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Bacardi Factory Review

cabaiguan juan

Fucking Pandas
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
10,333
Location
Zamunda
I just recently got back from a trip to San Juan and while I was down there, I went on a tour of the Bacardi Factory. Now, I'm a whiskey drinker and don't have much experience with rum other then with Coke. However, as the old saying goes: When in San Juan, go tour the Bacardi Factory. The tour started out with a couple of free drinks and then we, my girlfriend and I, and some surfers from Florida hoped on the tram and scooted over to where the tour started.
I learned that the Bat which Bacardi uses as its emblem was inspired by the fruit bats which occupied the rafters of the first Bacardi factory(which really was a warehouse which housed his distillery). Bacardi uses charcoal filtering, much like Jack Daniels Whiskey, to remove the impurities and is stored in barrels. I don’t remember the type of wood used in the barrels though. Our tour guide was very excited to tell us about how Bacardi invented the Cuba-Libre, or rum and Coke. Since Bacardi started out in Cuba, when the American Army came to liberate Cuba back in the day, they brought with them Coke and during the occupation, began mixing Bacardi with Coke. Hence, it became the drink of liberated Cuba, or Cuba-Libre. From there, Bacardi began distributing its rum in NY and the thing to order became a Bacardi and Coke.
After the tour I went to the gift store and bought several bottles of Bacardi Reserve, its aged 6 years and isn’t sold in the US, and one bottle of 8 year aged Bacardi. The 8 year is sweat and I like it neat, with maybe some water on the side. I like the Reserve with an ice cube. If you are in San Juan, go and check out the factory. It’s the cheapest place I’ve ever seen, ever, for Bacardi. The 8 year was $17/18 bucks. Bacardi Select was like $8, all for a 750 ml.

http://www.cigarpass.com/forums/uploads/11...5_88_334875.jpg
 
Sounds like a great tour Jon. Last March on a tour in Cuba we had the location of the original Bicardi factory pointed out to us. I didn't know it started there 'till then, and didn't know the history of the Rum 'n Coke as you posted.

Thanks.
 
No rum or cigars in the pic. You did do pretty good on the girl part though :)
 
We toured the factory in 2/05 and we had a great time. I should have brought back some of the Reserve, but I was also bringing back some HC and was stressed enough over that.
 
No rum or cigars in the pic. You did do pretty good on the girl part though :)
Yeah, she's nice. :thumbs:
The factory was kind of anal about taking pictures and I didn't think to take pictures of the smokes. I need to list the smokes I had though. I'll get on that.

Jim, you have to hydrate before you dehydrate!
 
The Bacardi tour is great. I live down here in San Juan and have gone there a couple of times. If you get to come back you should check out the only hand rolled cigar store in Old San Juan, Don Collins Cigars. They have a nice selection of cigars made from tabaco grown in Puerto Rico. When I first started smoking I didnt know of their existance, and at first I was skeptical but after trying a free sample i've been smoking their corona grande ever since. It's a nice stop on your tour of the island.
 
The Bacardi tour is great. I live down here in San Juan and have gone there a couple of times. If you get to come back you should check out the only hand rolled cigar store in Old San Juan, Don Collins Cigars. They have a nice selection of cigars made from tabaco grown in Puerto Rico. When I first started smoking I didnt know of their existance, and at first I was skeptical but after trying a free sample i've been smoking their corona grande ever since. It's a nice stop on your tour of the island.
That was one thing I forgot to do while down there. I knew there was a cigar roller in the area but could not find it. On another board, I saw Don Collins come up last week and reminded me of it. Your timing is uncanny.
 
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