I buy all my bottles myself (mainly because nobody ever sends me any), so you can rest assured that this Havana Club Especial review is completely unbiased.
Havana Club Especial Review
Havana Club Anejo Especial is an easy find in British supermarkets alongside its sister bottle Havana Club 7 year old. I assume the lack of an age statement on the Especial expression means that it’s intended to be the more budget bottle of the two. Odd pricing and regular discounts means that this often isn’t the case though. I’ve been a staunch advocate for Havana 7 for a while now, and figured it was high time that I gave its stablemate a bash.
How Much is Havana Club Anejo Especial?
It floats around between £16-£26, but is generally found at about the £20 mark. I wouldn’t like to pay much more than that.
On the Nose
Soft drinks. It smells a bit sweeter than I was expecting.
Is Havana Club Especial Suitable for Sipping Neat?
I guess. I’m not all that keen though.
If it’s alcohol harshness from a young rum you’re worried about, then don’t be. That’s all been rounded off by some sweet additives. I’ve not got any fancy equipment to measure additives, or have read anything to say that it even has any, but I’d be surprised if it doesn’t.
This tastes nothing like the excellent Havana Club 7, and the main notes to pick out here are vanilla cream and cheap cola. As such, it’s easy enough to sip on, but you’ll need a sweet tooth.
Is Habana Club Especial Suitable for Mixing?
Oh yeah. You’ll hardly know this is there alongside a sugary soft drink. To be fair, I could see it being a decent dancing partner for pineapple juice.
Havana Club Especial Review – Verdict
To be fair to Havana Club, I assume that they intend Especial to be more of a mixing rum than anything else. The 7 year old is at a similar price, so it makes more sense for them to have both a mixing rum and a sipping rum on the market rather than just two designed for sipping neat. The blurb on the back doesn’t say anything about enjoying it neat, and instead recommends making a Cuba libre with it. That would make for a sweet drink with very little in the way of bite, but I know there’s plenty of folk that still would appeal to.
I don’t rate rums based on how popular I think they’d be with others though. Keep some in to mix up for your friends by all means, but don’t be tempted to pour yourself one 3/10.
You’ll Probably like Havana Club Especial if You Already Like…
Vanilla-driven rums like Pink Pigeon or Kirk and Sweeney 12 year old.
If you currently drink Morgan’s Spiced, but are going off their signature profile of turps and vanilla essence, you’ll adore this much smoother bottle.
What’s that? But you LIKE your rums rich and sweet? Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is probably a better bet then.
After a rummier mixing rum in a similar price point? You’ll struggle to beat The Duppy Share. You can sip it too if you don’t mind the weird taste.
Need a rum without additives that still gives a vanilla hit? Mount Gay XO is a good shout.
Had a bottle of Especial and couldn’t even taste the sweetness I’ve been talking about? You my friend, will enjoy the sugar rush that is Frangelico.