🥃 Cuban rum (Cuba)
Rum from Cuban cane molasses aged in white oak casks; the application for the EU GI “Cuba” was published in 2023.
Cuban rum is rum for which Cuba filed an application with the EU on 8 April 2021 for the geographical indication “Cuba”. It is made from molasses of cane grown and processed in Cuba, distilled below 96% ABV and aged in white oak casks, and the finished rum is 37.5–41% ABV. All stages must take place in Cuba.
The single document of the application, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 22 February 2023, describes the technology in detail. Molasses fermentation is short, 24–26 hours, and the yeast must produce isoamyl alcohol at no more than 2.5 times the sum of isobutyl and n-propyl alcohol. Distillation is continuous, in columns with the required contact of vapour with copper; for rum, fractions of 74–76% ABV are taken.
Ageing has at least two stages. First the fresh distillate is aged, then the “base rum”: a mixture of aged spirits with distillate for rum, filtered through activated charcoal, and purified water. For extra-aged rum, part of the base is aged a third time. The silicon stone and sand for the charcoal filters are quarried in Cuba.
The application names seven types: aged white rum, rum with a white label, with a gold label, “Reserva”, aged, extra dry and extra aged. According to the document's historical note, light clear rum was already made in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, and in 1876 Cuban rum was first shown at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. In the eAmbrosia register the name currently has the status “published”, not “registered”.
Why this matters to you. Even white Cuban rum is, under the specification, aged in white oak casks, and the colour of the finished rum is limited. Until the name “Cuba” is registered, in the EU it is only an application. WHO: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Legal basis | EU application PGI-CU-2768 of 08.04.2021; single document: OJ C 65, 22.02.2023 |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 37.5–41% ABV at 20 °C |
| Raw material | molasses of sugar cane grown and processed in Cuba |
| Distillation method | continuous, in columns with copper contact; fractions 74–76% ABV, distillate < 96% |
| Cask type | white oak casks |
| Minimum maturation | at least 2 ageing stages (the specification sets no period in years) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Cuban rum (Cuba) → kind of → 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation, 🍷 Yeast, 🍷 Blend
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- 🥃 Sugar cane and molasses
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🌴 Rum and sugarcane spirits, 🥃 Rum
- Related to
- 🌍 Latin America
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Jamaica Rum, 🥃 Demerara Rum, 🥃 Demerara Rum
- In other topics
- 🍷 Filtration of wine
Frequently asked questions
Is the name of Cuban rum protected in the EU?
The application for the geographical indication “Cuba” was filed on 8 April 2021, and the single document was published in OJ C 65 of 22.02.2023. According to the eAmbrosia register, the status is “published”; there is no registration yet.
Is it true that white Cuban rum is not aged?
No. Under the specification, all types, including aged white rum, go through at least two stages of ageing in white oak casks.
What is the strength of Cuban rum?
37.5 to 41% ABV at 20 °C. Distillates are distilled below 96% ABV, and the fractions for rum are taken at 74–76% ABV.
Why is Cuban rum filtered through charcoal?
For the “base rum”, the aged spirits and the distillate are filtered through activated charcoal; the specification links this to the typical taste and aroma. The filter materials, silicon stone and sand, are quarried in Cuba.
Which types of Cuban rum does the application name?
Seven: aged white rum, rum with a white label, with a gold label, “Reserva”, aged, extra dry and extra aged. For extra aged, part of the base rum is aged a third time.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Alcoholic fermentation — Yeast eats the sugar in the must and releases alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🍷 Blend — Mixing wines or grape juices of different origins, varieties, vintages or categories; on an EU label the named varieties have to make up 100 %.
- 🌍 Latin America — A region from Mexico to the south of South America: about 9% of the world's milk, dulce de leche and fresh cheeses, Argentine and Chilean wines, olives.
Similar
🥃 Demerara Rum · 🥃 Jamaica Rum · 🥃 Cachaça · 🥃 Norwegian aquavit (Norsk Akevitt) · 🥃 Whisky d’Alsace (Alsace whisky) · 🥃 Breton whisky (Whisky de Bretagne)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Official Journal of the EU C 65, 22.02.2023, p. 5: Single document «Cuba» (PGI-CU-2768), application of 08.04.2021
- eAmbrosia — EU geographical indications register: Cuba, EUGI00000018012 (status: published)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I, category 1 (Rum); Arts. 10, 11, 21 (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)