I was delighted to have a chat with Francisco of Ron 1916 yesterday evening as he introduced to us Ron 1916’s very first batch of liquids bottled for the world. The roots of Ron 1916, alongside the history of its parent company, Taboga, can be traced back to the eponymous year of 1916 when it all first began in Costa Rica as a cattle farm. Then came 1958, when Taboga formally began cane sugar production, followed by the year 1985 when an industrial distillery was introduced to its processes. And while Taboga itself has a history spanning just over a century, Ron 1916 is a very fresh face to the world of artisanal rums, only having been established in 2019 together with the introduction of an artisanal distillery that same very same year.

Accompanying Francisco on his whirlwind tour are the two initial releases from the brand, namely the Iguana Blanco Vanguardista and the Jabiru Anejo Insignia, both made from molasses refined at the very sugar mill on Hacienda Taboga, and bottled at 40% ABV. And the man behind these creations is Master Blender Jose Sanchez Gavito, who bears the very same name as his father, who is the current Master Blender at Bacardi.

The Iguana is a deceptive “white” rum, as its name would already suggest. Hidden behind this clear, white liquid in actuality are rums aged separately for three years in both oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, then blended after aging and charcoal filtered. I found it tropical, sweet, with overtones of coconut and vanilla, making this a simple and straightforward rum that would be perfect for cocktails, perhaps working especially well in a piña colada.

The Jabiru on the other hand was more sophisticated, derived from a marriage of four different cask-aged rums, an oloroso, a pedro ximenez, an amontillado, and a bourbon cask, all aged for five years before blending. One important thingto note about the rums from Ron 1916 is that they were all wholly, individually aged in their respective casks, and were not “finished” in any sense of the word. What I found profoundly interesting of the Jabiru is that despite the dominance of sherry-aged rums, the proportions would appear to favour the bourbon-aged components, allowing for a more balanced profile, one that wasn’t overpowered by the fruity, treacly flavours of sherry, and yet maintain a good structure and integrity likely brought about by the intensity of the bourbon casks.

I did enjoy the rums from Ron 1916 and I think they are perhaps on the right track - beginning with rums that aren’t overly sophisticated, but instead easing itself into the category with a simple and approachable pair, with good balance and a flavour profile that would appeal to most. Francisco has too let on that there are more artisanal bottlings on the horizon, single casks, sugarcane juice distillate perhaps, the possibilities are endless given Taboga’s ability to manipulate every step of the process - from sugarcane production to the distillation, and I am looking forward to seeing what Ron 1916 will be able to offer in the near future.

And of course a big thank you to The Rum Cartel, the Costa Rican Embassy in Singapore, and Intercontinental Hotel Singapore for hosting.