Objective Notes

Very Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth). 

Santa Teresa’s Claro reveals much about itself from the appearance alone: an slightly pale straw color caused by briefly aging in oak barrels, Santa Teresa says Claro has a “light golden hue.”  It’s rare to smell anything other than ethyl in a white rum, and here Claro satisfies with clean, happy aromas of sweet sugar cane, mild grassiness, some welcome vanilla, oak, coconut and caramel - it’s more like an aged cachaca than a mass-market mixing rum.  The initial taste shows really nice sweetness right from the start, balanced with sugarcane texture, mild meyer lemon citrus and a medium-heavyweight body with smooth flavors that finish deep and sweet and linger far longer than other white rums.

Anecdotal Notes

Dave –  Santa Teresa claims Claro is “the genuine rum for mixing.”  No argument here.  But it’s also absolutely suitable for sipping neat.   Aged in used American bourbon whiskey barrels and charcoal filtered to remove color but not flavor, Claro is a top shelf white rum.

Taster’s Opinion

Dave –  Wow!  Santa Teresa Claro is the perfect rum for daiquiris and mojitos, and challenges most of the Cachacas available in the US for the top spot in making a caipirinha.  Possessing considerably more flavor than the mass produced unaged white rums that unfortunately dominate the US market, Claro offers us a more dignified rum with flavor and a little aging for adding character and depth to your favorite rum cocktails.

Roger –  Claro Rum by Santa Teresa is an excellent mixing rum that has a little color to let you know it’s aged but is clear enough to make those clear cocktails that many people desire like Mojitos. It has the desired characteristics of a light body, smoothness, and flavors obtained in the aging process yet is nearly clear. It’s sort of a interesting and unique product as it’s an aged product and is charcoal filtered but not perfectly clear. Others have distilled a light rum, aged it several years, and completely filtered it colorless. Claro kept some of its color making it something different. A super value for the quality. Santa Teresa is an excellent rum distiller and producer. Claro doesn’t disappoint so add it to your collection and for it’s price it could easily be a everyday rum for mixed drinks.

Taster's Rating (10 is best):  Dave - 9 Flasks; Roger - 8.5 Flasks

Most recently tasted by:  Dave and Roger, December 2011 at RnD’s South and North Tasting Rooms, USA.

*750ml unless otherwise specified.