done.
>>>>Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
>>>>
>>>
>>>Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
>>>If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?
>>
>>You can't possibly not have known about the embargo! That answer should
>>have been obvious.
>>If the rum is so important to you, the suggestion was made as how to
>>obtain some.
>>
>>However, it is available in the US if one knows where to look and is
>>willing to pay. After all why drink 'crap'?
>>
>
> There a lot of rums that exceed (by a long shot) Havana.
> There are very few that are worse than Bacardi.
> To quote an old wine merchant friend, "I wouldn't wash my dog with it."
>
> Ken.
>
>

Before KKKastro took control of the island, and turned it into the shit
hole it is today, Cuban rums were prized for their aged and superb
nuances. The rums are still around today, albeit not at par with the
ole' days standard.

I continue to enjoy them, as well as Puerto Rico's El Barrilito 3 star.
Excellent for sipping neat.

The rest of the other countries produce rums which are the product of
speedy production, rather than aged goodness.

I did taste one in Bermuda which was close to El Barrilito 3 star.

Dominican Republic has a premium aged rum sold in a porcelain bottle
marked Gran Añejo 50 años. It's more hype, but not that bad.

You want real info on rums (and not the crap you get here,) get Edward
Hamilton's The Complete Guide to RUM. They don't cover the Cuban rums
well, but they mention the aged ones as one of the best in the world.

It's not really a matter of origin, but of technique. Sugar cane is the
same all over, except the micro climates of the various islands, create
the various nuances in premium rums.

For reasons still unknown, the tobacco of Vuelta Abajo, Cuba, continues
to baffles agriculturists and scientists, as to why it has unique aroma
and flavor unlike any other leaf--even when compared to other parts of
Cuba. Cohiba Lanceros are made exclusively from the Vuelta Abajo region;
making them the most superb cigar in the world, and steam rolling the
rest of the cigar world.

Matter of fact, they have taken soil from that region to DR and PR, to
try to emulate the leaf quality, and the final product doesn't even
match up to the real McCoy by a long shot.

Same thing with the rum.

HTH,

Richard

--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
> Owen Roberts wrote:
> >
> > "Arri London" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > Owen Roberts wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Why is it that when I visit the USA I can't buy the best rum i.e.
Havana
> > > > Club, and have to put up with Bacardi crap
> > >
> > > Why don't you go to Cuba and buy some there? That's what some of my
> > > friends have done.
> > > Although I'd bet that you probably could get some in Miami
> > >
> > Please note the "When I visit the USA" in the original question.
> > If is were to go to Cuba; I wouldn't be in the USA would I?
>
> You can't possibly not have known about the embargo! That answer should
> have been obvious.
> If the rum is so important to you, the suggestion was made as how to
> obtain some.
>
> However, it is available in the US if one knows where to look and is
> willing to pay. After all why drink 'crap'?

I agree, it is worthy of note that 1) I asked a simple question
2) The first reply (or at
least an early one) gave a very good summary of the situation
3) My only subsequent
response was to the above which, to me at least seemed to not address the
original question

Ken Davey > wrote:


> To quote an old wine merchant friend, "I wouldn't wash my dog with it."

Well, who wants a highly flammable dog?









































No BBQ jokes down here. Move along now.