Ron Matusalem Rum Gran Reserva 18 Year

Ron Matusalem is a brand that traces its history back to 1872 when the distillery was first established in Santiago de Cuba. Fast forward about fifty years and the company was doing great business as American tourists flocked to Cuba in an effort to escape Prohibition. However, things took a turn for a worse when Fidel Castro seized power on the island, which led to the family fleeing to the Dominican Republic. A new distillery was set up that sought to replicate the rum previously made in Cuba (the labels all declare that it is made with the "original formula of Cuba") and has been operating ever sinceone of least defined methods of aging, but in general consists of a number of levels, typically three or four levels for rum. The system begins with all the levels being filled with new make. After a period, say 6 months or a year, a certain quantity, say half a barrel is withdrawn from the bottom level, and replaced by rum from the level above it, which is replaced by the next highest level and so forth.