Siglo y 1/2: The Bottled Gem
Numerous rums are sipped in bars, working as after-dinner drinks when it comes to enjoying the after-dinner talk; but just a few of them can be described as exquisite and sublime, the outcome of a natural and centennial knowhow that uses no essences or tricks. Siglo y 1/2, a gem of Cuban rum, is one of them.
As a rigorous blend of the best and oldest rum bases from Santiago de Cuba, Siglo y 1/2 was conceived as a tribute to the founding masters of light rum, their disciples and those who carry on their work. It is a unique and unrivaled product that worships 150 years of history and culture with its scent, taste and spirit.
From Sugarcane to the Glass
1862 has been pointed out as the year when the Cuban Light Rum was created in Santiago de Cuba and Mr. Facundo Bacardí Massó has been labeled as its maker.
The nectar is made of the cane molasses harvested in Cuba, since the climate favors the ripening of the cane and the molasses’ quality. It can be stored for long periods, thus favoring the presence of high levels of sugar, low acidity and polymers, as well as a natural microflora that contributes to the development of aromas during the fermentation, a process complemented by a mixed culture of yeasts that have been carefully preserved for years.
But none of these processes could be possible without the wisdom of the Cuban Master Rum Makers, guardians of an unmatched know how that has been passed from generations to generations, so this beverage cannot be produced out of the Cuban cultural geographic context.
A Commemorative Rum
The 150th anniversary of the creation of Light Rum in Santiago de Cuba —back in 2012— deserved the making of a special commemorative product. That was how the Santiago Cuban Master Rum Makers (First Cuban Master Rum Maker Jose Pablo Navarro Campa and Cuban Master Rum Makers Tranquilino Palencia Estruch and Julio Ayan Rial) designed a brand-new and unrepeatable rum because of its incredible quality, Siglo y 1/2, with a limited production of 3,000 bottles (produced and bottled by Cuba Ron S.A).
It was made of a rigorous blend of the very best and oldest rum bases from Santiago de Cuba, which are stored in aging warehouses, with the special contribution by the so-called Cathedral of Cuban Light Rum, Nave Don Pancho. Its overall blend was aged during the last stage in 90-year-old casks, which are extremely well treated and preserved.
It would be hard to repeat it. It takes 80 - 90 years of work and dedication to put together and preserve rum blends that can be homogenized and turned into such a gem. It is a special rum in terms of aroma and taste, soft and sweet at the same time. It is characterized by a reddish amber color, the result of blends from aged casks, which is not usual in Cuban rums. The taste recalls a very refined and aged eau-de-vie, as well as cane molasses.
Siglo y 1/2 is an exclusive collection certified by Cuban Master Rum Makers from Santiago de Cuba, with signatures shown on the bottle label, so more authenticity is shed on this personal and unique present. This rum is so special that Canadian company Milan Wineries Inc. decided to buy it and export it.
The Lady Gets Dressed Up
Canadian Milan Wineries inc., distributer and marketer of Siglo y 1/2 around the world, decided that it was the time to give this exquisite bottle a new wrapping. “A dress that matches up to the lady.”
The new design —which looks like a book— has been made by hand with centenarian cedar wood and exotic Cuban skins, by illustrious artisan Carlos Sanchez Puga.
Over the years, this artist has devoted his work to the making of humidors and pouches to store habanos. So, once the bottle is empty, the new Siglo y 1/2 case can be used as a humidor by means of a humidifier included as an accessory.
