Consistency and Change
Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant, Founder of The Rum University and CEO of Rum Central.
Everything related to rum’s production is a perfect balance between consistency and change. The raw material (sugarcane) has a growth cycle comprised of transformations (changes) that take it from being just a tall grass to being the sweetest perennial gramminea in the world. Cultivation of the cane and the extraction of the juice are also transformative processes aimed at facilitating the subsequent interaction between fermenting yeasts and the cane sugars. Distillation, aging and blending are additional processes designed and implemented in a manner such that they also provide great value to the finished product.
All the above activities are clearly transformational, thus deeply rooted in change. But the context and boundaries limiting the extent of the change have to be based on consistency. In the case of rum, the context is that of the cultivation of sugarcane, limiting any such transformations to those involved directly with the co-products of said cultivation.
In the USA, we continue to see examples of brand owners and marketers who, upon realizing the costs involved in transporting molasses to their distilleries, opt instead to try to convince the authorities that they should be able to produce rum from sugars derived from sources other than the sugarcane. Under duress from low staffing levels and with the potential of collecting additional excise taxes lurking around, some of these applications have been incorrectly approved by the federal government, jeopardizing the work performed by the 99% of rum producers who have no interest in re-defining the foundation of the rum category.
Distillers should focus on adding value to their rum brands via the quality of the transformations they impart to the sugarcane co-products. Retailers should resist the temptation of placing nonconforming products alongside true rums on the shelves and consumers should voice their disapproval when faced with novelty distillates being sold as rum.
Let’s all keep rum change deeply rooted in consistency and tradition!
Cheers,
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher