October 2017- Rum in the News

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October 2017- Rum in the News

FLOR DE CANA PGA OPEN

The 2017 Flor de Caña PGA Open, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in Latin America, will bring together approximately 144 professional golfers from 25 countries around the world. The tournament, whose first edition was held in 2016 and is par t of the PGA Latinoamérica Tour, will be returning to Mukul Beach, Golf and Spa in Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast between August 28th and September 3rd. This tournament will further consolidate Nicaragua’s image as a world-class destination for this type of event and will showcase Flor de Caña as an international brand with presence in over 40 countries in 5 continents. Nicaragua is part of 14 countries in Latin America that have hosted an official event of the PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Celebrating 125 years of rum production, family-owned Flor de Caña is an award-winning Nicaraguan rum that offers a full portfolio of high-quality, naturally aged rums. Flor de Caña premium and ultra-premium rums are distilled five times using 100% renewable energy and aged at the base of Nicaragua’s most active volcano, the San Cristobal.

RON DIPLOMATICO

Diplomático Rum proudly announces a top nomination for Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Award as Spirit Brand of the Year. Recognized as one of the finest rums in the world, Diplomático holds the DOC Rum certification from Venezuela and has become one of the international standards when speaking of premium and super premium rums. The Wine Star Awards are considered one of the most prestigious awards in the alcoholic beverage industry, and Diplomático Rum is honored to be recognized in the awards’ only spirits category. Each year, the editors of Wine Enthusiast honor the individuals and companies that have made outstanding achievements in the wine and beverage world. This year, the awards will take place on January 29th in Miami at the Nobu Eden Roc Hotel. Diplomático Rum’s nomination is recognized in good company; the other nominees include Bruichladdich, Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Jefferson’s Bourbon and Luxardo. “I am thrilled to announce the nominees for the 18th Annual Wine Star Awards,” says Adam Strum, Editor & Publisher. “Each year, I work with our global editorial team to tap top individuals and companies notably driving trends and creating impact in the consumer and trade wine, spirits and beer spaces. I look forward to celebrating the winners as we once again host the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards at the stunning Nobu Eden Roc Hotel.”

Nino Curbelo, Diplomático’s Export Manager in North America, says, “We are honored to be chosen as a Wine Star Award finalist by Wine Enthusiast, a company so influential in the world of wine & spirits. For years Diplomático has prided itself in the excellence of our rums. From our unique and diverse distillation methods to our sustainable production processes, we strive to make rums that consumers can feel good about drinking. We are proud to accept this nomination as a testament to the quality of our rums,” said Curbelo.

CRUZAN RUM HURRICANE RELIEF

Earlier last month, Suntory Holdings parent company of Cruzan donated $1 million to support the American Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Then the Cruzan Rum Distillery, based on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, committed over $500,000 to the Fund for the Virgin Islands to support relief and recovery from Hurricane Irma in the territory. The donation brings the total to more than $1.6 million in contributions by Cruzan and its corporate parents towards hurricane relief in the U.S. and its territories. “My family has been producing Cruzan Rum in the U.S. Virgin Islands for generations, and we’re determined to help our friends and neighbors whose lives have been upended by this devastating hurricane,” said Gary Nelthropp, President and Master Distiller of Cruzan Rum. “While St. Croix was spared the worst of Irma’s wrath, our sister islands of St. Thomas and St. John took a hard hit. We’re inspired by the way Virgin Islanders have come together, including how former NBA star and St. Croix native Tim Duncan has helped raise awareness and millions of dollars for the needs of the USVI’s people, how Governor Mapp has urgently mobilized the territory’s resources, how the Administration and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett have led from Washington. The Fund for the Virgin Islands was established by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI), a 501(c)3 nonprof it organization that has been operating in the USVI for more than 25 years. It has supported past relief efforts in the region and is working closely with government and community providers to identify priorities and direct resources for immediate needs as well as long-term recovery efforts. For more information, visit www.usvirecovery.org.

DIAGEO HURRICANE RELIEF

Captain Morgan’s parent company Diageo has pledged $1,000,000 to support relief and recovery efforts in the US Virgin Islands as they face an unprecedented storm season. The funds announced are in addition to the $250,000 Diageo and its brands have committed to hurricane relief support over the past month. “The US Virgin Islands has been home to Captain Morgan since we opened our distillery on St. Croix in 2010. As a native of the USVI I am delighted Diageo and the Captain Morgan brand is able to support our community and people in this way,” said Cynthia Arnold, Operations Director, Diageo USVI . Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett commented, “Diageo’s contribution toward the rebuilding efforts in the USVI will be a strong infusion of support for hurting Americans and devastated islands. I am grateful for Diageo’s commitment to partnership in the Virgin Islands. I look forward to continuing to work with Diageo team members and other generous partners as we all collaborate to rebuild our US Virgin Islands as we persevere through a destructive hurricane season.”

BACARDI HURRICANE RELIEF

In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as the earthquakes in Mexico, Bacardi Limited and the Bacardí family have committed $3,000,000 for disaster relief and recovery efforts in the impacted areas.

The world’s largest privately held spirits company has designated $2,000,000 in cash and other assistance to Puerto Rico, and the remaining $1,000,000 to local relief agencies supporting communities impacted in Florida, other islands in the Caribbean, The Bahamas, and Mexico. “The Bacardi family, company and our employees are deeply saddened by the devastation and horrific loss caused by the recent hurricanes and earthquakes. We hope these donations will help alleviate some of the stress and pain people are experiencing while addressing some of their most basic needs,” says Facundo L. Bacardi, Chairman of family owned Bacardi Limited. Bacardi will provide immediate relief and longer-term rebuilding efforts in collaboration with several non-profit partners and local governments, including the Government of Puerto Rico, in the affected communities. Throughout its history in Puerto Rico, Bacardi has been deeply involved in the community and its commitment remains strong to the long-term success of Puerto Rico as it battles natural disasters and financial difficulties. “Disaster relief aid is part of our Philanthropy & Community Investment mission to provide assistance to communities in need,” adds Mr. Bacardi. “We’re working closely with government agencies and not-for-profit partners to identify the most pressing needs so we can provide meaningful support.” The devastation of the recent natural disasters strikes particularly close to Bacardi since many impacted communities are considered home to its operations, offices, and employees. In addition to operations in Puerto Rico, BACARDÍ rum is bottled in Jacksonville, Fla., and South Florida is home to the Bacardi North America regional headquarters office. In Mexico since 1931, the company has offices and production facilities for its rum and tequila brands. While Bacardi no longer has facilities in The Bahamas, our donation serves as a testament to the people of The Bahamas where the company produced its iconic rum for nearly 50 years.

SAVANNAH SPIRITS

Savannah Spirits Distilling Company announced the launch of its first distilled product, Savannah Spirits Silver Rum. Heavily inspired by Savannah’s colorful history and often pit stop location for history’s most notorious rum-runners, the spirit reflects the distinctive character and provenance of the city and expresses this through its harmonious flavor infusions. Notes of vanilla and caramel, with hints of coconut and tropical fruits, concoct a balanced accompaniment for any summer time libation. Co-founder Dean Bell commented on his excitement in the introduction of the company’s first release to the public, “This has been a long time in the making and to introduce Savannah Spirits to the Low Country starting with our rum, we feel, is the most apropos way to honor the bustling spirit of the region and its people, and to celebrate Savannah’s fanciful history.” Savannah Spirits Distilling Company is slated to open its new facility in early 2018 and will encompass a fully-functioning distillery with accompanying high-end liquor produced in-house. Additionally, the historical building in which the Distillery will be located will also house a separate chophouse featuring fine steaks and seafood, and occupy three stories with a full downstairs bar, event venue spaces, and a variety of dining rooms restored from antiquity. The next addition to their libation portfolio, Savannah  Spirits Amber Rum, fuses caramel notes of Savannah Spirits Silver Rum with Imperial Sugar- made dark cane syrup for ambrosial boldness. “Thanks to the suggestions from our Imperial Sugar experts, we were able to mirror qualities of choice aged rums through employing a unique process. We are excited to present something noteworthy to the dark rum world which has a simultaneously abundant and mellow flavor. It carries the same essence as our silver rum, but we gave it a little edge,” says co-founder Dean Bell.

MEZAN RUM

Look for a special Holiday package from Mezan that includes two bottles of Jamaican rum, six heavy tasting glasses and six coasters, all packaged in a small leather-trimmed suitcase. The first rum is Mezan’s XO, an interesting blend of rums from four different Jamaican distilleries, re-aged for further smoothness. The second rum is Mezan’s Jamaica 2005, a 12-year old rum from the Worthy Park Estate, that is bottled at 46% ABV.

RON SANTA TERESA

One liter bottles of Santa Teresa 1796 are now available at Lagardère stores at the Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Bacardi GTR took on the global distribution of the family-owned Ron Santa Teresa portfolio in January 2017. Santa Teresa 1796 is grown, harvested, aged and each bottle is hand-sealed, as a single estate rum using the Solera method – where no barrel is fully emptied, the most recent blends mixing and ageing with the oldest. The blend is a combination of rums, aged from four to 35 years. Santa Teresa takes sugar cane grown on their estate and juices it to extract the molasses, which are then taken to the estate distillery. Water used in the rum production comes from natural wells deep in the estate land. Continuous fermentation and distillation in pots stills is followed by long ageing in French oak barrels with refinement in oak vats, before hand blending by the Maestro Ronero. Every bottle is wax sealed by hand. To support the launch, a team of in-store ambassadors will introduce and explain the story behind the Venezuelan rum brand. Shoppers can sample the rum in a series of sampling activations across key airports globally. Mike Birch, managing director of Bacardi GTR, said: “There is strong potential in travel retail for a super-premium rum like this, especially in terms of its age and craft, appealing to shoppers at the second stage of luxury whose key purchase motivations are for aged spirits and the discovery of something rare and out of the main-stream. For the same reasons, we also see an opportunity to recruit new rum shoppers from the whisky category.”

SAINT JAMES RHUM

Last month I wrote about re-discovering Saint James Rhums and contacting Nadege Perrot, International Senior Brand Manager for Saint James for information on the new packaging and lineup. I briefly described the seven rhums in the Core Collection. This month, I would like to give you some quick notes on the seven rhums in the Distillery Collection.

Quintessence is a prestigious blend of SAINT JAMES best vintages, aged between 12 to 15 years. This offering is a bit different from the rest of the range and shows that SAINT JAMES can offer a different, more subtle rhum.

Fleur de canne (cane flower in French) can only be produced in very dry years. Once the cane is in hydric stress, the knots will grow closer one to another, and therefore the flavors will be more concentrated. The cane will then be cut, just before the flower blooms. The cane flower symbol is generally associated with mature cane. This white rhum offers stunning floral notes and is bottled at 50% ABV.

The Aged Fleur de Canne is the same Rum but aged four years to round out the flavors, while keeping the typical floral flavors. It is bottled at 42% ABV.

Coeur de Chauffe is the only rhum of the range which does not meet the stringent requirements of AOC Martinique, as it’s distilled in a privat-style pot still, one that is topped with a distillation column. It has been nicknamed “the elephant” because of its specific shape. This still allows the operator to carefully separate the heart (the coeur de chauffe) from the heads and tails. This white rhum is bottled at 60% ABV.

The Trilogy consists of three rhums of 7, 12 and 15 years old. Each of these rhums has been aged in small oak casks. The tropical conditions in Martinique (8% evaporation each year) will age the spirits a lot faster than, for example, Scotch where the climate is colder. The 7 years old offers round flavors, notes of sweet spices (cinnamon, vanilla). The spicy flavors are even more important in the 12 years old (nutmeg). Ms. Perrot thinks this bottling is the best of the Trilogy, as it has a balanced mix of spice, wood, roast and fruit. In the 15 years old, the tannins and wood dominate. All of the rhums in the Trilogy series are bottled at 43% ABV.

Single Cask 1998 is considered one of the best vintages of Saint James. 1998 was a year of perfect weather conditions; from July to December there was the perfect combination of ample rain and sunshine to grow large and vigorous crops, and then from January to the harvest, a very dry season set the sugars and brought out the sweet flavors in the cane.

There is also a Single Cask 1997 that was produced to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the AOC Martinique and the election of Saint James Oenologist Marc Sassier as its president. Both are bottled at 43% ABV.

USA TODAY TOP TEN RUMS

USA Today asked a panel of American spirits experts to nominate 20 of the best craft rum distilleries in the USA. Experts Emily Arden Wells (Gastronomista), Martin Cate (Smuggler’s Cove), Brian Christensen (Artisan Spirit Magazine), Laura Johnson (Distillerista) and Arthur Shapiro (Booze Business) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of the American craft spirits industry. Then for four weeks, USA Today asked readers to vote for their favorites. Many of these distilleries work in small batches using locally-sourced ingredients, many are family-owned and all take pride in crafting unique rums worthy of sipping as well as mixing. The top 10 winners in the category Best Craft Rum Distillery were:

Wicked Dolphin - Cape Coral, Fla.

Tailwinds Distilling - Plainfield, Ill.

Roulaison Distilling Co - New Orleans

Lyon Distilling Company - St. Michaels, Md.

New Holland Artisan Spirits - Holland, Mich.

Cutwater Spirits - San Diego

Calwise Spirits Co - San Diego

Malahat Spirits - San Diego

Richland Distilling Company - Richland, Ga.

Allegheny Distilling - Pittsburgh