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Havana Club collaborates with Skepta

Rapper Skepta has created his own iteration of Havana Club rum, called Rum of Skepta.

Havana-Club
Rapper Skepta has made a limited edition rum with Havana Club

Skepta, famed for hits including Shutdown, worked with Havana Club’s maestro del ron Cubano (rum master), Asbel Morales, to create an expression that would celebrate the cultural links between Cuba, community and Skepta’s homeland, Nigeria.

Together, the pair aimed to produce a rum that would appeal to the ‘next generation’ of rum drinkers through a ‘natural affiliation’ to rap music and street culture.

Skepta and Morales created the rum when the rapper visited Cuba in early 2020, and Morales showed Skepta different casks from Havana Club’s cellars to create the blend.

Tasting notes include aromas of tropical fruits, oak, cacao and tobacco, leading to a ‘full-bodied’ palate.

Anne Martin, global marketing director at Havana Club International, said: “This exceptional rum highlights our continued commitment to collaboration and community as we seek to create outstanding rums that will excite existing rum fans and resonate with a new audience of Gen Z consumers, of legal drinking age.

“We are honoured to once again be working with Skepta, one of the most influential voices of his generation, to drive relevance and credibility with our key consumers on a global scale.

“Rum of Skepta showcases the artist’s unrivalled success and the extraordinary talents of our maestros who continue to define the modern-day rum category.”

Only 3,000 bottles will be made available at select on-trade establishments in the UK, including The Arts Club in Mayfair, London, and specialist retailers such as the Harvey Nichols department store in Knightsbridge.

Rum of Skepta will also be available to buy online in the UK for RRP £85 (US$117), and other European countries including Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Spain.

A short film and photography series depicting Skepta’s career will support the launch.

The artist initially worked with the Pernod Ricard-owned rum brand back in 2019, when he first visited Havana, Cuba. The visit resulted in Skepta and Havana Club launching a pair of redesigned Havana Club 7 rum bottles, which featured traditional Nigerian symbols in a nod to Skepta’s heritage.

Skepta is not the only rapper to have joined the rum scene in recent years. In May this year, Ms Banks featured in Havana Club’s Cuban Spiced campaign and Kano released Duppy White earlier this month.

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