November 2019 - Rum in The News

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        CARIBBEAN JOURNAL CARIBBEAN RUM AWARDS

Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Rum Awards, the region’s leading celebration of premium rums, is moving to St Barth this month. The second edition of the event will be highlighted by a panel of spirits experts judging some of the most exclusive rums on the planet. Caribbean Journal is partnering on the event with the Rhum Room, the largest Caribbean rum bar in the world, and its adjacent Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab. It’s a new kind of festival for St Barth, long the gastronomic capital of the wider Caribbean. “We are so excited to bring the Caribbean’s leading celebration of rum to an island that is the Caribbean capital of cool,” said Caribbean Journal Editor and Publisher Alexander Britell. “For years, Caribbean Journal’s Rum Journal has striven to place rum on its rightly-deserved pedestal. The field will be unlike any other rum festival out there, from some of the most exclusive molasses rums in the world to an unmatched slate of agricole rums.” The four-day event will include an opening cocktail party on Nov. 5, followed by a full day of rum judging in Gustavia on Nov. 6. The following day will see a distiller expo featuring a range of boutique Caribbean rum distilleries and Nov. 8 will feature a Ti’ Punch hour. The Caribbean Rum Awards will conclude on the evening of Nov. 9 with a rum-and-food pairing dinner helmed by Andrew Zarzosa of the renowned Yuzu Miami restaurant. The Awards will be unique in the Caribbean, with a field of eight categories of molasses and agricole rums, highlighted by an “ultimate” rum category that will, for the first time in a rum competition, pit the Caribbean’s most rarefied rums against one another, from Ron del Barrilito Five-Star to Havana Club Maximo. The field will also include six categories of rhum agricole, including Blanc, Blanc 50-degrees plus, VSOP, XO, Cask Finish and Hors d’age, including expressions from both Martinique and Guadeloupe. There will also be a People’s Choice Panel that will include local rum experts and enthusiasts choosing their favorites from the field of rums in competition. “We are so excited to be the new home of the Caribbean Rum Awards at the Saint Barth Rum Festival. Our format may not be typical of rum competitions, but we think it is a great way to go,” said Christopher Davis, proprietor of the Rhum Room and Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab. “First, having an UBER Ultimate Rum category with the most prized Caribbean Rums is exciting; let’s see how these Big Boys play out in a heads up competition, huge bragging rights are at stake, second, we are honored to have some great guests of Rhum Room flying in to be part of our People’s Choice Panel, rum/rhum/ron aficionados, tasting across all categories and choosing their overall favorite rum of the festival. From my point of view, it doesn’t get any better than this!” Judges include a diverse range of rum and spirits experts, including Alexander Britell, Guy Britton, Peter Berntsen, Christopher Davis, Guy Ferdinand, Steven Shaw and Simons Chase. “The panel of judges is comprised of outstanding rum and spirits experts, with the aim of creating an objective array of palates and tastes to give these rums the respect they deserve,” said Guy Britton, managing editor of Caribbean Journal. https://www.caribbeanrumawards.com/

                                  CAPTAIN MORGAN

The St. John Source reported that Cynthia Arnold has been promoted to vice president, operations, Diageo USVI, and that she will lead the 70-person team at the company’s Captain Morgan rum distillery on St. Croix. “We are thrilled to have Cynthia lead our operations on St. Croix,” said Erik Snyder, chairman of the board, Diageo USVI. “Cynthia is a trusted and respected team member and manager. We are confident that under her leadership, our USVI colleagues will continue their progress as a high-performing team, further our business as a world-class supply organization and continue making Diageo USVI a great place to work and a valued member of the Virgin Islands community.” She was born and raised on St. Croix, where she graduated from Good Hope School. She still proudly calls “West” her home, where she resides with her husband Kirk and their son Kaya. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and a Master’s in Business Administration concentrating in finance from Emory University. Arnold began her career with the company as finance manager in December 2011. Her work in finance was essential in establishing systems and processes to secure contractual payments driven by rum production, including engaging high-level government stakeholders and external consultants. Since moving into operations in 2017, Arnold has played a key role in driving improved performance. She has been a leading force in the team, delivering goals while achieving an outstanding safety and quality track record, including ISO certifications, company awards, positive audit ratings and increased production volume and revenues. She was a steadying force during the immediate and extended recovery periods after Hurricane Maria, playing an enormous role in resolving operational issues to help bring production back online. “I’ve known Ms. Arnold for many years, and I am pleased that Diageo is recognizing her talents as a dynamic professional and leader,” said United States Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. “It is extremely gratifying to see a local Virgin Islander granted the opportunity to ascend the leadership ranks of a multinational corporation. I look forward to continuing to work with Diageo and engaging with Cynthia in her new role as we further optimize the territory’s public-private partnership with the company.” https://www.diageo.com

                        WRIGHT & BROWN DISTILLING

Dan Wright and Earl Brown started their distillery in Oakland in 2016. Their goal was to return to traditional methods to create exciting new California spirits that would stand the test of time. At the heart of their process is a classical American made artisan copper pot still which they use to handcraft each small batch. They have had success with their Bourbon and their Rye and are now releasing two rums, an Aged Rum and a Single-Barrel “Hogo Style” Rum. The Aged Rum is made from rich, flavorful and natural (non-GMO) Georgia blackstrap molasses. After a long fermentation, it is double distilled on their all copper pot still and then matured in a mix of new charred American oak barrels, used bourbon barrels and toasted oak barrels for two years. It is non-chill filtered with no coloring or flavoring added. The Single-Barrel “Hogo Style” Rum uses natural (non-GMO) Georgia blackstrap molasses and an extra-long fermentation. Using a slow, careful, single-run pass through the still, it is distilled to proof and barrel aged with no added water. It is non-chill filtered, with no coloring or flavoring added. This unique, high ester rum brings the funk! Currently you can try it at Pagan Idol and Rum & Sugar Bar in San Francisco or you can get a bottle at Bitters + Bottles in South San Francisco. http://www.wbdistilling.com/

                              KOLOA RUM COMPANY

September 2019 marked a significant milestone for Hawai`i’s award-winning Koloa Rum Company, as the brand celebrates a decade in business on the island of Kaua`i. Having achieved year-over-year double digit sales and revenue increases since year one, the Koloa Rum Company expansion will allow for increased production and distribution to accommodate the brand’s growth. “We are so proud of our brand’s journey over these past 10 years and know we wouldn’t be here without the support of our community here on Kaua`i and our fans around the world,” said Bob Gunter, CEO of Koloa Rum Company. “This expansion is a dream come to life, and we look forward with anticipation and excitement for the future that lies ahead.” Plans will more than double the size of the current operation to a 45,000 square-foot distillery and warehouse at the company headquarters, which will also include a tasting room, company store, and free-standing café. The company broke ground for the new distillery on September 18 with a traditional Hawaiian blessing and community celebration. To recognize and honor the agricultural heritage of the town of Koloa, where commercial sugar production operations were first introduced in 1835, expansion plans also include the planting and cultivation of 10-12 acres of sugar cane fields on site. Additionally, Koloa Rum will refurbish old plantation camp structures into workforce housing and a museum that will tell the story of the rich history of sugarcane production in the area.“ Cultivating and using our own sugarcane is a big part of our history on Kaua`i, and that’s very important to us,” adds Gunter. “We will be growing and processing cane on site to make our rum, and we are actively partnering with local farmers to increase sources of cane sugar on the island with the goal of one day being able to use only Kaua‘i-grown cane in our products.” Koloa Rum Company was founded to create superior Hawaiian rums 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 provides meaningful support to the local agricultural industry by increasing cultivated acreage and preserving open space. The new headquarters for Koloa Rum Company will be located in the town of Koloa, along Maluhia Road across from Anne Knudsen Park. Completion of the project is currently projected for September 2020. www.koloarum.com.

                                     HAVANA CLUB

In October of 2018, Havana Club introduced a range of Cuban rums developed exclusively for bartenders with the aim to inspire new flavor profiles. The first rum in the series, Havana Club Professional Edition A, was born from a collaboration with the Cuban Bartender Association as part of Havana Club’s celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the legendary Havana bar, El Floridita. A blend of three aged rum bases and a pure aguardiente, Havana Club Professional Edition A has been matured in large, ancient oak barrels for up to four years. The result is described as a “full-bodied” and “intense” Carta Blanca with the mixability of a white rum and the flavor complexity of a dark rum. Havana Club Professional Edition B was the result of curiosity and a commitment to innovation within the category from the Masters of Cuban rum. When a delivery of heavily-peated Islay whisky barrels arrived in Cuba by mistake, Havana Club partnered with legendary bartender and consultant, Nick Strangeway, to experiment with adding a smoky note by finishing a rich dark rum in those casks. The technical complexity was in trying to balance the rum notes with the dry smoky notes, avoiding one flavor dominating the other. Eventually, this was achieved by blending the Islay finished rum with three other Havana Club 7 Year Old rum bases. This October, at Bar Convent Berlin, Havana Club introduced two new Professional Editions to its rum portfolio. Edition C and Edition D are limited-edition rums that have been developed in collaboration with bartenders Carina Soto Velasquez and Alex Kratena and will be exclusively available to bartenders around the world. These new expressions have been designed to “push rum boundaries” and inspire bartenders to create iconic and inventive cocktails using Havana Club rum. Havana Club Professional Edition C is born from Carina Soto Velasquez and Alex Kratena in collaboration with Havana Club rum master, Asbel Morales. Blended from young aguardiente with older rum bases aged in San José Distillery’s ageing warehouses, Edition C has been matured for up to 12 years in large white oak barrels that are up to 40 years old. The second variant, Havana Club Professional Edition D, is a “fresh aromatic white rum” that explores the raw expression of Cuban sugarcane and aguardiente. Created by Cuban rum masters Juan Carlos González and Salome Alemán and Carina Soto Velasquez and Alex Kratena, it is made from a blend of fresh destilado de caña with full-bodied and aromatic extra aged aguardientes. The flavors and aromas found in Edition D are said to evoke the sensorial profile of Cuban sugarcane. The rum is “highly aromatic”, with “notes of fresh cane juice, mint and hay in combination with minerals and saline profiles”. Nick Blacknell, Global Marketing Director at Havana Club International, said: “This year, we wanted to go one step further to give bartenders a whole new opportunity to experiment with the flavors and rum bases in our distillery warehouse, and the result has been astonishing. https://havana-club.com/en-ww/

     PLANTATION RUMS - THE SINGLE CASK COLLECTION

Plantation Single Cask rums are limited releases of double-aged Haute Couture rums. All Plantation rums mature in a two-stage aging process, beginning in the tropics where they age in bourbon casks, and then at the Château de Bonbonnet in France to mature in Ferrand barrels. Plantation Single Cask rums then benefit from further maturation in carefully selected beer, wine or spirit casks, each selected to enhance the rum’s unique characteristics. Every Single Cask rum takes its own aging path to greatness, and each bottle is personalized and numbered. Only a few barrels of these unique reserve rums are bottled annually, making them a prize for collectors. Plantation Cellar Master Alexandre Gabriel identifies each rum-producing country by the specific traditions and production techniques of its terroir – the unique environmental characteristics that give each rum its distinctive character. He chooses the best casks from each distillery, celebrating the qualities that make each terroir special. All bottles clearly show Volatile Substance numbers, Esters numbers and Dosage amounts (if used). The 2019 Collection includes twelve rums:

  • The Barbados 7 Years is a product of pot and twin column stills at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. It was aged in Bourbon barrels for several years, Ferrand casks for a year and in Partizian Brewing casks for a year. 48.2% ABV
  • The Barbados XO is also a product of pot and twin column stills at the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados It was aged in Bourbon casks for several years, Ferrand casks for a year and in Amburana casks for a year. 48% ABV
  • The Belize 2009 was produced on twin column stills at the Travellers Liquors Distillery in Belize. It was aged for 5 years in Bourbon casks, 4.5 years in Ferrand casks and 6 months in Wild Cherry casks. 44.1% & ABV
  • The Guatemala XO was produced on a column still by Destiladora de Alcoholes y Rones in Guatamala. It was aged in Bourbon casks for several years, Ferrand casks for a year and in Amburana casks for 6 months. 50% ABV
  • The Guyana 2008 was produced on a pot still by Demerara Distillers Ltd in Guyana. It was aged for 9.5 years in Bourbon casks, 1 year in Ferrand casks and 6 months in Zebra (chestnut & acacia) casks. 47.1% ABV
  • The Jamaica 1999, Clarendon MMW was produced on a double retort pot still at the Clarendon Distillery in Jamaica. It was aged for 17 years in Bourbon casks, 2 years in Ferrand casks and a month in Arran Whisky casks. 46.7% ABV
  • The Jamaica 2009, Long Pond CRV was produced on a Blair column still at the famous Long pond Distillery in Jamaica. It was aged for 7.5 years in Bourbon casks, 1 year in Ferrand casks and 1.5 years in Tokaj Wine casks. 42.6% ABV
  • The Panama 27 YO was produced on a four column still at the Alcoholes del Istmo distillery in Panama. It was aged 25 years in Bourbon casks, 1.5 years in Ferrand casks and 6 months in Teeling Whiskey casks. 51.1% ABV
  • The Panama 2006 was also produced on a four column still at the Alcoholes del Istmo distillery in Panama. It was aged 10 years in Bourbon casks, 2 years in Ferrand casks and one year in Muscat casks. 41.9% ABV
  • The Peru 2010 was produced on pot and column stills at the Destilerías Unidas S.A. de Peru Distillery in Peru. It was aged 7 years in Bourbon casks, a year in Ferrand casks and one year in Pineau des Charentes casks. 43.6% AABV
  • The Saint Lucia 2010 was produced on the John Dore pot still at the Saint Lucia Distillers on Saint Lucia.  It was aged for 7.5 years in Bourbon casks, a year in Ferrand casks and 6 months in Renegade Barrel N°2 (Chestnut) casks. 53.6% ABV
  • The Trinidad 1997 was produced on a John Dore pot Still at Trinidad Distillers Limited in Trinidad. It was aged for 15.5 years in Bourbon casks, 6 years in Ferrand Casks and 4 months in Kilchoman Peated Whisky casks. 42.5% ABV

https://www.plantationrum.com/