La Hechicera: mystical rum from Colombia
La Hechicera (pronounced la-echiséra) is a young rum brand from the Colombian Caribbean. A wilder place, full of diverse habitats and a truly magical atmosphere.
Colombia has become a wellspring of inspiration for it. The country stretches between two majestic oceans and three mountain ranges. It hides a diverse nature with tropical rainforests, misty forests, mountain steppes, deserts, and plains. Rum La Hechicera is a celebration of fascinating natural beauty, local culture, and history shrouded in mystique. It is one of the countries where the literary genre of magical realism emerged. The creators of this brand themselves say that truth in Colombia is often much stranger than fiction. So it may not surprise anyone that the name La Hechicera translates from Spanish to "sorceress."
The Riascos Family and Their Casa Santana Ron y Licores
The La Hechicera rum brand is backed by the Riascos family, who have been producing fine rums in Colombia for three generations, focusing on taste and quality.
However, the La Hechicera brand was created by the third generation of the Riascos family in 2011. It was founded by siblings Laura and Miguel Riascos Jr. and their collaborator Martamaria Carrillo.
The whole story began decades before its inception as a vision of their father and grandfather. They longed to produce rum but didn’t know how. From a banana farm on the Colombian Caribbean coast, Miguel Riasco Sr. repeatedly returned to Cuba for new business opportunities. After an incredible 17 visits, he managed to strike a deal with one of Fidel Castro's ministers and began collaborating with the largest Cuban rum production experts.
In Barranquilla, the capital of the Colombian Atlantic region, a factory named Casa Santana Ron y Licores was established. It still processes and blends rums from various Colombian, Cuban, and Central American distilleries. It is one of the few private Colombian rum production factories. By traveling around the Caribbean, sourcing the highest quality production materials, seeking the best barrels, and attracting the most talented master blenders, the Riascos family gradually created a rum with a distinct style and its own story.
What is La Hechicera Rum Like
"Rum, like a person, is valued more for its maturity than for its age."
Miguel Riascos Noguera (founder and president of Casa Santana)
La Hechicera is a natural rum without embellishments.
This means it is without added substances or flavor enhancement with sugar. Its smooth, delicate taste is the result of aging in noble American oak barrels previously used for bourbon, which means it requires no flavoring or final adjustments. The rum ages using the solera system, and only rums with a respectable age of 12 to 21 years are involved in this process. The flavor profile will remind you of how real rum should taste. You can sense intense woody notes, intoxicating caramel, orange peel, tobacco, and espresso.
Since 2002, the aging and blending process of La Hechicera rums has been overseen by Japanese-Cuban master blender Giraldo Mituoka Kagana. Giraldo began his career cutting sugar cane during the Cuban revolution. Through gradually perfecting his knowledge of sugar and sugarcane distillates, he worked his way up to becoming a respected master blender. Giraldo, as the son of Japanese immigrants, approaches his role with the precision of a samurai.
Designer Bottle
Everyone who appreciates not only the exceptional taste of rum but also an interesting backstory and beautiful design will love La Hechicera rum. Just hold the bottle up to the light and the images on the glass will enhance your overall experience of enjoying this rum.
