Dry Guayabita del Pinar (Cuba)

by John J O'Mara

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Date Added: Monday 16 February, 2015

In Europe wild Guava does not grow so we use many the Sloe, Cherry, Plum, Apricot, Peach to en-fruit our raw spirits like gins, du mar, potíns, vodkas, rakis and so we have created our many and oldest liqueurs, from Sloe-Gins to Pacharan to Slibovitch and so on ....

Officially since 1892 the Garay family took the local tipple and has created-by-improvement the unique Guayabita in Western Cuba. It is basically a Rum aged on oak for 5 years having been infused using the ripe berries of a locally unique small Guava bush.

The result is in my opinion the most wonderful expression of perfumed fruitiness in a dry rum. It is a full strength 40%/v and this carries the length of the flavoured legs the palate enjoys.

To achieve heaven on earth, i recommend accompanying your Guayabita with a cigar by Vegas Robaina (another great family name from the same western region of Cuba) !!. There is a synergy when these skilfully hand-made products from the same region are reunited with the respect they deserve .....

Finally I mentioned no wild guavas grow in Europe ... but it is said Queen Victoria had a favourite fruit grown in Cornwall (Western Britain) from plants originating in Chile which are, in fact, cousins of the "little-guava" or Guayabita del Pinar.