that pre-1962 cuban rum rob tried and i didn't!

[Ken Gargett]

rob mentioned it a while back when on a trip - hong kong i think. i mentioned it in the kenfessions, as i did not get to try it. but it did fascinate me so i contacted a friend of mine who happens to run Valdespino. it is a Valdespino product but these guys are sherry producers and make some of the best in the world. so why the hell a rum? i have modified the info i got from my friend  (well, cut out heaps) but i hope it will be of interest. 

and i am trying very hard to get hold of a bottle here. 

and this will sound really stupid but i had no idea what he meant when he said EN65. it has suddenly dawned. the Equipo Navazos Bota 65 Ron. which by chance i just happened to get hold of some. i did offer it to rob, last vid, but he was in dry whatever. he had his chance. it is stunning and i have reviewed it for Q&P and it will appear in Kenfessions very soon. 

 

 

About the pre-1962 rum:

When José Estévez bought Valdespino at the end of 1999 we found three casks in a corner with Rum untouched. Papers and old people working in the bodega said that it was an old exchange of the Valdespino family. It was a very old and concentrated rum with an extremely Sherry character. At that moment the Japanese Valdespino’s importer wanted to bottle for them and we agreed only to bottle 250 bottles. That was in the summer of 2000.

 At that moment and to give a great support to these old cask we put around 35 casks more with an old rum from Trinidad and Nicaragua. Today these last ones are the criaderas to refill the three very old first casks. This criadera is the origin of the EN 65.

 

By routine, Valdespino bottles 250 bottles every one-two years for the Japanese importer. The brand pre-1962 belong to them. What I saw is that bottles of it are around the world in hand of collectors and special bars. But Valdespino is not involved in this distribution, but the Japanese people. If you had a look, the back label is written in Japanese.