Expert: Paul Wagner - 11/3/2007

Question
Hi Paul,
I recently came across a bottle of rum from Cuba.  Its a older bottle no date on it though.  Its Trocadero Rum 90 proof. It is distilled & bottled by Destiladora de Licores Cubanos.  On the bottom of the bottle it says Ramon Del Collado Habana, Cuba  The bottle is 14 inches in hieght, color is a dark brown glass bottle with a white label.  It is unopened and still has seal on the top of it.  Do you have any info of the timeframe of this and the value?   Thanks in advance for the help.

Answer
Hi Joe

I am not a great expert on bottles, but my guess is that this is a pre-Castro bottling...probably from the fifties.  It won't have much value to a connoisseur, because distilled spirits, unlike wine, don't change much in the bottle--the alcohol level is too high.  But it should be safe to drink for that same reason.

If you want to know about the value of the bottle, you might check with antiquebottles.com.  They have a great website, and lots of people who know bottles better than I do.

Hope that helps...

Paul Wagner