Just How Could I Become A Maestro Ronero?
 Continuing our interview (from Part 2) with Asbel Morales, Havana Club's Maestro Ronero...
We've just learnt that it takes about fifteen years to become a Maestro Ronero!
I peruse the notion of becoming accepted as a Maestro Ronero myself. How does it happen I ask?
It’s not just one thing. When we have our meetings we talk about new products but we also talk about the trainees and how they are progressing and to set a schedule for their development. When the trainees have shown that they have completed all the areas assigned and understands all the areas that relate to Rum production they are ready to run a Rum factory on their own.
A thought strikes me – Are the current seven Maestro Ronero working for different companies or just Havana Club?
The majority work for Havana Club – but they are Maestro Ronero of Cuba. It is Cuban Rum that the Maestro Ronero works for.
And you could work for more than one company?
There are many Cuban Rum companies currently.
 Changing tack I ask what does Asbel normally do during the day? I follow this by saying ‘on the days when you are not sitting in a lovely hotel in London?’
There's a little group banter about four star / five star ratings - this provokes a laugh from Asbel when the translation is made!
It’s not something that’s done on purpose, but first we look around the whole facility. We then look at the production process and if you’re able to, you will look at the warehouses as well.
When you are at home, you will step out of your front door into your garden. You look around and with only a glance you can see if everything is OK. It’s the same thing at the factory– to ensure that nothing is missing or a process gone astray. We check the distillation process to verify what is coming out of the still and then we visit the blending plant to check the cultural process is being completed correctly.
The spirit that is being produced today and barrels being chosen today for Havana Club 7 year old won’t be ready until 2019! You must be very clear in your purpose and focus. Your training will ensure that in 2019 we can produce bottles of Havana Club 7.
Considering a new subject, I ask Asbel about how often they will consider a new product. “Is it once a week, a month or a year?”
Asbel tells me it’s not the Maestro Ronero that comes up with the notion that another expression is required – it’s the consumers! It is not something that we do to please ourselves, we are only ever looking to please the people! If I come up with a rum that I really love, but nobody else likes it, what would I do then? If I can’t please the people then I’m nothing.
Suppose the whole of Britain cried out for a 12 year old rum. Could you come up with one?
I couldn’t say yes or no just like that. It’s not just a question of age. It’s what type of profile would you want? The Maestro Ronero would need to understand what profile had been identified as being required.
So how do you create a new product? For example, the Barrel Proof – how did this come about?
The Barrel Proof is an expression you could compare whisky to. No one had done this with rum before.
It was the knowledge and wisdom of the premier Maestro Ronero that allowed it to happen. It was a challenge for us because the way we produce rum in Cuba, blending, ageing and blending and ageing again would not work. We had to work with just one barrel.
It took a long time as well. Over a year making sure that the whole process was right. And it was not just one Maestro Ronero that developed the Barrel Proof epxression, it needed every single one of us. I can assure you, no one else can do the same as that. It cannot be copied.
I tell Asbel it’s one of my favourites and discovered quite by accident – a business trip to China and the need to have a little company for the nights alone! It was quite a discovery and enjoyed almost exclusively with just a splash of water to open the flavours out. Asbel tells me it seems to be well liked by a great many people and was a consumer driven project.
We were able to support the consumer desire for an aged product. And we are pleased to achieve something that no one was able to achieve before. It was an experience for all of us and something that taught us something about the production of rum.
At this point Esther brings something to the conversation.
Esther tells us she was reminded of something that Don José Navarro said during one of his lectures on Cuban Barrel Proof previously. The smell is like opening the warehouse doors, first thing in the morning when the sun is coming up. The smell that wafts out is just what he (Don Navarro) was trying to put into the Barrel Proof.
It’s a particularly evocative image and one that that I would love to experience. Asbel tells me that should I ever get the opportunity to visit, I should look to experience the emotion of that moment for myself.
Looking to my notes, I ask how often (if at all) does Asbel get to speak to Don Navarro to ask his opinion on a matter.
Not often. We are based in different areas and so it’s not possible. The experience with the Barrel Proof was good because it brought all the Maestro Ronero together and united them. Each batch of Barrel Proof requires us all to get together.
I remark “It’s that complicated?” and Esther laughs as she listens to Asbels reply...
We plan ahead give it the maximum preparation time. More time is spent getting ready for this than if we are going on a date with a beautiful lady!
As you’re so interested in Barrel Proof, I should tell you that there is a little hint of news in this area. Because all the Maestro Ronero come together for each batch it’s a very special rum. In the future Barrel Proof will have a new name. Of course Havana Club will consult, but it’s likely that it will be something in Spanish and could be specific to each batch. Something to reflect just how special this expression is.
I suggest that perhaps there could be a batch that might be called ‘Seleccíon Morales’?
No, no – I couldn’t be uniquely identified with this. It’s just not how things are.
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