Size: 85

An honorable Gran Reserva Rum, aged Solera style for up to 18 years.

When you hear the name Matusalem, you can probably guess we ain’t talking about no new kid on the block. In the Old Testament, Matusalem would live up to be a 969-year-old and while Matusalem Rum hasn’t been around for 969 years as it was founded in 1872 in Santiago de Cuba by Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, the idea behind the name was – timelessness. The most sought-after Rum during Cuba’s Golden Age – you know, when all the artists wanted to be there, including Hemingway who even ended up living there – Matusalem never followed trends, but instead opted for the classics. Named the Cognac of Rums for using Solera ageing, today, Matusalem is bottled in the Dominican Republic as the family initially producing it went into exile after Castro gained control of the country.

Matusalem Gran Reserva 18 is made from Caribbean molasses. The process begins with an exclusive blend of Rums aged Solera style. This means some of the Rums in this concoction are aged up to 18 years. Solera ageing is usually reserved for Cognacs and how it goes is that basically, you've got a series of casks with Rums of different ages. The casks with the older Rums are emptied (But never fully!) and re-filled with younger ones – and so on, until the youngest cask is filled with new Rum. This helps the youth to mature faster. Anyway, Gran Reserva 18 is aged in ex-Bourbon American oak barrels, which means a dazzling coppery color and a sophisticated, woody palate. Bottled at 80 proof, this is one stunning example of what Solera ageing can do.

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