March 2021 - Rum In the News

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                                        FLOR DE CAÑA

Flor de Caña has been honored with the prestigious “Sustainability Award”, the highest distinction given during the 2020 Green Awards organized by The Drinks Business, in recognition of the brand’s leadership within the industry and historic commitment to sustainable practices. Today, Flor de Caña is the only global spirit to hold the world’s two top sustainability certifications: Carbon Neutral and Fair Trade. While this achievement impressed the judges, it was the additional efforts of this family-owned brand that secured its position as recipient of the award, in particular the use of 100% renewable energy to distill its rum, planting 50,000 trees annually since 2005 and its programs to support the local community. The Carbon Neutral certification, issued by Carbon Trust, assures consumers that Flor de Caña offsets all carbon emissions during the entire lifecycle of the rum, from field to market. Meanwhile, the Fair Trade certification, issued by Fair Trade USA, verifies that the rum is sustainably produced in compliance with over 300 rigorous labor, social and environmental standards. The Flor de Caña story began in 1890 when a young Italian adventurer decided to establish a distillery at the base of Nicaragua’s tallest and most active volcano, the San Cristóbal. 130 years and five family generations later, the entire production process of Flor de Caña continues under the supervision of the same family, mastering the art of sustainable rum making. Flor de Caña is a sustainably produced premium rum that’s Carbon Neutral & Fair Trade certified. From an 1890 family estate, it’s distilled with 100% renewable energy and naturally aged without sugar. It was awarded “Best Rum Producer of the Year” by the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2017. www.flordecana.com

                                              WIRSPA

Caribbean rum producers are joining forces with French group CIRT-DOM, to get the best deal for their exports into major markets, particularly the European Union. Rum producers of the Caribbean Forum, members of the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), recently signed a MOU with their French counterparts CIRT-DOM – the traditional rum producers of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Reunion, which are all Departments of France.

The two groupings, each representing a tradition of rum production that stretches back hundreds of years, have with this sixth accord, renewed their commitment to working together in the interest of building the rum category based on authentic provenance, common rules, and promoting a level playing field against increasing competition from products which benefit from production subsidies. According to Chairman of WIRSPA, Komal Samaroo, “We have a long history of collaboration with our French counterparts, almost 25 years since the signing of our first agreement in 1997. Together we face a sharp rise in non-traditional imports of rum into our traditional markets, especially the European Union and the UK. Many of these competing brands do not always follow the rules, and many benefit from extensive production and marketing subsidies which place us at a competitive disadvantage. These developments, coupled with the impact of Brexit and the new trade deals being pursued by the UK, underline the need for joint action.” Alain Chatel, President of the French grouping CIRT-DOM said, “We have worked with WIRSPA over several decades to promote rum rules that respect origin, and to urge compliance with the regulations which do not permit flavoring of rum, and labeling regulations that are truthful. Both our groupings are traditional producers of authentic rum based on true provenance, and we have together worked to build the reputation of rum as a quality premium spirit, alongside the best of the best. We share a common philosophy.” The “Conseil Interprofessionnel du Rhum Traditionnel” (the Interprofessional Council for Traditional Rum) comprises the rum producers of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Reunion. West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA) is one of the oldest private sector trade associations in the Caribbean. It represents rum producers in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. https://www.wirspa.com/, cirt.dom@wanadoo.fr

                                          KOLOA RUM

Hawai’i’s award-winning Koloa Rum Company announces international distribution expansion as the brand’s premium Hawaiian rums debut at retail in Australia. The result of a new relationship with Australia’s largest online drinks retailer, Endeavor Marketplace, Koloa Rum products can now be purchased online through Dan Murphy’s. “Our retail expansion in Australia is an important step toward our goal of increasing distribution and availability of Koloa Rum products internationally,” said Bob Gunter, President & CEO of Koloa Rum Company. “Dan Murphy’s has a long-established reputation for being the largest liquor retailer in Australia, and their focus on craft and imported spirits makes them a perfect platform for our premium Hawaiian rums.” Koloa Rum products including its premium Kaua’i Coconut and Coffee rums are now available through Dan Murphy’s online ordering platform, which is available across Australia’s six states.

Koloa Rum Company was founded to create superior Hawaiian rum and ready-to-drink cocktails using locally sourced ingredients. In doing so, Koloa Rum provides quality employment opportunities for the community of Kaua’i and meaningful support to the local agricultural industry by increasing cultivated acreage and preserving open space. https://www.koloarum.com, www.danmurphys.com.au.

                                      RON ABUELO

Ron Abuelo XII Two Oaks, Selección Especial is now available in the US market. It is the new rum from the Panamanian company Varela Hermanos SA. It is imported to the U.S. by Total Beverage Solution, SC. It is the new member of the Abuelo family: Ron Abuelo Añejo, Ron Abuelo 7 Años, Ron Abuelo 12 Años, Ron Abuelo Two Oaks, Finish Collection (Oloroso, Napoleón & Tawny) and Ron Abuelo Centuria. This special edition rum is a blend of rums aged between 8 and 40+ years, with an average of a little more than 11 years old. This drink begins its double maturation in white oak bourbon barrels and completes its aging in American oak barrels for about 9 months. Luis J. Varela, Jr., third generation of the Varela family and current head of the company, focused on creating a rounder, silkier product about the range of flavors that exist in Abuelo’s showcase. He wanted to create a smoother, more exceptional rum, relying on new techniques. The Ron Abuelo XII Two Oaks is matured twice since it spends its last nine months before bottling in 200-liter virgin American oak barrels that have been strategically cut inside to ensure maximum extraction from the surface. Inside the barrel, the rum undergoes slow carbonization at different temperatures ranging from 25º to 32ºC, transforming the sugars in the wood into delicious caramel notes. In the end, the barrel is blended with rum from just over 11 years old for its final nine-month aging and finishing phase. The result is a dark mahogany rum with a bouquet of light smoke and toasted oak supported by vanilla and nuts. Slightly smoky and velvety in the mouth, Two Oaks has an intense flavor of spices, caramel, and roasted coffee beans with hints of coconut that lead to a long, lingering finish.http://www.ronabuelopanama.com/

                                        BACARDI

Bacardi, the world’s largest family-owned spirits company, announces the launch of Mix Lab an innovative app that gives cocktail lovers the experience of a well-crafted cocktail at-home and the ability to create personalized cocktail recipes based on the ingredients they have on hand. The platform also offers opportunities for bartenders to showcase their expertise while building their name and reputation.

Born out of people’s lack of inspiration and confidence in making a cocktail from home, Mix Lab is perfect for cocktail enthusiasts of all levels who, due to the pandemic, have been inspired to become “at-home bartenders.” This has been made evident by the spike in internet searches for “easy cocktail recipes” throughout 2020, resulting in 40% of U.S. consumers being interested in make-at-home cocktail kits (Nielsen CGA 2020 survey). Furthermore, the latest 2021 Cocktail Trends Report from Bacardi highlights that one in four people in the U.S. say they are now making cocktails at home, and one in five people in the U.K. are hosting virtual gatherings from their homes, indicating that the trend of at-home drinking and cocktail-making kits is set to continue into 2021 and beyond.

Mix Lab serves as a one-stop-shop for this expanding community of cocktail lovers, with ultra-personalized recipe recommendations, easy-to-follow video tutorials from expert bartenders, and in-app product purchase (currently only available in the U.S.) all in one place. The tools needed for a delicious and simple, yet customized cocktail, are right at the user’s fingertips, and made possible by the following features:

  • My Bar Tool: Provides recipe recommendations based on the ingredients users already have on hand, enabling them to create a personalized cocktail at-home. Simply add in your ingredients and watch the recipes appear.
  • Vast Library of Recipes: Users have access to over 300 cocktail recipes (and growing!) by their favorite bartenders so they can browse and try a cocktail that matches their preferences. Cocktails range from classics like a French 75 and a Moscow Mule to more unique concoctions like a Chai Old Fashioned.
  • Ultra-Personalized Recommendations: Utilizes an AI-driven recommendations engine that suggests cocktail recipes based on the user preferences selected when creating their profile, curating personalized options based on what they like, while removing any suggestions they don’t.
  • In-App Purchases + Online Delivery (via Thirstie): Gives users in the U.S. an easy way to stock up on ingredients for at-home cocktail creations.
  • Gifting Shop: In the U.K., Mix Lab hosts a gifting site where consumers can shop for their favorite spirits and alcohol gift sets.

Developed by Bacardi with both the consumer and the bartender in mind, the app allows users to master and experiment with mixology from the comfort of their homes. Mix Lab is now available to download for free on iOS and Android platforms. www.mixlabcocktails.com 

                           PHENOMENAL SPIRITS

Just two years after officially opening its doors for business in December of 2018, Phenomenal Spirits has secured formal distribution agreements for its spirits brands in France, Denmark, Poland and the UK. In February of 2020, the company formally launched Ron Izalco 10 Year Rum in the US and soon followed with the launch of Ron Izalco 15 Year Cask Strength Rum and RY3 Whiskey Finished in Rum Cask. Distribution of Phenomenal Spirits three ultra-premium brands in the US has since expanded to include California, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC, Alabama, and Mississippi with aggressive plans for continued expansion in 2021. Phenomenal Spirits was founded by visionary spirits entrepreneur Karthik Sudhir with the mission of invoking phenomenal moments for phenomenal people through handcrafted, authentic, and exceptionally high-quality spirits that fill unmet gaps in the spirits category. To accomplish his mission, Sudhir assembled a team of dedicated professionals including Master Blender, Matt Witzig, Co-founder, and Master Distiller of Joseph Magnus Distillery. Sudhir commented, “High-end spirits and rum connoisseurs are eager for new expressions that are complex yet beautifully balanced and fill an untapped need in their drinks repertoire. Ron Izalco 10 Year is a 43% ABV full-bodied rum that is less sweet than competitive offerings. It is straight-aged 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels utilizing Solera aging and perfectly suited for sipping or enjoying in high-end craft cocktails. Ron Izalco 15 Year Cask Strength is an unrivaled blend of Spanish-style rums straight-aged for a minimum of 15 Years & crafted with no sugars or additives. It was created to provide connoisseurs with a pure and authentic rum-drinking experience. Since its inception, Phenomenal Spirits have received numerous awards giving testimony to the superior quality and craftsmanship of the extraordinary liquid in the bottle. In 2018, Ron Izalco 10 Year won a coveted Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition followed by numerous awards in 2019 including: Double Gold & Rum Trophy at the International Spirits Challenge and Master of Rum in the Ultra-Premium category from Spirits Masters. Sudhir added, “I am confident that we have established a solid framework that will allow for continued growth and expansion in 2021 both in the US and abroad. In addition to successfully launching three spirits in 2020, we invested in building our own fully functional blending facility that allows us to control quality and consistency while achieving scale and operational efficiency. Our aggressive plans for 2021 include continued innovations that meet untapped consumer demand, distribution growth throughout the US, and global expansion to Asia and additional European markets. We are passionately committed to bringing our amazing portfolio of spirits brands and drinking experiences to new consumers around the world.” http://www.phenomenalspirits.com

                                 RHUM SAINT JAMES

Rhum Saint James is launching a range of three premium rhums, a VO, a VSOP and a XO. This new range marks a real turning point in the history of Saint James. Rhum enthusiasts will now be able to travel through the range and better appreciate their craftsmanship and philosophy. To show their deep respect for the island on Martinique, the distillery incorporates sustainable development into every step of the production of its rhums, with the aim of achieving a neutral carbon footprint. With this in mind, the new glass bottles are made with a percentage of recycled glass. The labels, cases, and gift boxes are also now certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The first release will be the flagship VSOP, bottled at 43% ABV. This was released last month in 700 ml bottles in France and will appear this month internationally. Marc Sassier, master blender at Saint James, calls it “the quintessence of the Saint James style, powerful and charming at the same time”. Saint James Distillery has been making rum using pure sugarcane juice from its own plantations since 1765. The VSOP has been aged for more than four years in American ex-Bourbon oak barrels and new American oak barrels. https://rhum-saintjames.com

       INTERNATIONAL SUGARCANE SPIRITS AWARDS

The International Sugarcane Spirits Awards aims to become the major sugarcane spirits competition in the world, spanning the expertise of both the Paris and the London Rum Festivals. Their goal is to bring together the skills of the world’s top experts to create the most legitimate and prestigious international awards, showcasing both the dynamics and the diversity of the sugarcane spirits industry. The competition aims to bring together producers, brands, and independent bottlers from all over the world in order to unearth and highlight excellence, to promote the growth of sugarcane spirits around the world, and to celebrate it internationally through major media coverage. Ian Burrell, ISS Awards vice president, judge, and global Rum Ambassador said, “The International Sugarcane Spirit Awards is the most comprehensive Rum and Sugarcane spirit tasting awards ever created. With expert judges sampling rums and cane spirits from all over the world from the comfort of their own homes - and with 30 days to sample - each spirit has been thoroughly analyzed and critiqued in a way that no other spirit tasting competition has done before.” More than 280 sugarcane spirits from 43 countries were entered into the following categories: white, aged, and vintage variations of fresh pure cane juice rum, molasses, and mixed rums, and Cachaça, as well as sweetened rum, craft rum, and more.  The ‘Canne d’Or’ is the highest prize awarded at the International Rum Awards, the most prestigious award in the Rum Industry. It is granted to the best rum of the year chosen from among the best Finalists. This year’s Canne d’Or winner was Emotion 1969 from the New Grove Distillery in Mauritius. Gold Medals were awarded to Longueteau Rhum Blanc Agricole from Guadeloupe; HSE Very Old Rhum Agricole VSOP and HSE Rhum Agricole Extra Vieux Whiskey Kilchoman Cask Finish from Martinique; Monymusk White Overproof Rum from Jamaica; Mount Gay XO from Barbados; Savanna Single Cask Grand Arôme Chai Humide 12 years from Reunion; Embargo Añejo Blanco , a blend from Guatemala, Cuba, Martinique and Trinidad & Tobago; Bocatheva Barbados & Jamaica - 3 Year; Plantation Rum Vintage Fiji 2005; Arbórea Cachaça Brancafrom; Cachaça Seleta Umburana; Reserva 51 Cachaça Extra Premium Singular; Mhoba Rum French Cask Rum from South Africa; Papillon Freespirit from Guadeloupe; Chairman’s Reserve Spiced from St. Lucia and La Fabrique de l’Arrangé Ananas Fruit de la Passion from France. https://www.iss-awards.com/

                                       HOLMES CAY

When Eric Kaye started Homes Cay, his goal was to seek out the world’s best rums and release them unadulterated and at cask strength. Since he is located in New York, rum lovers in the United States will have a better chance to purchase these ultra-premium selections. The first releases for 2021 will be Guyana 2003 Uitvlugt and Jamaica 2011 Wedderburn. The Guyana 2003 Uitvlugt was distilled at Guyana’s Diamond Distillery on the historic Uitvlugt French Savalle four-column still, a unique part of Guyana’s long rum-producing heritage. Formerly located at the now-closed Uitvlugt Distillery, it was relocated to Diamond Distillery in 2000.  A molasses-based antique column still distillation, the Uitvlugt 2003 edition is a lovely combination of familiar tropical notes and lighter flavors in a subtle combination. It was aged for 2 years in Guyana and for 16 years in ex-bourbon casks in the UK before being bottled in New York State in 2021. At 18 years, it is the oldest Holmes Cay rum released to date.  It was bottled at full barrel proof of 51% alcohol by volume. Four casks were selected for a total of 858 bottles. The Jamaica 2011 Wedderburn rum is from the Clarendon Distillery in Jamaica. It’s a classic example of an aged medium-ester pot-still Jamaican rum, created through lengthy open tank fermentation of molasses with natural yeasts. This 100% pot still rum was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2021.  It was tropically aged for 3 years in Jamaica in ex-bourbon casks, with 7 years further aging in the UK before being bottled in New York State. No sugar, color, flavor nor adulterations were added in the making of the Jamaica Wedderburn 2011, which was bottled at cask strength, or 59% alcohol by volume. Only 4 casks, 1050 bottles, of the edition are available. https://www.holmescay.com/