Cigar Aficionado

The Big Smoke Las Vegas seminars came with a reward at the end of the afternoon slate, a reward in the form of rum tastings and a cocktail. Bacardi and Santa Teresa are part of the Bacardi Limited portfolio, which was of great benefit to guests of the seminars, who were treated to a trio of rums across the two brands as well as a rum Old Fashioned cocktail to close things out at the seminars.

Cigar Aficionado senior features editor and spirits extraordinaire Jack Bettridge was joined for the seminar’s panel by Eduardo Zamora, western regional ambassador for Bacardi Premium Brands. It was the last seminar of the day, following an immersive interview with actor Michael Cudlitz. Guests had patiently waited for drinks after a great lineup of seminars, and a palpable energy entered the room as servers began making their rounds, bottles in-hand, giving out pours.

Unlike some previous spirit-infused seminars at Big Smokes, this rum experience was solely intended to be a tasting, rather than a specific pairing with a cigar. In this regard, the seminar proved to be quite beneficial, if not eye-opening, for guests. The crowd was admittedly not as familiar with rum as with whisky, so the seminar offered a good opportunity to focus exclusively on the spirit. Of course, guests could still create a pairing of their choice with the seven cigars handed out during the day. 

“You probably know Bacardi as your preferred brand to mix with a rum and Coke when you were 18,” said Bettridge. “But there’s so much more to it.” Zamora agreed and was keen to point out the long, shared history between cigars and rum. “Rum has been aligned with cigars for as long as cigars have been a thing in Cuba,” he said. The Bacardi representative reinforced that connection himself, coming loaded with cigars in his front pocket that had been aged in rum barrels. He would literally toss out a few of the sticks to the crowd throughout the seminar. 

Three rums poured were Bacardi Reserva Ocho, Santa Teresa 1796 and Santa Teresa 1796 Arábica Coffee Cask Finish. Plus, a rum Old Fashioned was given out later on, made with Bacardi Reserva Ocho. The latter rum was also the first one the seminar group tasted. According to Zamora, Reserva Ocho was created at the same time as Bacardi’s flagship Superior brand (the one typically used for rum and Cokes) in 1862. However, it would be a long time before it was available to the public. “For over 100 years, it was known as just the family reserve,” said Zamora. “It was considered the rum of celebration.” Bacardi eventually took the brand commercial in the 90s. 

Bacardi Reserva Ocho is a blend of eight- to 16-year-old rums that is aged in the sunny tropics of the Caribbean. According to Zamora, the climate speeds up the aging process. The Reserva Ocho offered a profile you’d expect from rum. It was sweet, though not overpowering, and it had hints of butterscotch and dried fruit. The first rum was the ideal reference point as the group moved on to more nuanced expressions.

Santa Teresa 1796 came next, and it was quite the change-up from the first tasting. Bettridge and Zamora both noted similarities this rum had with whisky. “This is an extremely low sugar rum,” said Zamora, calling it a “structured, layered and dry” rum. Zamora says much of the taste difference can be attributed to the varied ways Santa Teresa 1796 is aged. “It’s so different from what we think of with a traditional rum and its aging process,” said Zamora. He explained Santa Teresa 1796 is a triple-aged, single estate rum, meaning everything in the bottle comes from the Aragua Valley in Venezuela (where Hacienda Santa Teresa was founded in 1796). 

The aging process is also quite complex, as Zamora explained to the audience. Santa Teresa 1796 goes through a solera aging process, which in simple terms, is a nuanced operation that allows for rums of various ages to be artfully blended together. Santa Teresa 1796 is a blend with four- to 35-year rums. “It’s just like tobacco, a love of labor,” said Zamora. This seemed to be the favorite among the crowd. 

The next rum was different then the more mainstream brands of before, but it was still a varied version of the second rum, known as Santa Teresa 1796 Arábica Coffee Cask Finish. “It’s not a coffee-flavored rum, it’s a rum that has a kiss of coffee to it,” said Zamora. His words rang true. This wasn’t a variation on a coffee liqueur by any means. It was, as Zamora explained to the audience, the same Santa Teresa 1796 rum from the previous tasting, although instead of being bottled after the solera process, it is aged for five months in barrels that once held coffee liqueur. The maturation process adds a bit of a bite to this last rum, and even increases the total ABV. In some respects, it gave the already layered and dry Santa Teresa 1796 rum a Bourbon quality of sorts.

The crowd was quite satisfied by this point, all three rums offered different, yet illuminating expressions of the spirit. Plus, they were natural fits with cigars. But that wasn’t all. As guests were sipping on their glasses, servers began passing out a Bacardi Ocho Old Fashioned to each attendee. “Anywhere you have a whisky cocktail, you can sub it with a super-premium, aged rum and have a different experience with that cocktail,” said Zamora, which Bettridge, and soon most of the audience, agreed with. 

Soon after, guests took their final sips of their cocktails and dusted off the last drops of their rum. After an educational day of seminars, the eager crowd was ready to get in line for night two of the Big Smoke Las Vegas. 

The Big Smoke will return to Las Vegas next fall, November 6 and 7, 2026. Save the date.

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