Herencia XO: The Premium Legacy of Cuban Rum Debuts at FIHAV 2025

The Havana Beverage and Refreshment Company (Ember) made a dual launch at the 41st International Havana Fair: the new rum brand “Herencia” and its flagship product, Herencia Extra Añejo XO, a premium creation destined to cross borders. Diasney Corrales Echevarría, Master of Legendario Rum, was the architect behind this new liquid jewel.

For the company, the fair represented a “great opportunity,” as Corrales explained, not only to present a product but to launch a brand with global ambition. “We aspire for it to become established in the international market,” affirmed the master.

The idea of creating “Herencia” emerged approximately five years ago, aligning with the country's directives to diversify brands and products. “We set ourselves the task of creating a new rum brand in the market. This was because we have the Legendario rum brand, but we were not the exclusive marketers. Therefore, we did not have our own brand,” detailed Corrales.

The name “Herencia” was chosen for its profound meaning. “Herencia says a lot; it is what is inherited. We are the custodians of the rum culture that has been inherited over three centuries in our country,” he highlighted. Furthermore, he finds a syncretism with the already popular Legendario brand, symbolizing the connection with ancestors and times past.

A Premium Product for Distinction

After establishing the brand, five products were designed. The first was a white aged rum. However, the opportunity to create a premium product that would give distinction to the brand was crucial. “A rum brand that does not have a premium product that gives it distinction, that is a limited production... it just doesn't have the same effect,” commented the expert.

This is how the Herencia Extra Añejo XO was born. “XO is a term for extra aged, where the youngest aging base must be a minimum of 10 years. In this case, our product has multiple aging bases, but the youngest is 15 years old,” clarified Corrales.

This premium product is, in his words, “heir to the most ancestral ways of making rum.” Its elaboration is a meticulous process. Its carefully selected aged bases underwent four long stages of aging, where the third and fourth stages took place in 400 and 500-liter barrels with more than 45 years of service. “These barrels give the product's blend an unmatched glamour,” revealed the Rum Master, who described the process as “zealously cared for.”

When asked what distinguishes Herencia, Corrales was emphatic: “The Herencia has had all the love of Havana. With bases of 15 years, it is unique and unrepeatable.”

A Journey Through the History of Cuban Rum

The master used the presentation to take a journey through the history of rum in Cuba, tracing back to the beginning of the colony when a rudimentary aguardiente was produced from sugarcane molasses, appreciated by slaves and pirates. He highlighted milestones such as the introduction of the steam engine in the 18th century, the codification of light Cuban rum in 1862, and the boom that the US Prohibition represented for the industry on the largest of the Antilles.

It is within this historical context that Herencia Extra Añejo XO finds its true meaning. “We can say that it is an heir to the accumulated knowledge, passed down from generation to generation of the master rum makers of yesteryear,” reflected Corrales.

The final result is a product with a “bright, shining dark amber color with coppery reflections,” a spectacular rum that is not only the calling card of a new brand but the ambassador of a centennial heritage now seeking its place in the most exclusive international markets.