Casa BACARDÍ Rum Tasting Tour

San Juan is a beautiful city with a rich culture and history. If you're visiting Puerto Rico, be sure to make time to visit Casa BACARDÍ, the iconic distillery that was built in 1958. This article will give you a glimpse of what you can expect when you visit this historical landmark.

While my visit was part of a media trip with Discover Puerto Rico, all opinions remain my own. 

Enter Casa BACARDÍ with a Welcome Drink

Everyone loves a good entrance. Upon arrival at Casa BACARDÍ, you'll be greeted with a token to use for one free rum beverage. I'm not generally a mojito girl, but the mint leaves felt right with a healthy splash of rum.

Before beginning your tour, you can enjoy the delightful outdoor space. The Casa BACARDÍ sits beneath an abstract Pavillion. Get far enough away, and you'll realize it's meant to look like the BACARDÍ bat logo.

Tour the Casa BACARDÍ Grounds by Trolley

Since I was traveling as a journalist, I had a slightly more detailed tour than the average Joe. To start, we hopped on a trolley and made our way across the grounds.

Its area is much larger than I expected! Our first stop was where Casa BACARDÍ ages their rum. This isn't part of the standard tour, and I really think it should be. You walk into a huge open-air warehouse and are hit with the delightful smell of aging oak. Due to Puerto Rico's tropical climate, they are able to age their rums in as little as seven years, whereas it would generally take 11-12 in other parts of the world.

After leaving the aging room, we hopped back on the trolley as our guide explained what we saw along the rum trail.

Catch a Glimpse of the BACARDÍ Palm Tree

One of the coolest things you'll see is a palm tree planted behind a bust of Mr. Bacardi himself. When the first BACARDÍ factory opened in Cuba, a palm tree was planted. It was said that as long as the palm tree stood, that BACARDÍ would thrive in Cuba. After many years, the palm tree was damaged. Shortly after, BACARDÍ in Cuba was forced to close.

When BACARDÍ was relocated to Puerto Rico, a palm tree was replaced to symbolize BACARDÍ's future in Puerto Rico. The palm tree has since survived earthquakes and the devastating Hurricane Maria. Like the palm tree, BACARDÍ remains strong in Puerto Rico.

Try Premium BACARDÍ Rums

You'll end your tour with a guided tasting. We tried four different rums, including one rum that is only available for purchase on-site in Puerto Rico.

While I enjoyed my rum tour at Castillo Serrallés (home of Don Q) more, I still recommend visiting Casa BACARDÍ' for a fun afternoon.