Ahhh, rum, and good rum at that. We could get used to this. Rum?!? Top25Cigar is reviewing rum? Why not? If there is one drink tied to the history of Cuba, rum would surely qualify. And when offered the chance to try a bottle while we enjoyed some of our favorite cigars, we could not pass it up. It would be rude of us to turn down a offering of rum from a friend, and being ever gracious, we would never do that! Ron Matusalem Gran Reserve Rum claims to bring back the spirit of Cuba, and for all intents and purposes it does just that. We thoroughly enjoyed sampling a bottle of the Gran Reserva. Matusalems Gran Reserva attempts to bring back the rum made in Santiago de Cuba 130 years ago. We sampled our bottle in numerous ways. Straight, straight on the rocks, mixed with Diet Coke, and blended in the traditional Cuban mojito. The most lasting impression we were left with was the complexity of the rum while still being velvety smooth. Sampling only one bottle in numerous different ways does not qualify as a scientifically accurate test, but when you are debating taste preferences, nothing really does. That said, Ron Matusalem’s Grand Reserva performed famously in all ways. Not usually being someone who drinks rum straight up, this was a part of the test we were not looking forward to. To our pleasant surprise, the Grand Reserva performed like a complex cigar, showing a unique complexity of flavors that blended into a perfect concert. Your glass begins with a rich golden hue, deeper than most rums. As you bring the glass to the nose, you can sense caramel and fruit with some sugary or molasses like vanilla aroma. Again the taste was unusually complex, perhaps best enjoyed neat, as we found the ice to dilute the flavors more than we would have preferred. Matusalems Gran Reserva is the perfect companion for a complex cigar, as the flavors are complimentary and both uniquely complex. The finish is neither extended nor short, but takes a few perfect moments before it slowly ebbs away. Not having a scale to comparatively rate this rum as we do with cigars, all we can say is that this ranks right up with some of the best rums we have ever tried. If you are looking for that perfect compliment to your cigar, look no further than Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum.