Bacardi rum distillery: Casa BACARDÍ Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Attractions | Rum Factory
Casa BACARDÍ Puerto Rico Tickets | Buy Tickets
Start date:
End date:
FOUNDER’S EXPERIENCE
$200 + tax
Explore legendary Don Facundo’s founders’ mentality with an in-depth, intimate and behind the scenes journey into the unique tropical aging processes of the worlds most celebrated rum. This exclusive multisensory experience is a private engagement guided by our brand aficionados; so please come join us and unlock the island spirit. Tour includes:
• Welcome cocktail at the Pavilion
• VIP Ride
• Tropical Aging Warehouse Visit
• Curated Rum Tasting with Local Pairings
• Gift Shop visit
This tour is offered in English and only available for adults 18 or older. For social responsibility and company policies minors are not allowed on-site. For additional details, please contact us to [email protected].
PRICE: $200.00 + tax p/p | Duration: 120 minutes|
We strongly recommend our visitors to book only one tour per day.
Be aware that for this experience visitors must wear closed shoes and long pants.
BUY TICKETS
MIXOLOGY CLASS INCLUDES
$75 + tax
In this fun and interactive class, you will learn how to create the perfect Mojito and Shaken Piña Colada while learning about the history of these cocktails as well as some cool bar tricks and skills!
• Welcome cocktail at the Pavilion
• Trolley ride
• Learn about the history of our rum while visiting the Bacardi Family Museum
• Mixology class ingredients
• Gift Shop visit
This tour is offered in English and only available for adults 18 or older. For additional details, please contact us at [email protected].
PRICE: $75.00 + tax | Duration: 75 minutes
BUY TICKETS
RUM TASTING TOUR INCLUDES
$75 + tax
Learn how to taste rum the right way and become a rum maestro! In this guided tour, you will have the opportunity to taste BACARDÍ’s premium rums, accompanied with a chocolate pairing.
You will also learn about the World’s Most Awarded Rum history.
• Welcome cocktail at the Pavilion
• Trolley ride
• Learn about the history of our rum while visiting the Bacardi Family Museum
• Rum Tasting
• Gift Shop visit
• Chocolate Pairing
This tour is offered in English and only available for adults 18 or older. For additional details, please contact us at [email protected].
PRICE: $75.00 + tax | Duration: 75 minutes
BUY TICKETS
Legacy Tour INCLUDES
$30 + tax
Travel through time at the Casa BACARDÍ Legacy Tour! Discover the Bacardi family heritage and become part of our legacy by getting to know the World’s most awarded premium rum. Enjoy craft cocktails at our iconic Pavilion and live the unforgettable experience of tasting the exclusive Casa BACARDÍ Special Reserve, not found anywhere else in the World.
• One welcome cocktail at the Pavilion
• Trolley ride
• Movie at the Bacardi Visitor Center
• Taste of the Casa BACARDÍ Special Reserve at the Havana bar
• Gift Shop visit
This tour is offered in English and only available for adults 18 or older.
For additional details, please contact us at [email protected].
PRICE: $30.00 + tax | Duration: 45 minutes
BUY TICKETS
Casa Bacardi ‘The Cathedral of Rum’
Bacardi operates distilleries in Puerto Rico, Mexico and India. Until 2000, it also operated distilleries in Malaga, Spain and in the Bahamas. It also bought contract-distilled bulk distillate from suppliers such as Angostura in Trinidad. However, in recent years Bacardi has consolidated its distillation to allow its Master Distillers (Maestros de Ron) to better control the whole process and overall quality. Today Bacardi produces all of its own distillates in its three remaining distilleries with 85 per cent of the global distillation of Bacardi rum taking place at the company’s main distillery overlooking San Juan Bay in Puerto Rico. Known as the ‘Cathedral of Rum’, this is the largest rum distillery in the world, producing over 100,000 litres of rum every 24 hours.
Although Bacardi employs the most modern computerised fermentation and distillation technology, the rums Bacardi makes today at its three distilleries are still broadly made according to the recipes and methods established by Don Facundo in the 1860s.
Most crucially, the same proprietary strain of yeast, La Levadura Bacardi, is used and the fusil-to-ester ratio of the rums has remained constant since the 1860s.
Fermentation
Although Bacardi’s Mexican and Indian distilleries enjoy a plentiful supply of locally produced sugar cane molasses, the Puerto Rican sugar industry suffered the same demise as most other Caribbean islands in the 1980s as the cultivation and processing of sugar cane gave way to tourism and high-tech industries such as pharmaceuticals. Consequently, Bacardi buys molasses in countries such as the Dominican Republic and ships it to Puerto Rico where the tanker ships unload their sticky cargo at Bacardi’s private pier. In fact, Cuba is just about the only sugar-producing country Bacardi doesn’t buy molasses from.
Bacardi’s molasses buyers visit sugar refineries to ensure a plentiful supply of high quality molasses with a minimum sugar content of 6 to 12 per cent. The variety of molasses held allows Bacardi to blend different batches of molasses to ensure consistency.
Famously, Bacardi still uses the same La Levadura Bacardi yeast strain isolated by Don Facundo over 150 years ago. This fast-fermenting yeast produces a mash with few impurities and a high alcohol content. The fermentation process is the most important element of rum-making as all distillation essentially does is concentrate a selected part of what fermentation produces.
Bacardi uses a five-step propagation to increase yeast cell density sufficiently prior to the main fermentation. At Bacardi’s ‘Cathedral of Rum’ distillery there are twenty 50,000 gallon fermentation tanks in which a carefully controlled fermentation process at below 38°C/100°F lasts a short 20-30 hours and produces a mash of 10 to 12 per cent alc./vol..
Distillation
Don Facundo was the first person to distill two different distillates, Aguardiente and Redestilado, that were aged separately and then blended together to produce a balanced rum. In doing so, he created what has become known in rum-making as the ‘Parallel Process’.
Bacardi continues to distill two different rum bases from two different mashes. ‘Aguardiente’ is a fruity, heavy-bodied rum with a high level of congeners and strong flavours made in a single continuous distillation in a copper and cast iron column still to 70-80% alc./vol..
‘Redestilado’ is a drier, lighter-bodied rum with fewer congeners and a subtler flavour. This is distilled through five separate continuous stainless steel columns to 92.5%-94.5% alc./vol.. These contrasting light and heavy rums are aged and blended to make Bacardi Superior rum.
Maturation
The distillates produced at Cathedral of Rum in Puerto Rico are shipped in stainless steel tanks to Jacksonville, Florida for aging, blending and bottling.
Bacardi Superior rum is blended only from rums aged for a minimum of one year and as long as two years, depending on the characteristics of the individual barrel. The Aguardiente and Redestilado rums are aged separately in lightly charred American white-oak ex-whiskey barrels (mostly ex-Jack Daniels barrels).
Prior to use, each barrel is thoroughly cleaned with boiling water to open the wood’s pores and to wash away any unwanted whiskey flavours held in the wood. After washing, the inside of each barrel is scraped and recharged.
Bacardi uses barrels between six and seven times, meaning they typically last 16 years. During the aging process Bacardi loses between 7 and 10 per cent per year due to alcohol evaporation (the angel’s share).
Charcoal Filtration
Don Facundo’s quest to produce more elegant rums led him to experiment with filtration techniques. He found that natural charcoal was perfect for filtering harsh and undesirable components from his rum, making it smoother and more harmonious. The recipe for the charcoal, like the recipe for the rum itself, remains a carefully guarded secret but is known to be a mix of more than 13 types of tropical wood and coconut shell.
One of the specific charcoals, chosen for the flavour compounds that it removes from the rum, also has the side effect of removing the rum’s colour.
It is now common to find aged rums made clear by charcoal filtration but Bacardi Carta Blanca rum is the original aged and charcoal-filtered clear rum. Charcoal filtration is used at three key points in Bacardi Carta Blanca’s production process: before and after aging the Aguardiente, and after aging the Redestilado (but not before).
Different recipes and sizes of charcoal particles are used, depending on which Bacardi rum is being produced. Fine grains are used for Carta Blanca and larger grains for more aged variants. Hence, while charcoal filtration strips the colour imparted by age in Carta Blanca, expressions such as Bacardi Ocho (8 year old) retain most of the colour drawn from the wood.
the story of the producer of the most famous Cuban rum – Oftop on vc.ru
The legend of the foundation, the conflict with Cuba and the company’s famous cocktails.
13,198
views
The Bacardi brand was founded by a Spanish immigrant in Cuba. Liberty Island first gave the Bacardi family the opportunity to build a business and achieve impressive results, and then took the business away and forced them to flee to the United States.
The history of the migrant brand, recognized everywhere except its native country, was studied by the vc.ru browser.
The Bacardi family moved to Cuba from Spain in the 19th century. Four brothers, the sons of a bricklayer – Main, Juan, José and Facundo – worked hard and saved on everything to open a convenience store in the city of Santiago. By 1843, one of the brothers – Facundo – together with his wife and partner had saved up for his own business – a liquor store. The company was called “Facundo Bacardi and Company”. Things were going so well that he even managed to open a second store in a nearby town.
Everything changed in 1852: an earthquake destroyed half of Santiago, and the ensuing cholera claimed the lives of every tenth inhabitant of the city (two of Facundo’s five children died in an epidemic). Then the businessman moved his family back to Spain, and he returned to restore the business.
However, the ruined store in the half-living city did not give a single chance for revival, and Bacardi was forced to close his business.
Finally, his brother Jose helped him not to give up, in whose store Facundo continued to work.
At the same time, a significant event took place for Cuba – the country became the main sugar producer in the Caribbean, having taken this title from Haiti, in which uprisings and a turbulent situation did not allow it to maintain world leadership.
Together with Cuba, Jamaica began to supply sugar, where a tradition of rum production has long been established under the influence of the French.
Among the Spanish-speaking countries, only Argentina stood out in the production of the drink, but its rum was of such poor quality that it was more often used for medicinal purposes than for drinking.
The main reason why rum was not traded in the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean was Madrid’s ban on the production or export of distilled beverages. To protect the Spanish wine and cognac industry, Emperor Charles II banned the production of rum in the Spanish colonies. Despite the fact that the decree was canceled at the end of the 18th century, restrictions on the export of rum remained in the 19th century.
In addition, at that time, rum was considered the drink of the working class and pirates, it was coarse and poorly processed, because of its sharp and burning taste. So Facundo Bacardi had the idea to make a “civilized” rum for high society.
However, without distillery equipment, which at that time was a rarity in Cuba, this would not have been possible – the businessman needed a partner.
Foundation and development of the brand
Frenchman José Leon Boutellier produced cognac and sweets in Santiago. Having concluded an agreement with him, Bacardi was able to use his equipment and premises. It took Facundo ten years to create his signature rum.
The founder of the company, together with his partner, developed a unique technology for the production, purification and aging of rum from molasses, which significantly improved the quality, but was relatively cheap. Bacardi technology made it possible to establish industrial production, rum began to successfully compete with whiskey and cognac in the international market, not only in price, but also in quality.
Based on a strain of yeast close to cognac, Don Facundo developed a method of continuous fermentation (still in use today) that simultaneously increased the yield of distillate from molasses and improved its quality.
Bacardi used activated charcoal derived from tropical tree wood and coconut shells to cleanse and soften the taste. And thanks to the method of aging rum in white oak barrels, the company’s products began to compete in the elite segment of aged drinks.
As a result, Bacardi managed to cover two main markets at once – high-quality, but inexpensive white rum for workers, sailors and peasants, and aged in barrels – for the elite.
— Yury Bilyavets, rum expert of AlcoFan website
His rum was softer, cleaner, it was not only different from other varieties of rum, but in general to other alcoholic drinks. Bacardi became the first producer of light rum in the world.
Facundo began to distribute the novelty through his brother’s shop.
Good customer reviews and high sales led to the fact that in 1862 the company “Bacardi, Boutellier and Company” appeared, which acquired a small distillery.
In 1877, many years after Boutelier retired, Facundo also retired. He handed over the business to his eldest son, Emilio Bacardi. At that time, the struggle for independence from Spain began in Cuba. Emilio expressed his support for the protesters, for which he went to jail for four years.
The revolution put the company in a difficult position. In fact, the business was built on the use of slave labor on sugar cane plantations. However, Emilio Bacardi advocated the abolition of slavery, as it was one of the main demands of the freedom fighters. On the other hand, the protesters looted the plantations, endangering the business and life of the Bacardi family.
After his release from prison, Emilio Bacardi became the first mayor of Santiago to be directly elected by the city’s residents. However, a political career did not prevent him from continuing to successfully manage the family business.
Emilio brought Bacardi rum outside the country – to Spain and the USA.
America played a huge role in the popularization of rum and the development of the Bacardi brand. In 1919, the “dry” law was introduced in the United States – the sale and production of alcohol were prohibited. Bacardi seized the moment and invited Americans to have a fun weekend in Cuba.
Thousands of Americans rushed to Havana, the flight cost about $24. People preferred to drink and party in Cuba without fear of being arrested.
In 1927, on the wave of popularity, Bacardi launched the Bacardi-Trophy regatta, for which tourists stayed longer in Cuba – and sales grew. The annual event is still held today. During this time, it was canceled only three times, two of which were during World War II and the Cuban Revolution.
In 1931, the company built a plant in Mexico, at 1936 – in Puerto Rico, where rum was produced and from where it was imported duty-free to the United States. In 1957, a plant in Mexico produced 28 thousand liters of rum per day, in Puerto Rico – 75 thousand liters.
Loss of business and “second start” brand
The Bacardi brand was rapidly gaining momentum, but in the late 50s of the 20th century, everything changed. The family split for political reasons. Some supported the pro-American regime of Fulgenzio Batista, others supported the revolutionary mood of Fidel Castro. To keep the family business alive, management decided to move Bacardi’s Nassau registration to the Bahamas. This move subsequently saved the brand from ruin.
The revolutionary government of Cuba that came to power was opposed to big merchants. It issued a law that put an end to private property. The Bacardi family was forced to emigrate to the United States, the company’s assets were confiscated. According to some estimates, the brand lost $76 million in one day.
The Bacardi family was saved from the final loss of business by a mistake by the Cuban Marines. They were issued a document for confiscation, which indicated the wrong office address.
It took them a day to get to the correct headquarters, during which time the brand’s management destroyed all the blanks at the plant and hid the secret formulas for making the drink. On that day, the Bacardi lost everything they had been building for almost a hundred years, the only thing they managed to save was the family recipe for making rum.
The new government launched the production of Bacardi rum at the confiscated factories, but without the secret formula, the drink tasted completely different. The fake did not interest the market. Then the family began to fight for their name and filed a lawsuit. As a result, the counterfeit rum was seized and the trademark and company rights were returned to the Bacardi family. The Cuban rum Bacardi, which has become a legend, is still not officially sold in Cuba.
To restore the ruined business, the company had to list 10% of its shares on the stock exchange. Disagreements continued within the Bacardi family, which led to several members of the clan selling a 12% stake in the total to Canadian whiskey maker Hiram Walker.
Despite this, the new life of the brand outside of Cuba was quite successful. In the 70s of the 20th century, Bacardi rum in the premium segment came out on top in the ranking of alcohol sales in the United States. In 1979, the brand outstripped competitors on a global scale, selling 16 million nine-liter barrels. In 2005, the market share of Bacardi rum in the US was almost 40%.
In the early 1980s, the company acquired the Martini&Rossi brand and became one of the largest alcoholic beverage corporations in the world. At the end of 9In the 0s, new trademarks appeared in the arsenal of the alliance – Dewars whiskey, Bombay gin, DiSaronno amaretto.
Until now, the brand is fighting for another previously acquired brand – Havana Club. The Cuban government considers that this brand belongs to the state. The rights of the company were defended by a former lawyer, head of the brand since 1996, George Reid – the first who took this position not from the Bacardi family.
The debate continues today.
Bacardi symbols
To celebrate the registration of the Bacardi brand, a family friend gave the company a coconut tree. Facundo Bacardi’s 14-year-old son planted her right in front of the factory. With the growth of production and the brand, the tree also grew, and it became a kind of symbol of prosperity and the company’s connection with Cuba and the Caribbean. There is a legend that the Bacardi company will exist exactly as long as the tree grows.
By the beginning of the 20th century, production had grown so much that it was decided to demolish the old building and build a new distillery in its place. The palm tree was not touched, all the buildings were located around the tree. It survived hurricanes, fires, wars.
At the end of the 50s of the 20th century, the palm tree began to dry up, it was then that Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba. While Bacardi’s business was confiscated and the family left for the US, the tree finally withered and died.
However, the family has kept the tradition alive, and now wherever the brand’s factory or office appears, a coconut tree is planted or displayed.
Bacardi’s bat logo is attributed to Facundo Bacardi’s wife. One day, she arrived at a factory bought by her husband and noticed bats on the roof eaves. Since most of the Cuban population at that time was illiterate, the drink needed a memorable logo by which customers could identify their favorite brand. The wife suggested a bat.
In addition, in the folklore of Spain (where Bacardi is from) and Cuba, the bat represents good health, wealth, loyalty – everything that any brand would like to be associated with. Bats also play an important role in the sugarcane industry – they pollinate the crop and prey on insects that damage it.
As the owners predicted, during the company’s formative years, few people read and understood what was written on the label, which is why the drink was called Bat Rum. When Facundo Bacardi began bottling his rum, each bottle was adorned with the owner’s personal signature as proof of the drink’s authenticity.
The company has used the logo in marketing campaigns for many years. For example, during Prohibition in the US, to encourage Americans to fly to Cuba, the brand ran an ad featuring Uncle Sam, cocktail glass in hand, on his way from Florida to Cuba. The American symbol hung on the back leg of the bat. The inscription read: “Flight from the desert.”
The bat logo has undergone some changes over the years. The first version was a realistic looking black bat on a red circular background. The phrase “marca de fábrica” (trademark) was later added. Further, the realistic features became more stylized, with gold accents and a gold border added. Already in the 21st century, the bat began to look to the right, which symbolizes a look into the future.
Famous Bacardi cocktails
More than 6 million people enjoy the Cuba Libre every day. The combination of rum and cola is considered the most popular in the world. According to the history of the company, the famous cocktail appeared in 1900 year.
At that time, Cuba was fighting for independence from Spain, and American soldiers helped her in this. One of them came up with a cocktail, ordering Bacardi rum and Coca-cola at the bar.
Following him, other soldiers asked the bartender to repeat the drink. The audience liked the taste of the cocktail so much that soon the excited audience began to make toasts. One of them was for a free Cuba “Cuba libre”. The company estimates that more than 80 billion cocktails have been served since 1900.
189Year 8 is considered to be the date of birth of another cocktail with Bacardi rum – Daiquirí. An American engineer who manages copper mining in the Daiquiri mines in Cuba wanted to make some kind of refreshing drink using limes growing nearby. For his team, he came up with a mix of lime, sugar, crushed ice and Bacardi Blanca. The cocktail became the favorite drink of John F. Kennedy and Ernest Hemingway and appeared in Jerome Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye.
Created shortly before Prohibition in the US, a cocktail made as a variation of the Daiquiri, a frappe with grenadine added instead of sugar syrup, has become the subject of a legal battle.
At 19In 1936, Bacardi sued the Barbizon Plaza Hotel in New York City when it found out that the bartender was replacing their rum with other brands in drinks.
The verdict was that if a cocktail does not contain Bacardi rum, it cannot be called Bacardi Daikuiri. Or, for example, Bacardi Pina Colada is required by law to only be made with Bacardi rum. The brand still defends its rights as a key ingredient in cocktails.
The oldest Cuban Mojito cocktail was introduced to the public as early as the 15th century. However, Bacardi rum brought worldwide popularity to the drink. It is this brand of rum that is mentioned in the first recorded Mojito recipe. By the 1920s, the cocktail was named the unofficial national drink of Cuba.
Brand advertising
Since 1939, the writer Ernest Hemingway lived and worked in Cuba. Here in 1952 he wrote the story “The Old Man and the Sea”, for which he was later awarded the Nobel Prize. The work repeatedly mentions Hatuey – the most famous Cuban beer.
It was brewed in a brewery owned by Bacardi.
As you know, the author refused the Nobel Committee award in favor of the island of Freedom, which inspired him all these years. Ignoring all the events in honor of the award, the writer could not refuse the Bacardi company, which threw a party near the villa where the author lived.
The heroes of Hemingway’s works, like the writer himself, preferred to drink Bacardi rum. For example, the hero of the novel To Have and Have Not, Harry Morgan, sailed on his yacht between Florida and Havana and drank Bacardi Carta Blanca with pleasure. The brand is also mentioned in the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemingway’s favorite cocktail was the Daiquiri.
Over the years Bacardi’s advertising campaign has been built around famous cocktails. Advertising posters accompanied the slogans: “The best-selling rum in the world” and “All nations agree”. At 19In 1956, the company first used a female image in an advertisement for strong drinks.
The advertisement also promised a recipe book that could be ordered by mail. The book “New and Easy Ways to Cook with Rum” became a bestseller.
“How to turn ‘What are we having for dinner tonight?’ in “Wow”
When the cookbook advertisement appeared in the pages of LIFE magazine, millions of applications hit Bacardi offices around the world.
The company did not forget about social responsibility either. In the early 30s of the 20th century in Mexico, the brand introduced an awareness program about excessive consumption and drunk driving. The campaign slogan read: “Bacardi wants to sell its product, but the company doesn’t want you to spend your last money on it.” In the 70s, the advertising campaign continued with the slogan “Bacardi can be mixed with anything but driving.”
Today, the brand is promoting the “Drink Responsibly” campaign. Formula 1 winner Michael Schumacher and tennis legend Rafael Nadal took part in the “Champions know when to stop” promotion.
Bacardi remains the world’s largest rum producer to this day. In its nearly 155-year history, the company has received more than 550 awards for quality and innovative marketing, more than any other rum brand.
About 200 million bottles of Bacardi rum are sold annually, and the turnover is $3.3 billion. Today the company operates in 160 countries, Cuba is still not on this list.
The brand is successfully represented in all segments of the rum market: from cheap “cocktail” white rums to aged ones. Due to the wide assortment, the company’s target audience is all connoisseurs of rum and drinks based on it (ready-made cocktails Bacardi Pina Colada and Bacardi Mojito are sold).
In terms of sales volume and breadth of assortment, only the Captain Morgan brand, owned by the alcohol concern Diageo, can adequately compete with Bacardi in the entire market, and not just in individual segments.
— Yuri Bilyavets, expert
Limited edition rum celebrating the art of rum production in every bottle BACARDI
11:00 March 7, 2012
HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — To honor the high standards of rum production set by Bacardi 150 Years ago, family owned Bacardi Limited announces the first and most unique release of BACARDI rum as a symbol of experience and craftsmanship in every bottle of BACARDI rum.
The craftsmanship to which this series of perfect aged rums was launched was perfected by Bacardi founder Don Facundo Bacardi Masso – the first master blender – in Santiago de Cuba in 1862. “Don Facundo changed the world of alcohol forever with the creation of BACARDI Superior Rum, the most blendable of BACARDI rums, introducing technology and setting standards in rum production,” said Manny Oliver, world-famous master blender. “This is how premium clear rum was born – what is called rum all over the world.”
“He used the same technology in the production of dark rum. These production steps have been passed down through 15 generations of selected Bacardi Master Blenders and are now being used to create the finest BACARDI rums,” said Joe Gomez, Puerto Rican Master Blender.
Our family honors the 150-year legacy of my great-great-grandfather and founder of Bacardi, Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, by continuing to create and blend rums every day with the same skill and mastery that he did in 1862,” said Facundo L.
Bacardi, CEO Bacardi Limited and fifth generation member of the Bacardi family. “BACARDI rum is not only the most popular and best-selling rum in the world, but also the most award-winning rum that has received more than 400 awards for taste, quality and innovation.”
Until 1862, rum was unrefined, rough and unpleasant to the growing Cuban middle class, who were used to good wines and cognacs. Don Facundo decided to make alcohol more refined and comparable to the best cognacs of the time.
Experimenting several times, he came up with and developed seven standards for the production of rum:
- the best ingredients: Only high-quality sugar cane molasses is used, which is extremely important for the taste of BACARDI
- fermentation control with special yeast: He isolated a special yeast strain (known as BACARDI Levadura) every time for controlled fermentation and taste. The same patented yeast strain is still in use today. During fermentation, the yeast converts the sugar in the molasses into alcohol.
Without BACARDI yeast, the unique taste of BACARDI rum would be impossible to replicate.0189 - charcoal filtration: He ran the rum through a charcoal filter several times to refine the flavor and improve the consistency and quality in every bottle of BACARDI rum. The precise combination of natural charcoal and its use in the process are the secrets of the BACARDI master blenders
- special aging: He aged his rum in selected charred American white oak barrels to ensure a smooth taste and special aroma
- re-filtering: he repeatedly passed many aged rum varieties through a carbon filter for optimal stability and smoothness
- blending: He made blending an art form, blending rums to achieve the unique and perfect taste of BACARDI rum.
Family experience with Ron BACARDI, de Maestros de Ron, Vintage, MMXII.
Without BACARDI yeast, the unique taste of BACARDI rum would be impossible to replicate.0189 “We brought together Bacardi’s most experienced master blenders and created a unique rum for the 150th anniversary. We have joined forces to create a BACARDI blend like never before, with the best rums of the last twenty years,” said Manuel Jorge Cutillas, master blender of the Bacardi family and great-great-grandson of the founder.
Mr. Cutillas previously headed Bacardi.
“We have been lucky enough to work with an amazing stock of aged rums. We aimed for woody and fruity undertones. We strived for the balance and balance that distinguishes fine rum. The depth of flavor and character of this rum is simply unique,” added Guillermo Garcia Lai, master blender of the Bacardi family.
“I had an idea of what a rum should be, the other blenders knew it too, so we tried to create a rum that would suit us all. And I think that if we like it, everyone will like it,” said Emilio Bacardi Bravo, master blender of the Bacardi family.
“I am proud to be a member of this family and what I have done. That’s the only thing I know, I’ve never made anything other than rum since I left Cuba. As I celebrate my 150th anniversary and create this rum, I am proud of my contribution. This is an honor for me,” said Joaquin Bacardi Bolivar, master blender of the Bacardi family.
“It’s incredible, the friendship, the union, the opportunity to laugh together, the camaraderie, it’s always been that way.
These are my old friends, my family, my brothers; I am delighted with this opportunity,” added Jorge Del Rosal Covani, master blender of the Bacardi family.
Unique taste
BACARDI MMXII Vintage is an aromatic, full-bodied and noble rum with an aged aroma. It features an expansive bouquet of fresh tropical fruits and sweet floral aromas, balanced by soft vanilla and oak notes. Its enticing aromatic properties are complemented by hints of soft Caribbean honey and fragrant fruits, providing a long pleasant aftertaste with a touch of oak. Fortress BACARDI MMXII Vintage is 43% vol.
“We’ve created the flavor we wanted, it’s different from the aged rum we had in barrels,” said Toten Comas Bacardi, master blender of the Bacardi family.
“We have created a new rum that combines our best experience in one BACARDI rum and helps us remember and honor the memory of Don Facundo and the generation of blenders who came before us, to take over their heritage with honor,” added Facundo Bacardi Bravo, master Blender of the Bacardi family.
Beginning of the future
The handmade crystal decanter is a coconut tree planted at the entrance of the first distillery in Santiago de Cuba by Don Facundo’s son 150 years ago. Known as “el coco”, this coconut tree has become a symbol of the Bacardi family and Cuban roots. The decanter represents the future of the drink in the next 150 years.
Coordinates
Coordinates 20 01 48.69 are engraved on a crystal decanter next to an extruded bat on a red backgroundN 075 49 56.86W, which symbolize the birthplace of BACARDI rum in Santiago de Cuba. This is the site of the first BACARDI factory, where the son of the founder planted el coco, and where our history began 150 years ago. The decanter also features a map of the Caribbean showing the birthplace of El Coco and the Bacardi family.
Availability
Each handmade crystal decanter in a leather case sells for $2,000.
The series is limited, only about 200 carafes can be purchased at selected duty-free shops at international airports and exclusive outlets around the world.
150 years of expert rum production.
For a taste of the inner workings of the art of BACARDI’s master blenders, watch the National Geographic Channel’s “Megazworks” program, which shows viewers around the world how BACARDI rum is made, including rare blends. “What is it like to be one of the few who knows the secret formula? All in all, I’m proud of it. I feel chosen,” said Mario Portuondo, master blender of the Bacardi family, who participated in the program.
Find out where the most delicious cocktails come from, including authentic BACARDI Cuba Libre and Mojitos. The program will air in Canada on March 17, in Italy on March 18, in Australia and New Zealand on March 27, in the UK and Latin America on March 29, in Southeast Asia on April 5, in Spain and Portugal on May 28, in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Hungary on May 31, Turkey on June 1, Russia, the Baltic States, Romania, Greece and France on June 5, and Germany on June 21.
To learn more about Bacardi and its pioneering heritage, including stories about why every bottle of BACARDI rum has a signature and how Bacardi became Cuba’s first multinational company, visit the dedicated anniversary section: www.BacardiLimited.com/150.
Media can register to receive information about Bacardi 150th Anniversary events and access media such as logos, images, announcements, video and audio, news releases, interviews, graphics and more: www.BacardiMediaCentre .com.
About Bacardi Limited
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, produces and distributes world famous spirits and wines. The company’s portfolio includes more than 200 brands, including BACARDI® rum, the best-selling and award-winning rum, GRAY GOOSE® vodka, the leading luxury vodka, DEWAR’S® Scotch whiskey, the best-selling blended scotch in the US, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the most popular and fastest growing the world’s premium gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, the world’s most popular vermouth, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, the most popular premium tequila in Mexico and the best-selling premium tequila in the US, ERISTOFF vodka ®, one of the fastest growing brands in the world, and other leading and emerging brands.