the rum range - goslingsrum.com · upwarj iii 2015." accl)rjing to rum: ... kobranj is
TRANSCRIPT
THE RUM RANGEAs the cane-based spirits' market share grows, so does
the plethora of sub-categories, flavors and niche offerings.by Gregg Glaser
RUM flAS THF sr -I f ~
12.9 PERCENTFOR ALL SPIRITS SOLD IN THE U.S. THISTRANSLATES TO 25 MILLION NINE-LITERCASES OF RUM SOLD HERE EACH YEAR.
~L ike ~(l many cmegmies of spirits, the
news for rum is the growth in premium
. and super premium.s. Only vodka, lhe
It"~lding spirit sold in the U.S., outsells fum.
Htlwever, vodka should watch its market
share, says Dod Bry<l11t of Polished PalaH.', a
Wlllpany [hM holds spirits' tflstings in major
cities acwss the €ounrry. "[ havt.: seen Ilvt.:r
,UlL! Ll\"t~r again huw interesTed pl;'llplc
h.:ollnc with rum once they han" a ~ir,
o.::>pccially Ihe fiueT \ arielil'S. Rum spoils
thcm." Malcolm G(l~ling, pn:siJl'llt ~lf
CJllsling's Expn!T (BennuJ,J) LId., a family
Jl~tilkr, :lgrct.:S. H..: t..:.'\11Cl:b rum "til lrt:n~l
upwarJ III 2015."
ACCl)rJing to Rum:! of Pucno Rico, fUlll
has the ~cond highest marht share - 12.9percent - for all spirits sold in the u.s. This
transhm.'s ro 25 millilm nine-lirt.:r cases llfrum sold here each year (Adams' estimatl' (llr
~006 s<lles was slightly less, al 22.8 milli\)n
\.:tses.) \Vith rum being the fastest growing
)pirit c<ltegory, these figures should make
Puerto Rican rum distillers SIHllll "SiJllld!",
hecause they sell about 70 perct'nt of ~lll rum
sllid in the U.S. The leading worldwide
h...nLI, Bacardi, has a 10( to do with thm.
RUM 1,< RHUMColumbus brl)Ught the first sugar cane to
the West Indies in 149.3, and that region
rL'mains n mnjor producer of nun, bm thert'
Me rum distilleries throughom the world.These distilleries either grow their own
....ugar cane or they plIrch<lse molasses. rhL'
hy~product of the industrial sugar-making
prucess and the basis for mOSI rum. Even
Puertu Rico, a major rum distilling nation.
huys iL~ mtJiasses (rom offshore. The island's
t"Ct.mllmy has become more industrial Ihan
.lgricultllml, and not nearly enough l)u/!:lr
c:me is grown there any longer.
This brings up the uiffen.:nce betwccn
Rum <JIlLI Rhum - thm pesk} 'h' is an
importalll litrle letter. Mosl rum ill the
world ~ pl\lbahly 96 percent ~ is distilled
tnnn molasses. 11lis is :-nmctimt.'s rl'lercl'LI hI
<IS "indusrri;ll rum," ilhhllllgh lllany rum dislill\:r~ mig-hI nllt likc thar term, helie\'ing it
In hl' a pejmative, That's n,11 the CISL'.
\'(Iont!erflll rums are made this way_
\Vhcn Ihe 'h' is aLkleJ, thc rhum distillers
arc ('cstalk ttl pllinr our that their rhums are
"..gricuhurnl" chums. Or "agricole," Ihe
French wnrcl. just ;l5 "rhum'" is the French
,~pclling. What d1C "agricultural" rhum dis~
lillvr~ ,H'C pflln10ring to differentiate their
rruLlllct!' is that instead of using molasscs,
t!\I.:Y rn,'~ rhL' juice directly from freshly h;lr~
\'l' ..rcli !'ugar canc - sometimes special single
\'ariL'ues II cane ~ .llld llistill this juicl.:,
Lib.: such proUUCI.S as Rhum Clemenr
and Rhllm B<lrbancollrt, thest' distilleries
COl1lpme r1wir rhum making process morc tIl
willl' making, 111 that rhum is only rroJuced
frllill Ihl: harvest (insread of yeaHOlll1d), is
Cl)tale grown anJ distillell, uses a srecial
sugar CtnC, ilnd is made in small batches, It's~l great selling pLlint for the super premium
c:ltI:g\lry :tnd the custnillers who have g~llle
to Ihe trL.luhle III learn ahout it, or Wh\l have
atr":ll.:kJ .. rasting where they have heen
inlrOLluced to ''rhum agricoll'."
Is (,nl.; hetter than the other? Tlwr
Cl)l1lL',~ Jnwn to persunal taste,
On... of (hese ag:ricultllml rums, without
the "h", is 10 Cme, in tbe U.S. f\)r only 2-1/2years and;] pnxluct of Moct Hennessy USA .10 Come's Roh Bryans said with this hnllld
the iLlca is III "devate the entire rUin categn
I)' with high-cnJ luxury rum, It's 3 huge edll
C<ltinl~nl jnh in shifting the minJscr of people
~I rUIll i~ ctlnsidcred sex\' and COtl!."
1(1 Canc coml.;'~ from the Carihhean
bland uf Trinidad (\\'ith ;l history of many
Frl~nlll settll'rs), and Ihe marketing stresses
rllar 10 Calk' is Jitfcrcnr fnllll llther rUln:-.
hl'CIIIS;': Ilnly 10(\ percent pure C,mt' juict: b
di~lilkJ anJ only 70 p... rccnl of IhL' juice
r1w I~st juice, thcy say ~ t'nltn the first
prL's~illg i~ ,lislill\.'I.l In nlklition, til(' rest Ilf
I.hL' pwccss i:, steeped in "II things French:
Fn.:nch rul stills, a French distiller and
French o:lk fm aging. "\Ve wanr Ihe taste dfIigIH, tresh rum, trlle It I the taste of lile ~llgar
cane." Bry:l1l:' said.
10 Cane is promoted with nationwidc
s,llllpling l.:Vl.:nrs I.hal include ,\ small cane
juice press set UI' ill tln-pn:mise !ocmi{lns
where CllS\()lll..:r:-. can press the cane them-
*Souree Rums of Puerto Rico
selves. The brand is alSl) working wirh bar
tendcr.i to encourage the mixing of classic
rum drinks, anJ with chefs h> pair rum
Jrinks with food.
Depa: Blue Cane Amber RhullI, from
M<lrtinique in the Fn.:nch \Vcst Indies, defi
nitely useS thl' "h," This agricul..: rhum is
proJuceJ un the Chnrc3l1 Depa~ family
estate, exclusively wirh hlue canL'. A proJ
lIer from KobranJ, thaI cOl1lpnny's vr,director of spirits, Tom Congdon, ~aiJ rhat
blue cane, :l variety that is in Shllrt supply,
will become more important in (he rhumcategory in the coming years.
"Customers have started to dabble in
super premium rum~ hr.:CilUSC of press atten·
tinn," Congdon said. "They're st'cing
lJpl.ions and they're inrerested, bUI they're
11111 yel commir.ted to changing rheir rum
Llrinking patterns."
Congdon saiJ that Kohrand's policy is
to look for "authentic family pfllducts that
arc the best of rheir rcginn. ''1./e don't walll
to create ,) product [)ut u( a cuncept. Wc
think the consumer is smarter than that al1LI
wants authenticity." Wilh Depaz, Congdun
5..",id there's "a cachet and a flavor profile
linked to the limited·c:-.I.ate produnion...
The hrand even holds a French Appellation
J'Originc Controlce dc~ignation.
Only in the U,S, since June n( lasl. yl':lr,
initially in New YClrk City and Miami,
Ik-pa: h;b rt.·ct.'i\'eLII'(l~ili\'t.'prt.:ss <lrtentilll1
and tL'views 'Illd will he in len markt'l.;; hv
the end of the year. The markering cam
paign is !ocus(,.'d (In wClrll-uf-llllllllh and IlIl
pr~mise rasrings, KobranJ is <Ilsu wurking
with Cllntell1j1llmry Cocktails, Inc., a con
suruulll of hal' chefs ,lcross till' Ct lUll try, to
cr~att: Sped'll Dcra: cocktails such as the
Depil: Summer SUIl. The hr.-lIld is 'lCcnlllpa~
nird hy Dcpaz Cant." Syruj', \vhich IS used in
cocktails find h'lked g(1l)ds such as Dep:l:
Rhum cake and n,.'pa: chocolare t'Tuffles,
(;-Iste of Rcrmulla. \'(Ie're selling tht..'
&'rmlllia Iife:'>I\,le."
Orher aged rums, among 3 long list.
include scveral from Bacarcli (Reser,,:!, ;,8.Resl'l'\'a limit:lda); Ron del Barrilitn's 25,,11'and') Star; non Q Aile-jo :mel Gnllld AllCjU
fmm the Serralles distillery (nil from Puerto
Rico); Ml,unt Gay Extra Old,:1 rum flgeJ for
17 years; Captain Morgan PI',,'atc Srock ,mdPyrat Rum XO Reserve.
Launched last Fehruary wirh tht." roll-uut
finisheJ in early May, Tommy Bahama Rum
from nal'badrls, imported hy Sidney Fr;mklmpnrring Cll., is practlcillly hmnd I'v.:w illthe U.S, The tWll br:lllds are TomlllYB<thanw \Xlhite Sanll (il clear rUlIl aged aminimum tl two years) and "Ttnnmy Bah.una
Gnldt'n Sun (an amher nUll which is a hlen\.1
(If rums agcJ three years).
LC'c EinsiJlcr, CEO tlf SiJney Frank
Imrurring Cn., said hl;' St..'cs "cxplosi\'c gnm'lh
potential with white rum illlll ultra~rremillm
profits f{lr retailers." Thl.' 1i.lmmy Rlh<1l11il
brands ilre hl.'ing advertisl.'d in many n;lrion:tl
m<tgazinl'~ year-round (Cig:lr Aficionadn,
Conde NaSI Tmvcler, Forhes, Food and \Vinc.
GQ, Golf, Gourmet, Men's joumal, NewYorker, Vanit\' Fair, \VinJing Road, Wine
SpCC{;"tlllr) wirh the lag lin!.' "1:'1511,.' Parndisc."
111esc ads will k-arurl' cnckrail reciIX'S thmwilllell consumers Imw 10 drink an ullm~rrt..'.
mium rum in llirm-prenlltlln cocktlils. One
such sigll,uurc drink is the TOllllllytini, a \Hilr
tini made with rum.
An{1thl'r f<lirly rCCl.'nr inlroductilm illrhl,.' U.S, is Stall' AfriC<1n Rum, here for jllsl
two ami a half years. jeffrey Zarnuw, a fur
mer flimmakcr, is Ihe imponcr. He t;(~t(.'d
the j1roc!UCI <tnd lefl Ihe film husincss.
Designed f'lr CX~1I.1rt ftom an estahlished
GOING DARK
"Peopll.' nre awakening to aged rums,"
according ttl Dori Bryanr. "It's actually
refreshing to see pcopk's eyes pup open
when rhey taste Vizcaya VXOP Cask 21,
Tortuga 5 aild 11, DiplnmatiCll, Salll<l
Tcn:sa 1796, (Ron) Botrnn Solem anJ R(ln
Zacapa 23 years."
Th<.'$(' arc·jusl a (ew of the man" aged
rums un lilt;" U.S. marker. In Jamaica,
Appleton Estate inuoduccd irs R~sl.'rn.'
Jamaica Rum earlil.'t this year. Cn:an:d h~'
Appleton Estate Mastcr Blender Joy Spence
(the industry's first fCllIale master blcn~k:r),
Reserve is a blend tlf 20 rums. Since ItS ~'rig·
inal n:lcasc in Jamnic;1 in 2002. Reservt' hm;
rccL'lvcd many inrcrnalillll..1 awarJs. TIl(,.'
Applchll1 ESTate p(lntolin also include:::.
Applcl.lm Estiltl.-' VX (the tlagship), Appleltm
Estate Extra, Arrlclnn E;;;(;lh.' 21 Year Old (<I
rone and expensive rum), Arrlctnn Otlld
Spcdd Rum and Applc[lln Whire Rum.
Anmhcrgreat jamail.:iln rum in thl' U,S,
markel is j,Kk Tiu Superil1r jamaican Dark
Rum, which recently n.~ccivcd a
"Recommended" accolade from the
Beverage l':lsting Inslilure. The oversi:ed
hnulc prcs\.·n{s great potential for the off
premise seer.lr and is also a great mixing
rum f.lr (ln~premise ;lCCtlUlliS th,lt have cus
tomers I00king for a Sweeter, dark rum.
Robert C(lilins, lnanaging director of FloI'de Calia, from Nicar:1!!lIa, said that even
thl)lIgh his higgesr seller is the 4 year~nld
Guld, l-llc.' hig push 11l the u.s. is with th(' 7year-nlLl Grand Reserva a;o; Flnr de Caila'~
flagship nlm In the premium c.Hegnry.
U\Vc\'(' bei.'11 <laively Jen..loping tlur
hranJs for seven years with :1n imemalional
division l,.lSCd in Miami," Collins said, IXlSi
tioning our rums as high·LJuality ;lgcd rums
the single malrs of the rum c:ucgory." floI' de
Calla's nmlS arc 100 percent ;lgc-slated nn thl'
label, Collins said, "nor :l hlend like others."
Th<:- marketing campaign in the U.s. LISt'S the
catchy term "Florplay" ro introduce l'i1e
brand. Other Rur de C:lna rums inclu\.lt.: 4year-old Ex[r.J Lite, 4 year-old Extra Dry,S
year-old Black Label, IZyear-old Cemenario,
18 year-old Centenario Gnld anJ the 21 y.:ar~
old uJmmclll()ratin Edition.
ljn:-Iing'<; Okl Rum .lcclimpanie!' till'!:>cvLn-generation-{1Id I3Cl'llluJa distillLr\
Rbck Se:l! Rum and Gold Rllm in ilK U.S.)\·blwlll1 Gllsling s•.Iid lhal (lI}(e hi~ (ll'ln
decided til put thc "CI)1Tect" c(fnrt;o; in!,)
m.jrkcting [lIdr rums in the U.s. thrl'l' yt.."HI'S
ag<l, lhl.' focus \Va:. nn 3g('J fum, "\Ve saw
that the cnnsumcr was cxperimellling with
new rroduct entri('s in Ihis cnc}!11ry,"
Gtlsling :-aid. Tht." Jbtillcr dCliJed 10
Ix'cnml' a player in Ihe U.s."Our hl':'>1 sales Innl is rhc tastC' in till'
bI1nk," GIl:-ling snill. The distiller is al:-o
advcnising in Bon ApPl.'tit r,l empha~i:e lhe
cutin<lry 'lspeCL~ of rum, :lnJ is offering W~[
ing t)ppornll1itics thn)ugh the sp(l!1Sprship
of :ip.ln:- and social e,'('nts ~uch as foorh,lIl
(Gillene S(adium), gt)lf (LPlJA. PCA,Champi{lllS "ft111r). sailing (numef\IUS rt..'!.!al
I,IS on rhe EI:.r Coast anJ \Vcsr Coa:'>l anJ
even C{llor.ldn), rughy (U~A 7':.), Nascar
(Ginn, Pncono '500), hook rnur~, rhl::ltre
(I-!:JS[\' PuJJing) an\.l rhe 13lln Appctit
Cclc-hril)' Chef E,"enrs in Bl'aver Creek,
CO, Scnllsdale, AZ, Las Veg,ls, NV ;l1ldTest I(i,clwll in New York City.
Gosling's is sold in all 50 ,q,lILS :111\.1Gusling !laiJ dlC company's signatllfl' cock
t,lll, D:lrk & Srorm\'. "h<l;o; heen a gn::H
n~hiclc for Gosling's rn givc p\.'o"le rhe
•~.
NEW SCENE
~/ICUSTOMERS HAVE STARTED TO DABBLEIN l f f I ) \ Jt f
r ~ J THEY'RE SEEINGOPTIONS AND THEY'RE INTERESTED./I
, f'l - tl
"~St KHI:s. West Indies i
•www.brinleygoJdrum.com :§
Brinley Gold RUIll from the West
InJit:s has:'l wide :lrmy offla\'oP.i in its line.
The I:ll.Jrd-o!il) includl.'!> Vanilb, Mango,
Coffec, o,conul anJ Limt:, which is the
most rcccnt addition til the Brinley Guld
Rum linc of flaVl)ts.
Malibu is ;mnther hig player with
flavon:J rum:., with Malibu Ori:,:inal
CnCnnll( :lince 1980, Malibu Pineapple,
M;llihu Mango, Mrllihu Passion Fruit
and the 2007 addirion to the br.lIld,Malihu Tn)pica[ B::tn:l.Il:1.
Jeff Agdcrn, mruketing VP f\lr
Malibu nr PCl'1llKI Ricnrd USA, said the
bunch nf Malihu TrupiGd Banana has
bCt:ll suppnrred wirh ,1 multi~milli()n dlll
Jar mmker ing cmnp<llgn including
natillnn! TV, print and mdin, and <J wide
range of Cllllsumer promotions and s~m
plings over the slimmer. Also, a range of
Caribhcan~illspircd cockt:lils has heen
developcd hy harrcnders using Malihu
Tropical Ranana, such as Malibu
Tropic..1Sunrise, Malihu Green Monh.'y
and Malibu Slippery Banana. M;llihll
also brnllght OUl new packaging for rhe
entire M<llihu line earlier this year.
In additinll to iI'S other rums, Flm de
Cail:l also sells 4 ycar~old Limon. The
Don Q hr.md from Serralles has Don QLimon Cirrus Rum. Cnltrlll Rum
Distillery in Sc. Crnix offers consulHers 8tropical fla\'llrs Itl chlKhe from. And,
Carihay;.!, all imponcd Carihlx'an rum,
has (nm flavors in irs line - Spiced,
C ICOIHlt, M<lngu <lnL! Pineapple - in
addirion tu a liglH and ~IMk rum.
The nun clrcgory ha~ al~l henefiTted.
llf l:omsc. (r'lm I hI:: hugt: ropularit y of rhl:
mojim,;) cbssic cockraillhat SCfl':lmS for
rum. "rvhljihls h:wc IX'come ~(I 1Jl.lpular
thar if a hll' doesn't currt:ntly sen'l.' ;]
l1lojilO. rhey will sonn," BrY:lllt said. She
cVt:n IIlcntiullnl ,1 h,ll' in T8Il1p'l. FL,
Gd.':ipar's Grotlu. th,lt grows its uwn lIIitll
hehind the rest<lIlt,ll1[ fnr p,ltfons to select
for thdr mnjirl). Now. lhcl"c's ::l gout! way
fll incre;ISC yuur rUI1l s~lk~s.•
FlAVORED
1920's distillery in Mauritius, .In African
Isbnd, Zarnow :laid salr.:s ofSrarr African
Rum m0re than Joubled last yt:ar. Therllm is cum:ndy sllld in t:ighr start's.
·'t)ur luain !"I()inr In ...Ii(fl'rentiare liS,"
Z",rnow ~aid, "b that chi:. i!'l an African
rUlll. ll\lr Carihbl.:'<U1, Ccmral Of SuurhAmerican, which is botdt'\.1 in a unique
Afril.::nn-madc horde." This bonk with:I slt'L'k pyramid shape, is a major selling
pdim fnr rhl: hrand. "Pt'nph: Sl'C this hnt
th: and rll ...,y wani it fll]" their home hars
1)1' to givl: til frknds," Zampw said.
Alsn j(lining the new rum wave is
the ulrr,,-pl'cmillll1 Balnhu, launched
mro the '<In:gury in M,m.:h 2005. As u(
July l)( this )'e,ll', J),llnbu has a new pack
age, including a pink ["hel ~n,J lapl'reJ
French bnttlc, which is more true to irs
strateg)' as rh~ (irsl flllll designed for
women. rhmhu USCi' the m0st advanced
Jistillation and filrr,uilln tl.'chniques in
nrder to pnll..lucl' light hndil.'d, pure nllli
with \'irltlall)' no afrcr-m:.tl.'. It is hand
crafted in sm:lll hmc!lCs, thus prnJuclion
is highly limiled.
The orhl.'r news with rllm is rhc intftl
uucrion of 11;I\'llrcd rUllIs. Thl.'rt:'s a sim
ple n:aS4l1l fllr tillS and the \\'or~l i1' nll.lka.\'Villwill Ramos 01 RaL~n.1i said that
COlllpellng with flavnr('~1 \".Jka is rhl.'
((:<I:.on l1aclrJi gIlt imp rhi-. marh'L
;'\Xlhcn BacarJi launchl.'d RacarJi Lilll\'111
it was giving Ihl.' C'\IlSUlHer a fum that
df"tcn.:J more 11a\'(lr than \"\x.Ika," R,UllllS
saiJ. "Thcrd~'rl.' it ul.'atL"d.l pl"tlllUl:! th:lt
prn\,idt·J llll)re h:dant.:e \\·hen it Gllne 10
Oa\'l ll, ,ugar, acids and alcoh\ ,I."n<lC,lr~1i 1l,IW 11m, P(',lCh Red,
rdca~l·d in tvla)', in additiull to Lilll{lIl
(I:tullChe~1 in 1995), Bacardi 0 (Orange
fbvtll"l:J), RIc;lrdi Cnw (Cllcollut tla
vored), Racudi Razz (Raspberry Oa
\'()r~d), Bacardi Hig ;\]lple ,mJ Hac<lrdi
Gran Mt,ltln.
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