CUBA
Ron Cubay is produced at the Agustín Rodríguez Mena Central Rum Factory (Ronera Central) in Santo Domingo, Villa Clara Province, one of Cuba's most important sugar-producing regions. The modern distillery was commissioned in 1972, although distilling on the site began in 1943 alongside the George Washington (later Carlos Baliño) sugar mill.
Following nationalisation after the Cuban Revolution, the facility was expanded with equipment transferred from older Cuban distilleries, establishing it as a key producer of the country's light-bodied rum style. The Cubay brand was introduced in 1964, with its premium aged expressions developed from the 1990s onwards.
Production follows the traditional Cuban rum-making method, using locally produced sugarcane molasses as the raw material. Following fermentation with cultured yeast, the wash is distilled in continuous multi-column stills, producing two distinct spirits: a characterful aguardiente, distilled to retain congeners and flavour, and a highly rectified light spirit.
These are matured separately before being blended, a hallmark of Cuban rum production that creates a spirit noted for elegance, balance and complexity rather than heavy, pot still character.
Maturation takes place in ex-American white oak barrels, many previously used for bourbon, where Cuba's tropical climate accelerates oak extraction and flavour development. Rather than employing a solera system, Ron Cubay relies on traditional batch ageing and the expertise of its Maestros Roneros (Master Rum Makers), who blend spirits of different ages to achieve the house style.
The resulting rums are typically dry and refined, with aromas of vanilla, caramel, toasted oak, dried fruit and subtle tobacco notes. Combining modern production with long-established Cuban distilling traditions, Ron Cubay has earned a reputation as one of the country's leading premium rum producers and an excellent example of the classic Cuban rum style.