Cartavio

Ron Cartavio is a renowned Peruvian rum producer, established on April 29, 1929, when the Cartavio plant began operations under the Cartavio Sugar Company.

Situated in the fertile Chicama Valley, Cartavio’s distillery is fully vertically integrated—cultivating its own sugarcane, refining sugar, and producing molasses for fermentation. The distillery utilizes both vacuum-assisted column stills and a John Dore pot still, allowing for the production of both delicate, lighter rums and rich, full-bodied styles.

Aging is conducted through solera-type systems in a variety of oak casks—American, Limousin, Slovenian, and Spanish oak—often utilizing barrels that previously held sherry, such as Pedro Ximénez, to impart additional complexity. Notable aged expressions include Reserva 8 Years, Selecto 5 Years, Solera 12 Years, and the prestigious XO, a blend of rums aged 10 to 30 years (with an average component age of 18 years).

Over its history, Cartavio has navigated periods of nationalization (1968), privatization (mid-1990s), and modernization—continually refining its facilities, raw material sourcing, and techniques for aging and blending.