Havana Club and New "Seleccion de Maestros"

[El Presidente]

Havana Club and Seleccion de Maestros (Masters' Choice)

4th of January 2011

http://www.telepinar.icrt.cu/ving/index.ph...&Itemid=124

Havana Club, the most famous of Cuban rums, strengthens its presence on the international market by introducing new products such as Seleccion de Maestros (Masters' Choice) and by opening new places in different countries for its commercialization.

The marketing director of this enterprise, Ivette Martinez, told ACN that a strong advertising campaign is taking place in Asian countries as China, which could bring about a considerable increase on its exports.

Havana Club is commercialized today in more than 148 countries and it constitutes a source for generating hard currency incomes.

Martinez noted that the Masters' Choice is considered an elite product within the category of Super-Premium, and it will undoubtedly attract countless clients fond of the quality of the Cuban rums.

The management director of the San Jose Rum Factory, Ernesto Carrazana, also told ACN that they expect to introduce in the market about 30 000 boxes per year.

Carrazana pointed out that the factory has all the resources needed, as well as the necessary row materials to satisfy the clients' demand.

On 2010, Havana Club produced more than 3 million of boxes of nine litters, and its commercialization only covered 60 % of the international market due to the restrictive measures imposed by the US as part of its economic blockade against Cuba.

[CanuckSARTech]

Ahhhh, dammit!!!! LOL. You beat me to it, Pres!

This was one of the things that I found out about on my trip to Cuba a week and a half ago. But, I was waiting to post details until I was able to do a full little write-up about the trip....which I'm waiting to do until I get all my photos converted to digital and downloaded. Boohoo.

Oh well.

But, from talking with the ladies at the various Caracol's that I saw this in (didn't see it at La Casa Del Ron), apparently this is meant to be a middle-ground bottle. It's slated to fit right in between the HC Barrel Proof, and then the HC 15 year. The Barrel-Proof stuff is a 10-year-aged rum, and this Seleccion de Maestros is apparently a 12-year rum, fitting it ahead of the HC 15 year.

The Barrel Proof is a 45% alcohol content rum, and the Seleccion de Maestros is that as well, if memory serves (I didn't get any, I loaded up on Anejo 7 Anos, and the Rum Santiago Anejo). The Barrel Proof retailed, in Cuba, at $40 CUCs for a 40-oz bottle (1.14 litres), and was $29.50 (?) CUCs for a 26 oz/750 ml one. The Seleccion de Maestros was slightly higher at $45 or $46 CUCs for a 40oz/1.14 litre bottle.

The packaging sets it out a bit also. Last time I was there (April 2008), the Barrel Proof stuff was the only bottle in a special box packaging. Now, this past trip in January, I noticed that all of the regular bottles (white, gold, anejo, reserva) also now come in special boxes, albeit for an extra $1 CUC for the packaged version (the regular/plain bottles are still just as available). But, with this Seleccion de Maestros, it's in a cool round container. It's not a box, persay, it's more like one of the round cardboard/tin containers that scotch bottles come in, and with a blue mid-section, but the majority of the package design being a lighter and brighter tan than the Barrel Proof packaging. It looks like they tried to simulate the look of the wood planks of a rum barrel, almost, with a light wood design. It does stand out compared to the Barrel Proof - I definitely picked up on it on the shelves, compared to all the other bottles around it.

[Bartolomeo]

Thanks for the link and info, looking for some HC as we speak

Bart