On Welcoming Scrutiny

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On Welcoming Scrutiny

I remember having conversations more than two decades ago, with rum brand owners who complained to me about rum not having the prestige or panache as bourbon or cognac. They all daydreamed about the day when consumers would praise their rums in much the same manner as their aforementioned distant relatives. But unlike those products from tighter geographical regions, rum can be made -and is made- pretty much anywhere sugarcane can be grown or molasses imported.

This lack of “single origin” has been the main reason why no government or entity can regulate what is and is not considered RUM. Most countries agree that it has to be distilled from fermented sugars obtained from sugarcane, but disagree on just about everything else: some allow for rums to be bottled below 40% ABV, some do not mandate aging while some require at least 1 or 2 years of aging in American Oak barrels, yet few allow for barrels made from other species (like Encino). This diversity in regulatory environments allows companies to come out with a rich range of products that ostensibly benefit consumers, but makes it hard for the rum aficionado to compare apples to apples when faced with rums from different countries, where the word rum means different things.

We are witnessing signs of premiumization in the rum industry and, along with it, come more educated consumers, journalists and industry members. Companies that could have released a “White Solera Rum” a decade ago are realizing today that some stories are harder to defend than others.  The same applies to companies that are selling rums whose age statements and volumes do not match the inventory of barrels in their warehouses.

Pretty soon we will see hungry lawyers setting their sights on our industry, going after claims of “hand-made” or “craft”, as they have done with the most popular (lucrative) spirits categories.

But rather than welcoming and embracing this scrutiny, I’ve seen companies become defensive, as if they had something to hide. Premiumization, prestige and panache all have a price: a willingness to be transparent about processes so that consumers feel safe in their decisions to purchase -and respect- our rums.

To a successful and more transparent 2016!

Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher