The Whisky Jury The Many Faces of Rum 1978 44yr 56,6%

RX17933 Very good Single Cask 251 bottles Above 250€

8.2/1038 ratings

Community rating

““Complex and elegant; notes of chocolate, caramel, and aged wood.””

Experience “The Many Faces of Rum,” a 44-year-old Cuban treasure selected by The Whisky Jury. Distilled from molasses and aged in oak barrels, this cask-strength rum (56.6% ABV) intrigues with its complex aromas of dried fruits, leather, and wood, underscored by notes of chocolate and prunes. On the palate, discover roasted and woody flavors with a touch of barrel-aged prunes. Despite its age, the rum maintains a delicate balance of sweetness, vanilla, and spice, with a long, dry finish featuring hints of bittersweet cocoa and old tobacco. Perfect for sipping or pairing with a fine cigar, this limited-release rum (only 251 bottles) showcases the mastery of Cuban rum-making and offers a unique, deeply nostalgic tasting experience.

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Highlights

Complex aromas of dried fruits and leather
Well-balanced sweetness, vanilla, and spice
Long, dry finish with bittersweet cocoa

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How does this rum taste?

The Many Faces of Rum" offers a complex and rich profile with notes of dried fruit, caramel, wood, and hints of leather. While praised for its elegance and age, some find it lacks depth and a strong finish.

Most frequently mentioned flavors

Aroma

Dried fruit Woody Leather Chocolate Prunes Dried dates

Taste

Dried fruit Woody Roasted Barrel Raisin Prunes

Finish

Dried fruit Woody Oak Mocha Chocolate Toffee

Community reviews

8.2/1038 ratings

Community rating

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Jakob

19 May 2024

8.4/10

“Interesting profile that definitely shows its age, but without being overpowering. Chocolate and dried fruit aromas add some sweetness, but remain in the background due to the barrel aromas, milk coffee, leathery meat notes and fresh fruit aromas. Well-balanced and easy to drink, delicious, just a little too little pointed in the individual aromas, which is somewhat at the expense of complexity.”

Aroma

Blackberry Custard Barrel Strawberry Leather

Taste

Barrel Roasted Raisin Sour cherry Cream toffee

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Jakob

Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓

10 April 2024

7.8/10

“You have to be strong now: This rum is a bitter disappointment for me and does not live up to my high expectations. While it still gives a hint of its Cuban origins on the nose at the beginning and is quite pleasing, I smell something like thickened, dark cherry juice (syrup, but later sweaty feet), and still maintains the level on the palate at the beginning (without being too weak on the chest for me!), it unfortunately falls off enormously in the finish, which is important for me, as a disgusting resinous note dominates, which strangely reminds me of the failed Virgin Oak experiment RX16012. The nose just about saves the rum in the 70s range. Sorry, but that's my subjective impression, which shouldn't stop you from tasting this Methuselah for yourself. Update 2024-02-06: Tasted the rum again together with Lot-NAS and now have to apologize - at least a little: After a very long time to breathe, the rum seems even more syrupy, as if thickened. I no longer notice the unpleasant resin taste. Conclusion: A beautiful, ancient sipper with unusual power, a flagship of the Spanish style, even if not quite round. Definitely needs a long breath! Update 2024-04-10: Finally direct tasting today against the Cuban 1992 from Wu Dram Clan (RX18823) and the difference could hardly be greater. I see my earlier separate assessments confirmed: They may both come from the same distillery, but where I taste succinctly fine cocoa in the 92, in the 78 it's just penetrating tasting damp, charred wood - like a campfire that was put out yesterday and got rain overnight. The 78 has simply been in the barrel too long.”

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓

SaibotZtar

15 January 2024

8.3/10

“1000s of tastings... it should be something special... at least that's what I thought. Nose Lots of dried fruit grape, raisin ... Dark chocolate, caramel and a delicious sweetness. Palate Less fruity... Chocolate some coffee and wood .... lots of bitters .... Finish... Wood and bitter notes, somewhat musty. I have to say that I'm a little disappointed. Nose Top Palate Flop probably hits it quite well ... although flop is a bit harsh 🤗 because it tastes good but just not what I expected or hoped for.”

Aroma

Woody Leather Dried fruit Chocolate Prunes

Taste

Dried fruit Woody Barrel Roasted Raisin

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user SaibotZtar

Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰

3 February 2024

8.5/10

“#4598 03.02.2024 Got back from shopping in Germany and picking up my packages with samples and bottles. Thank you Gunnar for the nice samples for the DK community. This rum needs to rest for a good while before it opens up properly. I like it and it's a pretty powerful rum when thinking about most Cuban releases we see. It's also one of those rums that will split waters ☺️ Nose Elegant and light, round, fruity, light smoke, faint floral, glue. Palate Medium dry, wood, roasted, fruity, spicy, light chocolate, faint caramel. Finish Very long, dry, spicy, wood, roasted, dried fruit. Beautiful slow moving curtains in the glass. The empty glass has stronger chocolate, tannins, faint workshop notes.”

Aroma

Woody Dried fruit Plum Smoky Glue

Taste

Woody Spicy Dried fruit Cherry Dry

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰

Dr.Django

17 May 2024

8.5/10

“Heute steht ein kleines aber feines Cubatasting an. Seitdem ich den Valdespino probiert hatte, war ich auf der Suche nach einem ähnlichen Profil (Tabak, Leder, dunkle Früchte, altes Holz, Feuerkamin, leichter Rauch, vollmundige ölige und fette Textur) in Fassstärke. Mal gucken, ob wir hier fündig werden. Ein Venezuelaner hat sich auch noch dazugemogelt =P 1. Plantation Cuba: Tanzt schon farblich aus der Reihe. Fruchtiger und überhaupt nicht so, wie ich mir meinen Cubaner vorstelle. Der süsseste und auch mit Abstand langweiligste aus dem Tasting. 75 Pkt. (zweite Verkostung: -2 Pkt.) 2. Rom Deluxe Cuba: Eine positive Überraschung beim.ersten Verkosten und immer noch sehr lecker. Hat die eingangs erwähnten Aromen, auch einige gelbe Früchte, dazu leicht cremig und ziemlich wild am Gaumen. Nicht allzu komplex, dafür sehr gefällig. 86 pkt. (zweite Verkostung: +2Pkt.) 3. Wudramclan Cuba 1992: Schmeckt wie die konsequente Entwicklung des Cubaners von Romdeluxe. Nicht mehr so wild, etwas eindimensionalere Früchtearomen, viel mehr Leder und Tabak, etwas Asche. Abgang sehr kurz und frucht-aschelastig. 85 Pkt. 4. The Whisky Jury Cuba 1978: Als der rauskam hatte ich große Hoffnungen: toller Abfüller, nahezu unglaubliche Eckdaten, diese Farbe... In diesem Vergleich scheint es mir so, als ob die Cubaner mit dem Alter nicht nur ihre Ungestümtheit, sondern auch ihre Aromenvielfalt und Struktur verlieren. All die Früchte sind bei diesem Rum verbrannt, komischerweise wirkt dieser Rum sehr leicht auf der Zunge und nicht wie erhofft fett und ölig. Der Tabak, das Holz, die Früchte verfallen hier buchstäblich zu Asche im Mund. Irgendwie mag ich das, andererseits ist es im Gesamten überhaupt kein Upgrade zum Rom Deluxe Cubaner, sofern man sie denn im direkten vergleichen mag. 85 Pkt. (dritte Verkostung: -4 Pkt.) 5. Cadenheads Dictador 26 yo: Mein Cubaner im Venezuelanerpelz! So stelle ich mir das vor! Geile Aromen, tolle ölige, fette Struktur. Tabak, altes Holz, etwas Asche (für mich noch und passend im Aromenspektrum). <3 88 Pkt. Vielen Dank an Mto75 für die Samples!”

Aroma

Dried fruit Leather Woody Chocolate Prunes

Taste

Dried fruit Roasted Woody Barrel Raisin

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Dr.Django

Leo Tomczak

2 January 2024

6.8/10

“Caramelized ashtray. A total failure for the price.”

Tschusikowsky

1 April 2024

8.2/10

“Blind würde ich das alter nicht herausschmecken. Der Rum ist zwar vom holz geprägt aber keinenfalls übermässig. Im Gegenteil er ist noch relativ fruchtig. Unterwegs kamen mir Assoziationen von Gummifröschen und Malibu. Tropisch Früchte, Leder, Tabak, Kokosnuss, karamell, Vanille, Pfirsich und Maracuja. Mir hat er beim ersten mal besser gefallen. Insgesamt doch sehr kurzer Abgang.”

Aroma

Dried fruit Leather Blackberry Dried dates Tobacco

Taste

Dried fruit Woody Cappuccino Demerara sugar Tobacco

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Tschusikowsky

mto75

20 November 2023

8.0/10

“unmistakably Spanish style on the nose, but very heavy, sticky sweet. Toffee / butterscotch, tropical wood and acacia honey come to mind. A thin menthol veil over the whole thing...On the palate, nutty-sweet, coffee, old cask with a slightly tart note on the finish...the profile reminds me a little of the 26-year-old Cadenhead Dictador, which I found a little more varied. The 44 years in the cask here seem a little overwhelming. However, it is definitely worthy of all honors to bottle such a time-honored rum (at a still quite moderate price).”

Thunderbird

22 February 2024

7.6/10

“Hmmm... somehow I miss something here or rather... my expectation was much higher... it is too one-dimensional for me... barrel, leather, minimal dried fruits... a little caramelized sweetness is also there and that's it... measured by the price a disappointment for me”

Aroma

Dried fruit Leather Brown Barrel Cinnamon

Taste

Dried fruit Barrel Creamy Mocha Brown

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Thunderbird

DomM

12 May 2024

8.1/10

“Intense on the nose dominated by wood and leathery notes. High intensity on the palate as well. Compared to the 92 WDC, I don’t get too much fruity notes here. The TWJ presents a very dark profile. Wood, tobacco, dark chocolate and intens coffee/mocca notes. It is not overly dry, however. There is still sweetness and some vanilla in the mix. This is good stuff. Yet it very much gravitates towards said dark notes, ie less complex than the WDC. I think this has some potential to divide opinions… for me the profile at some points is akin to whisky. While I‘m not much into whisky, I find this quite interesting here. Definitely a great bottling to try!”

Aroma

Leather Woody Chocolate Cinnamon Tobacco

Taste

Woody Roasted Barrel Cappuccino Honey

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user DomM

Johannes

3 February 2024

7.7/10

“Interesting rum but at the same time disappointing because it does not live up to the expectations of such an old rum. Noticeable coffee, cocoa and spices on the nose. Extremely sweetened coffee flavor on the palate. Almost reminds me of the Koloa Coffee Spiced Rum. Also very woody and meaty notes. Somehow I could imagine that it has been sweetened...”

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Johannes

Frank

31 March 2024

8.5/10

“The second old Cuban on this Easter Sunday is even older. It was allowed to age for a whole 41 years. Hammer. Nose: wow, it surprises you with its strong tobacco aromas. Pipe tobacco and old, cold, smoked-out pipe. Smoky and bacony at the same time. Old leather and resinous cedar wood. Dried dates, prunes and raisins can still be found behind the tobacco. Even if the umami tobacco drowns everything out, I don't think it's bad at all. 8.5 Palate: Close to the nose. Lots of old pipe tobacco and cold pipe smoke. Also bacon-roasted and salty-laced with vanilla. Perhaps also a little prune, but definitely doughy like gingerbread. You can't drink much of this, as it's almost too intense, but such an aroma profile is rather rare. Therefore 8.5 for me. Great old rum!”

Aroma

Roasted Woody Pipe tobacco Smoky Bacon

Taste

Pipe tobacco Roasted Smoky Bacon Umami

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Frank

Nivius

4 February 2024

8.2/10

“I would have blindly guessed a Longpond here and would never have guessed Cuba. Definitely fermented fruit/ester on the nose and palate. If you leave it to stand for a while, an aroma of milk chocolate develops, accompanied by roasted notes of coffee. Despite the many aromas, or perhaps because of them, this rum seems very unrounded, and a certain alcoholic sharpness also bothers me. All in all, it's very exciting, but you can't taste its age at all and the price-taste ratio doesn't really come across to me here.”

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user Nivius

Lukas Jäger

16 November 2023

8.4/10

“45 years old - if this information is correct, that's quite a statement for this unspecified rum from the Caribbean. In any case, the profile confirms the impression of great age. Dried fruits, berries, but also woody-resinous notes are paired with a forest honey sweetness that creates a rounded overall experience. Wherever this rum comes from, they seem to know how to make rum. I find this concise fruitiness particularly remarkable, which still stands up bravely to the woody aromas even after all these years. The only drawback is the very thin taste. At first I thought it only had 4 percent, because you can't taste this almost full proof. Whether due to storage or excessive dilution (when it went into the barrel?), this actually strong rum lacks power. While the nose can still be captured well in the balloon glass, it becomes very thin on the palate at the latest, and the finish disappears almost immediately, despite many bitter notes. A real shame, otherwise a high score of 8.x would have been possible.”

Aroma

Prunes Dried figs Dried dates Dried fruit Raisin

Taste

Woody Barrel Prunes Raisin Dried fruit

cigares

23 November 2023

8.8/10

“A nose with caramel, some fruit and the smell of a damp room with lots of varnished woodwork. The palate is lively for its age, with prunes and dried fruit, old varnished wood. Aromas of bituminous sheets used to waterproof roofs. The finish rapidly thins. All that remains are aromas of prune and varnished wood. But these aromas remain on the palate for a very long time - astonishing! The empty glass is once again reminiscent of an old, damp, woody room, but with fruit lingering on the table. The blend with Chapter 7 (1971) is very successful, and the blend score is far superior (9.2) to the two individual Cubans.”

Aroma

Woody Varnish

Taste

Prunes Dried fruit Varnish Woody

Photo of the rum The Many Faces of Rum taken from user cigares

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What are the key facts about this rum?

Country
Cuba

Bottler
The Whisky Jury

RumX ID
RX17933

ABV
56,6%

Vintage
1978

Bottled
2023

Cask number
#1

Made from
Molasses

Age
44 years

No. of bottles
251

Bottle volume
70cl

Price range
Above 250€

Type of spirit
Rum

What is the price trend for this rum?

322 €

Ø Market value

Community purchase statistics

The RumX community has already added 14 bottles to their collections:

closed

opened

emptied

29%

Open rate

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