December 2018 "Got Rum?" Team Interview

Putting together a monthly magazine is not an easy task. Thankfully for us, we have the world’s best contributing writers, who tirelessly produce content for us, month after month. It is easy, however, for readers to lose track of the people behind the stories, so each December we reserve space for all contributors to share a bit of information about themselves, their achievements, goals and observations.

This year we are also doing something a bit different: Mike Kunetka asked if he could interview Luis and me, a “behind the scenes” type of interview. With this in mind, Mike flew to Texas in October and spent some time with us, both at home and at Rum Central.

I am writing these lines on the morning of Thanksgiving, ahead of the arrival of my family and

before the start of the cooking marathon that we are sure to undertake. As I look back at everything that has happened this year, I am thankful for all the rum consumers out there, who keep the dream alive for brand owners and distillers. I am also thankful for all the people working on the sugarcane fields: tilling the soil, planting the cane, caring for the crops, harvesting and then transporting the sweet grass to the mills. I am thankful for the mill workers too, who endure dusty, noisy, hot and dangerous working conditions, in order for us to enjoy the products from the cane juice.

Finally, I am thankful for being part of the rum industry during a time of growing awareness, craft resurgence and environmental responsibility. “Premiumization” in rum should go beyond the perceived improvement in packaging: It should be rooted in corporate philosophy, production methods, environmental policies and consumer education. If you haven’t already, please read pages 20-25 for an overview of the four winners in this year’s Rum and the Environment awards.

I wish all a very Happy Holiday Season!

-------Margaret Ayala-------

Q: All our readers always look forward to your cocktail recipes and commentary. Which were some of your favorite recipes this year and why?

I think my favorite article was the one about garnishes. I have always believed that garnishes should be functional so writing about them was fun. I also really enjoyed writing about CORS (Central Ohio Rum Society), founded by my good friend Chad White. He started it as just a way to get rum nerds together and now he has a huge following and has been able to bring distillers and ambassadors from all over the world to Columbus.

Q: Compared to last year, do you think people are drinking more at home and going out to bars less?

I don’t know that they are going out to bars less, but I do know that people are more interested in making good quality cocktails at home. I teach classes 6 times a year on basic beginning mixology skills and the attendees are all non-bartenders. I think people really appreciate being able to make drinks at home and are surprised at how easy it can be if they know some key techniques.

Q: Did you add new rums to the cocktail lineup at Miranova in 2018?

Yes, and one of them is in the December issue.It is my twist on a hot Buttered rum, served cold! 

Q: It seems bitters were making a comeback last year, some mixologists even developed their own recipes and dozens of new brands were launched. Are you still seeing an up-tick in their popularity and use?

Absolutely. Bitters are the “salt and pepper” in a drink, they round out all of the other ingredients and give you the ability to add flavors that can completely change the cocktail. For instance: Last night someone asked me to make a Manhattan, but not a traditional one. I added Cardamom bitters and it completely changed the drink and was honestly one of the best Manhattans i have ever had.

Q: Before Prohibition, it was common for cocktails to take many minutes to make, but in today’s fast-paced society this is not always sustainable. How do you determine how much preparation time is justified to make a cocktail?

All drinks can be streamlined so that the execution time doesn’t take too long. Batching cocktails, combining spirits in “cheater” bottles, and of course preparing garnishes/ice/etc... are all ways that bartenders can minimize steps. perhaps this should be an article for next year!

Q: You made a trip to Scotland earlier this year. Can you tell us about your trip? What can you tell us about the bar scene there, do you think trends there are a sign of things to come here in the states?

Yes I was in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Edinburgh’s cocktail scene is amazing!!! Truly some of the best bars in the world. All of the cocktail bars are in walking distance of each other, so you can easily bar hop. Their cocktails are innovative, and their ice and garnish game is incredible. I think you can find a lot of these same trends and techniques in bars here in the USA, the difference is that really every single bar in Edinburgh is world class. my favorites: Hoot The Redeemer, Nitecap, Panda & Sons, and Bramble.

Q: Do you have any special message you would like to share with your fans? is there anything in particular that they can look forward to in 2019?

My only message is a giant THANK YOU! When I started writing for Got Rum? I was terrified! I know I can make a great cocktail and entertain you as you sit at my bar, but writing wasn’t something I thought I could do. I genuinely enjoy doing it and am thrilled that people enjoy reading my articles. I think in 2019 I will incorporate some more techniques into my articles, things that people can do at home as well as behind their bars.

------Cris-------

Q: Visiting distilleries and their tasting rooms is one of the best ways to learn about the people and the craft behind a brand. Which distilleries did you get to visit this year and which ones are on your radar for next year?

This was sort of an odd year for me as I only managed to visit one distillery in Saint Augustine, Florida. For 2019, I am hoping to visit at least one distillery in Boston as well as some locations in Kentucky and the Caribbean.

Q: Do you have any advice for tour guides or distillery personnel, so that guests (technical and non- technical) can get more out of their visits?

Have a tour guide trained up to expect technical questions, and if it is possible to have the guest speak to a staff member who has the expertise (and time) to answer the question. I believe guests on a tour should manage their expectations by understanding the credentials of the person giving the tour and to not play stump the tour guide. Folks sharing the tour with you will appreciate your good behavior.

Q: Rum festivals are great ways for consumers to be introduced to new brands and to mingle with entertaining brand ambassadors. Which festivals are you planning to attend and which ones would you recommend to our readers?

Out of the gate the Miami Rum Congress (miamirumcongress.com) in February. The organizers have lined up a great group of speakers and brands for the event that I think experiencing. As far as the rest of the year, I have several travel goals in mind and have nothing set in stone at this time.

As far as other festivals, the Chicago, New York, and San Francisco rum fests are getting reputations for being quality one day events. In addition, the New England Tequila and Rum Festival continues to do well every year.

Q: What trends, if any, have you seen emerging in the rum world?

During 2018, we saw competition between some of the brands really heat up. This is leading to some interesting strategic releases that are displaying some creative partnerships and interesting rum blends.

In 2019, I expect to see harder pushes by some islands and their governments to establish Geographical Indications for their rums. The GI indicates products that have a specific geographical origin and must meet certain requirements and standards to be considered a product of that country. I am aware of certain brands resisting this, but it is my hope the islands get them established.

Q: Just a month or so ago you took a trip to Cuba. How was your rum experience there?

I feel we barely scratched the surface during our visit to Cuba and hope to return for a longer visit next year. We enjoyed our visit in Havana and our introduction to different Cuban rums. A longer visit, would allow for a deeper dive into not only the Cuban world of rum, but the art and culture as well. The architecture and art around the city was amazing.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

As I mentioned, during 2018 we saw competition between the brands really start to heat up as well as the introduction of more rums with questionable origins and age statements. When you see a new rum on the shelves if you do not recognize the brand, think before you buy. Do your homework about the brands and the details related to a release. If you suspect something is off, you are probably right and should ask questions. There are plenty of outlets via social media and brand experiences to make inquiries and learn more about the product. We the consumers do not have to know all the details and secrets related to a product; but it is fair to ask about the use of additives, the country of origin; and how an age statement is determined. As the true character of some of the producers is revealed, let your conscious be your guide, and use your money to support the brands and people you believe deserve it.

------Paul------

Q: Of all the pairing you have done this year, is there one in particular that stands out from the rest? Why?

I think the pairing that brought me the best memories was “Cuban rums,” an interpretation of the Drambuie cocktail but made with rum. It made me re- discover this cocktail, which I had abandoned for a while due to improper or overly-sweet preparations. Believe it or not, many bars can’t prepare it correctly despite its simplicity.

Q: You recently conducted a Rum University training course in Panama. What can you tell us about it and about the people you were able to instruct?

It was a dream come true: to be able to educate upcoming influencers in the rum world. We covered rum classifications, a difficult topic nowadays, since it is hard to discuss it without talking good or bad about specific rum brands. The idea was for students to make up their own minds, focused on each of the rums’ potential in different markets. It worked out great, I made a lot of new friends in Panama and I expect to be back there in 2019, as well as in other interesting markets.

Q: Your bar in Chile (Red Frog Bar) is now on its second year. What have been some of the toughest obstacles and where do you want the bar to go next?

It was and continues to be one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced in my life, full of learning and with a lot of professional growth. Knowing deep inside that your commitment and that of your partners is strong and enjoying the happiness, not only from our clients, but knowing we are supporting the families of our employees, all this is a heavy burden to carry, but a great source of joy. We strive to continue, trying to be better each day.

Q: I feel that it is not common to see women smoking a cigar and sipping rum. Do you feel the same way and what can we do to reach this important segment of the population?

I don’t mean this in a sexist way, but I really like to meet women who are knowledgeable and who enjoy smoking cigars; there is something sapio sexual about them that makes them unique. I hope to see more and more of them in the future.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with your fans?

Hopefully soon I’ll be able to share news of the opening of the new bar, the rums behind the bar and the pairings I’ll be preparing for guests, in an un-rushed manner. The pairings for 2019 will be made from the new location, after the last guests leave, when all that remains to be done is opening a bottle of rum, pulling out a good cigar and creating good stories. If you are ever in Santiago, Chile, you must stop by the bar so we can enjoy a good cigar and rum pairing!

-------Philip------

Q: Last year you published the much-acclaimed “American Rum” book, congratulations! Has your life changed much since then? What feedback have you received from consumers and industry members?

Thank you. Yes, there have been some changes in my life. Right now I am planning to devote more time and energy to a new search on rum and less to my business. I published the book one year ago and since then I have received a lot of interesting feedback from consumers and experts from Europe, Latin America and elsewhere. Unfortunately, not so much from the United States. This has been a surprise and, obviously, a bit of a disappointment to me.

Q: Do you have plans to publish more books? If so, what can we expect and when?

Yes, I do. This year I have published a series of articles on the origin of . The issue is fascinating, little studied and virtually unknown to the general public. The “invention” of alcoholic distillation involved alchemists, philosophers, Franciscan friars etc. and sheds new light on the origin of rum too. My son and co-author Claudio is doing more research on this issue and we want to publish a book about it, we hope before next summer.

Moreover, as our readers know, I have just started a new line of inquiry about the role of the French in the history of rum. It is an interesting, hot issue and it has already sparked off a lively debate with the participation of renowned experts. The research is in progress and i do not know where it will take us.

Q: Being an entrepreneur is not easy, let alone researching and writing while running La Casa del Rum. How do you manage to find time for all this? Do you have any advice for those who want to be like you?

For some years i have dedicated most of my time to my business concern in tourism and to La Casa del Rum and only part of my free time to studying. now, as I have just told you, I have decided to do the opposite. I like studying and I want to give historical research all the time and care it deserves, even if it means withdrawing a bit from the day-to-day running of the business.

Q: Which cocktail is the most popular at La Casa del Rum? How about rums served neat? also, what rums do you currently have in your portfolio?

A great classic like Daiquiri, but revisited using different kinds of good, white rums, among which also some Rhum Agricole. Many of our customers prefer to drink rum neat, like me, and for them we have a wide selection . Among the rums we have selected and bottled under our label, two are probably the most successful: a wonderful Overproof rum from Barbados that we selected some years ago and a new, unaged rum from Martinique. The latter is a blend of white, young rums, mostly made from pure juice, but also with a part made from molasses which maybe helps to make it much easier to drink for many consumers.

Q: You have been busy doing presentations at different rum festivals this year. Do you find the audiences have been very receptive or are there misconceptions that are hard to eradicate?

Usually the audiences are interested and receptive. Yes, there are some misconceptions, for instance about aging, but I have discovered that often it is a matter of simply not knowing the fundamentals of spirit making. Therefore I tend to start by explaining the very basics, the ABC: fermentation, distillation, aging, congeners, etc...

Q: Last year you mentioned a possible trend involving the category of white rums. Do you feel there has been a big interest in white rums or have you seen a different trend emerge?

I think the facts have proved me right. The market is full of new white rums. Many important brands renowned for their aged rums have enriched their portfolio with white, young rums. even some Latin American producers, from countries where the distillate cannot legally be called rum unless it is aged, have begun to release premium white rums. This means that the trend is strong.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

If I may, I would like to invite the readers of Got Rum? to follow my Blog: www.therumhistorian.com

---------Marco----------

Q: What are some of the most noteworthy rum stories (news) you reported to our readers during this year and what made them so relevant to you?

I think the big news this year came from the island of Barbados and the island of Jamaica. On Barbados, Richard Seale, the purist behind the Foursquare Distillery, has spent over twenty years perfecting his art and the science of blending column and pot still rums. His real magic comes in the various barrels and aging techniques he uses to create his Exceptional Cask Series, including such legendary expressions as Triptych, Criterion and Dominus. I  have lost track of how many Distiller/Distillery of the Year Awards he has won in 2018.

But on the other side of the island, new life is being injected into the West Indies Rum Distillery. Alexandre Gabriel, the man behind Cognac Ferrand and plantation rums bought the distillery in 2017. Previously, West Indies was producer of bulk rums for companies like Malibu. Before the purchase, Gabriel would buy interesting rums from around the world and age them in Cognac barrels in France. Now he can produce his own rums. Gabriel is determined to return the distillery to its previous heritage and has resurrected an old batch still to create the heavier rums that have not been made there in years.

Twelve-hundred miles away on the island of Jamaica, there are two legendary distilleries famous for their traditional Jamaican pot-still rums. In the same deal that he acquired West Indies, Gabriel also purchased one third of the Clarendon and long pond distilleries. After much work and a fire, both distilleries are up and running again. Gabriel used marks from both distilleries to create his newest rum, Xaymaca.

I think rum drinkers can expect amazing rums from these two masters and these three distilleries in the years to come.

Q: You are always on the quest to find new rum books. Are there any hard-to- find books you are struggling to get? Which has been your favorite this year and why?

There has been one book that I have been after for several years. With help from a very nice lady in Paris, I was finally able to track down a copy of Les Plantations Saint James 250 Ans by Jean-Louis Donnadieu and Marc Sassier. This beautiful book was published in 2015 to celebrate the 250 Anniversary of Rhum Saint James. It is approximately 10 by 10 inches, has 256 pages and is beautifully illustrated with old photographs, paintings and labels. The book covers the history of rhum production on Martinique as well the history of Saint James. Marc Sassier the Chief Oenologist at Saint James and writes with authority. To learn more about Marc Sassier and Saint James, see Margaret Ayala’s interviews with him in the November 2017 and November 2018 issues of “Got Rum?”.

2018 brought several rum books to the shelves. Rum - The Complete Guide, The Bartenders Guide to Rum, The Spirit of Rum and 101 rums To Try Before You Die were basically lists of the author’s favorite rums. Of these I like 101 Rums The Best. Small, 4-1/2 x 6 inches, 225 pages, Ian Buxton’s book has the most interesting selection of rums and concise writing that combines history, description and wit. I also liked Bryce Bauer’s travelogue research in his book, The New Rum.

Q: Did you attend any rum festivals this year? If so, how did they compare to your experience at last year’s California rum festival and do you plan to attend any rum festivals in 2019?

Did manage to make a marathon one-day trip to Chicago to attend the Chicago Rum Festival. I flew out of Denver at 6:00 am on a rainy Saturday morning in April. Got to rainy Chicago, took the l to Rick Bayless’s Mexican Brewpub, Cruz Blanca, for some pre-rum sustenance and made it to the Rum Festival by 1:00 pm. Squeezed in six hours of rum tasting and enjoyed lectures from Richard Seale, Bailer Pryor and Ian Burrell. Caught an Uber back to Midway Airport and managed to run through the airport and get the last seat on my Southwest flight back to Denver. My head hit the pillow back home just short of midnight. my bucket list includes one of the two festivals in Miami, RumFest in England and another visit to San Francisco.

Q: You are an accomplished brewer (even if you won’t admit it) and I’m sure you’ve seen craft brewers barrel-aging their beer. What are your favorite rum barrel aged beers?

It has been a family tradition in my house to follow Thanksgiving dinner with a bottle of Avery Brewing Company’s Rumpkin.This big pumpkin ale (16.3% ABV) is aged in rum barrels and is full of Pumpkin/Fall spices. It is a great way to close out the day. This summer, Avery also released plank’d, an Imperial Coconut Porter that is aged in rum barrels. At 16.2% ABV, this might be another way to close out a big meal. Founders Brewing is just now coming into Colorado and I am anxiously awaiting their Imperial IPA called Barrel Runner. Big and hoppy, this beer comes in at ‘only’ 11% ABV. I have been searching for a bottle of new holland’s 20th Anniversary American Ale. Released last November, the beer was brewed in celebration of twenty years of brewing at New Holland and comes in at a whopping 20% ABV and in 22 ounce bottles. Those clever New Holanders.

Q: Have you ever made a rum barrel aged beer?

Funny, you should ask. A local brewery in Denver opens up their professional equipment to amateurs for a quarterly competition. The beer that sells the best is then brewed in a full production batch. Recently I brewed a traditional Yorkshire Old Ale. The recipe calls for British molasses and aging in rum barrels. Since I didn’t happen to have any empty rum barrels lying around, I used rum barrels chips for flavor. A little extra rum helped both the chips and the brewer.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

May your glass and your heart be filled with the spirits of the holidays!

------Mike-----

In 2016, for the Annual Team interview for “Got Rum?” magazine, Margaret and Luis Ayala asked me if I had any rum-related trips on my bucket list. I mentioned that I wanted to go to Texas, tour their Rum Central blending facility and turn the tables and interview them. Fast forward two years and i am on a mission, a three-day trip focused on rum and barbeque. Thursday is the obligatory day spent eating and hanging out with my relatives. On Friday, I wait in line for three and a half hours at Franklin Barbeque to try his famous brisket. Yes, it’s that good! Saturday is rum day. It’s been a busy production week for the Ayalas, but they are gracious enough to take me to Rum Central on their day off, give me a tour and submit themselves to my endless questions.

As we head North-East from Austin, the countryside consists of rolling hills, Oak and Mesquite trees and cactus. We pull up to a large metal building that has a small sign that reads “RUM CENTRAL, By Appointment only”. We get out of the car and Luis guides me over to the well pump house. In order to get water for blending and daily use, they have to pump it from deep beneath the Texas limestone. As he points out all the equipment, he casually says “keep an eye out for rattlesnakes”. What? Mesquite trees, cactus and rattlesnakes are not usually things you would associate with rum, but I push on.

Margaret opens the door to the main building, the first whiffs of rum come out the door and I tell myself this is going to be good. The first thing you see is a conference table with eight comfortable leather chairs. There is a small still on the back shelf, with large barrels on either side. Then I see the bottles. On the right side there are three shelves that wrap around two walls and hold 1,200 bottles of rum. Just about every brand I can recall is there, as well as labels that have long come and gone. Everything from on Jeremey to a special anniversary release from Appleton that was only sold at the distillery. These are the reference marks. on the left side are more shelves, but these hold about 150 small identical bottles that bear simple white labels. These are samples of some of the rums they stock and use to create custom blends.

As we move into the laboratory, we pass a group of tables with several blends in process and another table with laboratory instruments. We then come to a large steel door with a sign that reads: Danger – Flammable. Before opening the door, Luis turns to me.

Luis: So, we always have this light off and we smell and test levels before we turn lights on just because if there are leaks and there are vapors, those vapors may be explosive, so always before we come through here into the rum room, we take a moment to smell to make sure it is safe. Imagine that overnight, a barrel starts leaking...He opens the door and the aroma is, well, intoxicating. It’s that wonderful smell that any visitor enjoys when they first walk into the aging warehouse at a distillery. Margaret wakes me out of my daze and nudges me farther into the warehouse. To my right is an impressive reverse osmosis system to filter the well water from outside and a 1,500 gallon storage tank for holding the processed water. There are several pumps on the floor and hoses everywhere. In the middle is a large blending tank where the different marks will be combined. I ask about the scale at the bottom of the tank and Luis explains.

Luis: Alcohol’s volume is affected by the ambient temperature, it easily contracts on cold days and it expands on hot days. For this reason we cannot use flow meters or volumetric gauges, instead we calculate rum by weight and proof. The load cells/scales allow us to take volume out of the equation, resulting in more accurate processing.

In the center of the room is the first of several tall shelving units, the kind you would find at any big-box retail warehouse, filled with three rows of commercial totes, each holding 1,000 liters (275 gallons) of rum. To my left are two racks of barrels.

Luis: These barrels here are ex-rye, rye whiskey barrels from Heaven Hills. We are finishing some of our rum in rye whiskey barrels for a special formulation. These other barrels are ex-Bourbon, some of them also from Heaven Hill. The same rum you can finish in rye barrels will have a different flavor than when it is finished in Bourbon barrels. When you combine them in different proportions, you get different profiles.

I am stunned by the variety of rums and want to grab a glass and start opening taps, but Margaret, being the pragmatist that she is, guides me back to the conference room to start the interview. She does have a glass of rum waiting for me.

I remember that around 2000, I became interested in rum and was desperate to find books on the subject. There were several versions of Ed Hamilton’s Complete Guide to Rum and Rum – Yesterday and Today, by Barty-King and Massel and that was it. Then I read that some folks in Texas, Rum Runner Press, were writing a new book entitledThe Rum Experience. I must have bugged the Ayalas twice a month for the next year, wondering when the book was going to be done. And i bugged them again when the second book, The Encyclopedia of Rum Drinks, was being written.

Mike: So, how did Rum Runner Press start?

Margaret: Many years ago, Luis and I started traveling through the Caribbean and Central America, visiting as many rum distilleries as we could. We also made a point to talk to the technical people and to the owners whenever possible. Luis was raised in a wine and brandy-producing area of Mexico, and he was already familiar with the technical aspects of alcohol production. We were pleasantly surprised by the openness and warmth we received and decided to share our experiences with the world, in the form of a book. At first we didn’t know how/who would publish it, but that didn’t stop us from writing. Years later, we were given a contract by a large academic publisher, but that ended up not working well and, instead of letting the project die, we decided to self- publish. But instead of using an existing printing house, we decided to learn how to print, bind and publish ourselves! That was the birth of rum runner press, but now we do much more than printing and publishing.

Mike: Today Rum Runner Press, the parent company, includes “Got Rum?” magazine, Rum Consulting, Rum University and Rum Central. How did that happen?

Margaret: After we published our first book, we started getting requests to help distilleries with different aspects of their productions. Early successes led to more and longer-term engagements and word of mouth took care of the rest. We quickly realized that the rum industry was in desperate need for formalized training, but doing so one-on- one was not efficient, this was the birth of The Rum University, which now offers courses in many countries and in association with many existing institutions.

Luis: Training people about the rum industry then led to new brand owners wanting to launch

their own private labels, so we started getting requests for bulk rums and for blending services. At first we worked in-situ with selected distilleries, trying to blend rums for our clients, straight out of their facilities. But existing distilleries sometimes cannot or do not want to deviate from specific fermentation and distillation styles, so this approach always had limitations. we decided that we needed to have our own distilled spirits plant, where we could store rum from many different distilleries, giving us the flexibility to blend them at will, without compromising our clients’ or suppliers’ intellectual property. This was the birth of Rum Central, where we now have rum from over a dozen different countries.

Mike: Let’s talk about the magazine. I have copies going back to January of 2002. When did it start and what was the goal of the magazine?

Margaret: The first issue of “Got Rum?” -which was initially a newsletter- appeared in may of

2001. The format was very simple and straightforward, we didn’t know if we were going to have an audience and, if so, would it be trade people or consumers. The magazine now has a better format and a clearer target, all thanks to years of attention to what our readers want. The magazine does not need the income from advertisers in order to survive, which gives us the power of objectivity lacked by other publications in the industry. Through the years we’ve also been fortunate to attract and retain the help of contributing writers such as you, who help us deliver the quality content we desire. Luis and I own the company, but the magazine would not be possible without our excellent team, which really means that the team owns it.

Mike: One of your most popular rum university courses is a 5-day, hands-on course. What does it cover?

Luis: As rum consultants, we have been fortunate enough to be fully-booked for many years. while this is great for us, there were always potential clients we could not get to, due to time limitations. we looked closely at the challenge and decided we needed a way for us to share knowledge with many people at the same time, while still allowing the individuals to ask clarifying questions (which you can’t do through printed material). The obvious answer was to host training, where we could present comprehensive information and tie it to practical exercises that could be the foundation for successful rum businesses. We offer all of this information to clients, on-site, at their distilleries, but our 5-day Rum Course, which we offer through the Moonshine University in Kentucky, allows us to simultaneously interact with a larger group. The course has been well-received and next year we’ll be offering it for the 5th straight year. Many of our graduates are now running their own craft distilleries. Here is a brief overview of what we cover during the course:

Day 1 – The Business of Rum

Day 2 – The Classifications of Rum

Day 3 – The Art of Rum Making

Day 4 – History and Science of the Barrel

Day 5 – Essential Rum Laboratory, Introduction to Rum Blending

Mike: What were some of the first consulting jobs and what do you offer today?

Margaret: Some of our earlier consulting contracts were with large, multi-national distilleries, assessing organoleptic aspects of their inventories, working with their production personnel to maintain existing brands or to develop new ones. In some cases we were brought in to troubleshoot quality problems and sometimes just to brainstorm about brand strategies.

Luis: Today we do much more. For example, we spend quite a bit of time reviewing business plans for potential new distilleries, then moving into implementation and expansion for some of them, then M&A (Merger and Acquisition) for a few others.

Mike: Do you ever talk someone out of opening their own distillery?

Luis: Yes, quite often! Some people want to “retire” and think it would be fun to open and operate a distillery in their spare time. Others are not prepared to tolerate the financial risk of doing so, when all they plan to sell is a few cases of bottles each week, to tourists who stop by their shops. For some clients, we start by developing private labels for them and, once they’ve proved that they can sell the rum, we then design the craft distilleries they need in order to ferment, distill and age the product themselves, without impacting the profile as they migrate from buying our rum to making it.

Mike: So you offer help developing private labels, what other services do you offer through Rum Central?

Margaret: Our standard rum marks are all available “as-is”. All you need is the proper permits and you can come select the marks you want and we’ll ship them to you right away. we can also custom blend marks or finish them (in Bourbon, Cognac, Rye, Tequila or Wine barrels). Existing distilleries also send us samples of their rums and we create custom blends to help them achieve different styles.

Mike: Why would someone come to you as opposed to dealing directly with a distillery?

Margaret: When you go to a distillery, let’s say in Jamaica, all they are going to be able to offer are the “marks” they make. If you want a blend that includes rums they don’t make, then you are out of luck. So, if you want a blend of Jamaican rum and Brazilian Cachaça, for example, you won’t be able to buy it from a supplier in either one of those countries. You’d have to order separate containers from them and blend them at your own facility or at a third party’s. Because of the freight costs involved, you’d have to order full containers of each, otherwise you have to divide all the transportation costs by a small number of liters/gallons, driving your costs up unnecessarily. This approach simply does not work when you are trying to develop a proof of concept.

Luis: Chefs are only as good as what is in the pantry and how familiar they are with those “ingredients” (a.k.a. rum inventory). At Rum Central we are trying to have a pantry fully-stocked with rums of different congener levels, from different geographical origins, aged and finished in a multitude of casks, so that we can blend them in different proportions, catering to what our clients want. Because we already have the inventories, our clients can have us do that blending and can order from us in small enough quantities that they can prove the viability of a commercial venture without risking a lot of capital.

Margaret: Another reason why it is a bad idea to deal directly with a single distillery is that they may suddenly decide to stop selling you or may inform you that the price will go up considerably. If your brand relies 100% on that distillery, then you find yourself in a bad situation. Rum Central offers a couple of different solutions: a) by having inventory already, the clients get a “buffer” that is not immediately affected by supply-side problems and b) by offering regional or multi-distillery blends, the clients have less risk and more growth potential. But we also offer a few single-distillery rums.

Mike: Let’s talk about developing a custom blend. Say I want you to create the perfect 

rum for a Mai Tai, Mike’s miraculous Mai Tai mixer. Where would we start?

Luis: It has happened before and our answer is that we are neither mixologists nor bartenders. You tell us which rum or rums combined made the best Mai Tai for you. If we have equivalent rums here, we will combine them in the proportions you told us. or you can send us a sample with the proportions that you like, already mixed. We then analyze the sample and see what rums we have that are similar. This we can do, and we have done it many times. The clearer-defined target, the less consulting hours you are going to pay for. We charge a blending fee. If you change your mind half way through the process, and now you want a rum to make a Scorpion, or a Mojito or a Daiquiri, we don’t mind changing directions but every hour spent is charged to your project. The better-defined the goal is, the fewer discussions we are going to have whether we’ve arrived at the goal or not. If we have a target that has a definite color, a congener and tannic level, and sweetness level, those are measurable and quantifiable through instrumentation, so we know when we are there. Then if the sensory dimension matches, then you can’t say that we have missed the target.

Margaret: We’ve had people who came in and had no idea about the rum industry. They just know they want a product. Where do you start with that?  We normally start with styles. We will start with the light end, which includes Cuban, Central American style, then we go into Guyanese, Jamaican, and then we get into the French Agricoles, just to get an idea of what their pallet is leaning towards. This helps us realize, for example, that this person likes light congener rums, so we then eliminate everything else. Sometimes they think they are open to all options and we have to help them narrow that down.

Mike: But you are narrowing it down to a style. In theory you could blend something from two or more styles and make something that appeals to them.

Margaret: Correct. in some cases, the clients say I like the complexity of this one, but I like the fruitiness of that one. Those are notions that we can actually use. In our minds we are thinking okay so they do like a little bit of congeners, where they thought they didn’t. I kinda like this taste over here, but I don’t like the smell. Those are clues for us to start narrowing the choices. Then we start giving them some guidance without influence. We do not want to influence their decisions, but hearing the words they are trying to communicate with, over the years we have started to understand.

Mike: Okay, let’s try another approach. Let’s say that I want to develop a full-bodied rum that would appeal to my friends who are whiskey lovers. Where would we start?

Luis: Not all whiskey lovers agree on which whiskey is the best, so we would have to start by asking which particular products they hold in high regard. Then we analyze those products organoleptically and quantitatively to determine things such as: type of barrel, congener types and levels, additives -if any-, etc. Once we have an idea of which of those traits can be replicated in a rum, we develop a round of prototypes and see if we can validate our assumptions. This process is iterative and usually gets us to the target in 2-5 rounds. The biggest challenge we have is vocabulary: Even though we may speak the same language as our clients, we have no control over what the specific words mean to each individual. For some people “dry” means tannic, for others it mean bitter, for others it may be peppery. Over the years we have developed our own method for transcending this limitation and now we have tools that help us do exactly that.

Mike: When you are creating a blend, do you have to let it sit for a while? Can you work on more than one blend at a time?

Luis: Yes, you usually have to let them sit. Through the years we’ve learned which marks require more resting time than others. High-esters rums, for example, have a propensity to dissociate and cross-esterify, which requires time. Not letting the blends rest (not knowing they have to) may result in unstable/inaccurate products being sent to clients.

Margaret: Oh, yes, we have to work on multiple blends at the same time. As you saw in the lab, we have three formulation stations, each one fully-equipped, and each station capable of handling up to 6 different formulations at the same time. Having good ventilation and good power of concentration are essential to keep things from getting out of control.

Mike: When you have a target in mind, do you two always agree on the blend you just made?

Margaret: Luis is better at defining the base or foundation for the rums we are formulating, especially if we are developing against a target sent to us by a client. He “sees” the congener compositions very clearly. Once he is done with the base, I normally fine tune it a bit and only then will both of us be happy with it. For the most part we agree blends are ready about 99% of the time.

Luis: Yes, for me flavors and aromas have shapes, textures and colors. I know this sounds weird, but that is how I process the information internally. Comparing the aroma of two samples then becomes a visual comparison of these elements.

Mike: Luis, how do you “see” a rum? Do the shapes change as you combine marks in a blend? Can you accurately remember the “shape” of blend from years ago?

Luis: The condition is called synesthesia and those of us who have it are called synesthetes. For most of my life I thought everyone perceived the world the same way I do, it was not until I started asking people about what colors they associate with numbers and about the shapes of the smells they perceive that I realized I was getting different experiences than the average person. But life is about doing the most with what you have, so I’ve turned it into an advantage, working as a blender. Some of our clients have asked us for help identifying odd smells that appear in some of their distillates. Those challenges are always fun because I get to memorize the shapes I’m interested in, and then I spend hours, sometimes days, smelling around sugar mills and distilleries, looking for the sources.

Mike: Many people talk about the “premiumization” of rum and how it has already arrived or is about to. What are your thoughts on this subject?

Luis: What most people don’t realize is that “premium,” as defined by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, is a price-based categorization, not a quality-based one. Obviously, you’d expect quality to go up as the retail price of a product does, but expensive glass bottles, fancy labels and pricey marketing campaigns can all contribute to the increased final price of a rum, without that price hike representing a proportional increase in the quality of the rum inside the bottle. Are we seeing price-based premiumization? Yes. Are we seeing quality-based premiumization? At a very small- scale, as a subset of the “craft” segment, the answer is also yes.

Margaret: Consumer education will be the catalyst of change. So far, the majority of consumers are not interested in nor are they able to recognize/appreciate anything other than very light rum, but things are slowly changing. The Rum University and our own offerings through Rum Central are starting to have an impact, as we are educating the brand owners and also offering the rum marks that allow for Bourbon, Brandy and Tequila drinkers to make an enjoyable transition into the rum world.

Mike: One last question. As you know I am a big collector of books on rum. You, too, have an amazing library at Rum Central. What aspect of rum do you think has not been properly covered in a book yet? What would be the perfect rum book for you?

Luis: I think a rum book written by someone who actually ferments, distills and ages rum for a living would be great. Unfortunately such publications -when available- tend to cover only the style/brand of the employer, and tend to disparage rums from their competitors. I also imagine that employers would not want sensitive data to be published, but that really is what would make the book interesting, for example, how do they control bacterial infections during fermentation? Such books, however, have a very limited audience, so it is hard for traditional printing companies to be interested in publishing them.

Mike: Thank you Luis and Margaret for the interview, I hope this will be part I of many!

Luis and Margaret: You are welcome Mike! We are looking forward to it!