Ron la Progresiva de Vigia (41% ABV)

La Progresiva 13 is produced by the Bodega Vigia distillery on the island of Cuba. Next to the distillery is estate Finca Vigia, which may not immediately ring a bell, but this is the place where Ernest Hemingway lived and also wrote much of his books. Like all Cuban rums, this rum is also made from locally grown sugar cane. To be very precise, it comes from the region of Ciego de Avila. The molasses from the sugar cane has a high sugar content due to the rich soil, making it perfect for making alcohol.
Hard work goes into making the La Progresiva de Vigia Mezcla 13 rum, which begins with the fermentation process. Distillation takes place in a column still, before it is aged for two years in white oak barrels. After this period, the ''aguardiente'' is removed from the barrels and mixed with neutral alcohol and water to create the rum base. The rum base is then aged again, but this time in barrels that have been in the ''bodega'' for decades. The final step before we can call it La Progresiva 13 is the blending of two types of rum, one of which has been aged for up to 13 years.
This great Cuban rum has a lot to offer in the nose and in the taste. The freshness of pineapple is blended with the warm flavors of caramel and toffee. The oak on which the rum has been aged creates the nice dry profile of the rum, with some spice and orange as undertones in the taste. The finish is subtle and dominated by caramel and oak.
This is the perfect rum to order if you like to sip a dry rum, but it is also great to try in cocktails, such as the Hemingway Daiquiri or a Rum Old Fashioned.