July 2016 - Rum In The News

July 2016 - Rum In The News

BACARDI

As Bacardi prepares to roll out its Puerto Rico produced Havana Club brand across the U.S. market, the rum giant may get a boost from Congress in its long-running fight with Pernod Ricard over the Havana Club trademark. The House Appropriations Committee recently released a Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill for fiscal 2017 that includes a provision which blocks “the licensing of a mark, trade name or commercial name that was confiscated by the Cuban government” during the revolution. While it remains locked in a trademark battle with Pernod Ricard over the Havana Club rum label in the U.S. market, Bacardi has unveiled plans  to back its Puerto Rico-produced version of its Havana Club brand with a new Añejo Clasico dark rum, a national distribution footprint and a fresh advertising campaign. The push also includes revamped packaging that features the family crest of the Arechabalas, founders of Havana Club. 

EL DORADO

Demerara Distillers Limited Recently unveiled its El Dorado Grand Special Reserve, a 50-year old blend to celebrate Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary. This special offering is limited to 600 bottles. DDL’s Master Blender, Sharon Sue-Hang started with a core of the oldest rum preserved on DDL property. Two-thirds of the blend of the Special Edition comes from barrels of rum that were distilled in the famous wooden Port Mourant Still, and laid down to preserve in 1966. The 1966 batch was then augmented with rums that are 40 to almost 50-years-old. The Port Mourant Still comprises two large wooden vats constructed from Greenheart. It was first erected in 1732 at Port Mourant. It was relocated to Skeldon in 1955. In 1960, when Skeldon was closed, it was moved to Albion then to Enmore, on to Uitvlugt and finally to the current Diamond facility. Twenty percent of the selling price of each bottle will be donated to the DDL Foundation to assist young, bright but unfortunate Guyanese in acquiring a high standard of education. At the public announcement, DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo gave the first bottle to Guyana President David Grainger, who later signed off three barrels of rum that will go into storage to create another special bottling for Guyana’s Diamond Jubilee in twenty-five years.

BALCONES DISTILLING

Back in 2013, Balcones Distilling began crafting small batches of rum. What started as a mere curiosity grew into a new fascination with one of America’s oldest spirits. Since then, they have released two unique and very limited editions of Texas Rum, both of which were met with critical acclaim. Recently the released Batch 16-1, 63% ABV, a blend that contains some of the oldest spirit they have ever released. It is composed of two barrels made from French oak, as well as one American and one European cask. This unique blend of woods gives the rum a big and robust flavor and aroma, accenting the sugary flavors of the spirit with toasty oak. 16-1 is bottled at 64% ABV and is limited to 650 units.

HAMPDEN ESTATE DISTILLERY

On your next cruise to Jamaica, consider taking a thirty-minute journey from the Falmouth Cruise Hub to take a Rum Tour of the Hampden Estate Distillery. Along the way you can travel through the rural Jamaican countryside, pass sugarcane fields, and enjoy the magnificent landscape and views. As you approach Hampden Estate you will appreciate why the early Scottish settlers ventured here to seek their fortunes in sugar and rum. Enjoy a hearty Jamaican welcome and sip on a smooth rum punch while you learn a little bit about Jamaica, Hampden’s rich history, and the mysteries of rum making. Take a guided walk through to the grounds and visit the Distillery to see how their rum continues to be made very much like it was done 260 years ago. Return to the Visitors Center for rum sampling, souvenir shopping and a lunch of jerk pork or jerk chicken. Leave Hampden with a sense of satisfaction that you just experienced a taste of authentic Jamaica.

While it has downsized its operations as a sugar-growing entity, exciting times are now unfolding at the Hampden Estate in Trelawny, where a new brand is being built around the production of the world-famous Rum Fire liquor, and a tour, which is geared towards attracting visitors to its rustic surroundings. In a recent interview with The Gleaner, one of Jamaica’s leading newspaper, Christelle Harris, marketing director at Hampden Estate, which is located near the St. James/ Trelawny border, said the estate has already started to test the waters in terms of opening up the facility to the tourism market. “We have allowed it to take on an organic growth process, and we think it is very timely because of the whole uncertainty of sugar right now,” said Harris, in outlining the new direction the estate has taken. “We believe that, in terms of job creation and the importance of Hampden to the people of Trelawny, this it is time to capitalize on what we have there and try to grow it as a tourist product.”

The Hampden Estate, which was founded in 1753, is part of a historic tradition of sugar manufacturing in Jamaica. In earlier times, it was owned by the Farquharsen family and then after by the Government of Jamaica. In 2009, the Government divested it to the Hussey family-owned Everglades Farms Limited, the current operators.

FLORIDA MERMAID RUM

NJoy Spirit’s Distillery is a family operated Florida distiller in the heart of Florida’s nature coast, just North of Tampa.

Their Mermaid Rum is a blend of three year old Florida rum with a high ester Jamaican pot still marque. The blend is further rested in NJoy Wild Buck Whiskey barrels for 90 days and then bottled at a brisk 100 proof. NJoy Spirits was founded by Natalie and Kevin Goff in 2012 in Weeki Wachee, Florida, a small city on the Gulf side of Florida, a city proud of its mermaids. They were founded with the initial focus of making handcrafted whiskey and rum. They are committed to the “hand” part of “handcrafting,” personally assuring us “everything at our distillery is done by hand - we have no automation - no bottle fillers, no labeler, no cork machine.” Not only did the husband and wife duo win gold medals at the world famous San Francisco International Spirits Competition for both their Mermaid Rum and Wild Buck Whiskey, out of nearly 2,000 entries, they were the only distillery in Florida to win two golds for their featured spirits. Additionally, the distillery received a Best in Class “Aged Rum” gold medal for Mermaid Rum at the prestigious American Distilling Institutes (ADI) Spirits Competition in San Diego, beating out nearly 1,000 top brand entries. ADI is internationally known as the voice of craft distilling and its spirit competition is considered a top award to win.

SAINT JAMES RHUM

Once again, during the International Rum Conference 2016 in Madrid, the expertise and Craftsman ship of the Saint James Plantations were highly recognized. Two SILVER , three GOLD and one DOUBLE GOLD medals were awarded to Saint James Agricole Rums, demonstrating their quality and unique taste. The know-how of Saint James Plantations was exceptionally awarded for their aged Rums from 6 to 10 years old with a “Best in Category” special medal. Their Rums are born out of a 250-year- long history of passion and craftsman ship and are appreciated by connoisseurs for their character and uniqueness. Distributed in over 50 countries, the famous square bottle brand is considered by many to be the number one worldwide pure cane Caribbean Rum.

BAYOU RUM

Bayou Rum is partnering with Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) to kick off the international spirits festival in New Orleans with a splash, taking attendees on a journey into rum’s rich history and providing a peek into its future. As the largest privately owned rum distillery in the U.S., Bayou Rum will deliver knowledge of the spirits sector while still letting the good times roll.

On Tuesday, July 19th, the Welcome to the Bayou Kickoff Party will pair Bayou Rum’s crafted cocktails with traditional Cajun music and local culinary treats during a true introduction to Louisiana culture. Taking place poolside at the Hotel Monteleone, National Brand Ambassador Ava Kopieczek and Bayou Rum are set to bring a unique flavor to the start of TOTC‘s week long celebration. Cocktails and treats will be available at 214 Royal Street from 2:30 to 5 p.m. The Bayou Kickoff Party is only accessible with TOTC wristbands. “Bayou Rum was born in New Orleans’ backyard – Lacassine, Louisiana – and introduced to the world at Tales of the Cocktail in 2013, so we’re fired up to be returning to one of this city’s signature festivals,” said Trey Litel, Bayou Rum co-founder and president. “The kickoff party is sure to be an event to remember, but we’re also really looking forward to participating in the seminar and tasting room events. Tales of the Cocktail really provides us the ideal outlet to educate everyone, from spirits experts to novice cocktail enthusiasts, on the quality and character of our rums.” On Wednesday, July 20th, Bayou Rum will continue the TOTC tradition of bringing spirits industry professionals, distillers, bartenders and enthusiasts together by presenting The New American Rum Revolution, a seminar dedicated to exploring rum’s history as the original American spirit. Robert Burr, president of Rob’s Rum Guide, will moderate the event alongside several award-winning distillers, including Bayou Rum Co-founder and President Trey Litel, who will give attendees a taste of rum’s past, present and future. The New American Rum Revolution will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Fleur de Lis Suite at the Royal Sonesta Hotel located at 300 Bourbon Street. Tickets can be purchased through the TOTC website.

On Thursday, July 21st, Bayou Rum will participate in Cream of the “CRAFT” Crop, offering guests the opportunity to speak one on- one with Co-founder and President Trey Litel, for an in-depth look at the intricacies of producing Bayou Rum’s award winning recipes. Take advantage of this opportunity to taste each expression of Bayou Rum alongside a curated group of like-minded craft distillers. Cream of the “CRAFT” Crop, presented by Liquid Projects and ADI , will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Vieux Carre suite of Hotel Monteleone. TOTC wristbands are required to attend.

KOLOA RUM

In the May issue, I mentioned that Koloa rums won five Gold Medals and one Best in Class Award at the Miami Rum Festival. However, the awards did not stop there. In March, 2016, Koloa Rum’s Kauai Coffee Rum won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the most respected and influential spirits competitions in the world. In that same month, Koloa Rum’s Kauai Coconut Rum won the Chairman’s Trophy for flavored rums at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in Hawthorne, New York and Kauai Coffee Rum was deemed a finalist. In April 2016 The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America awarded Silver Medals to Koloa Rum’s Kauai Coffee Rum and Kauai Coconut Rum in Las Vegas, Nevada. I suspect that we will see more new products from Koloa in 2017.

WICKED DOLPHIN

“When Wicked Dolphin launched their rum in stores in 2013 it started with 750 ml bottles”, states JoAnn Elardo, founder of Wicked Dolphin. “We were always trying to move to bigger bottles but were so busy we couldn’t make the move. When our Wicked Dolphin Coconut Rum launched it became one of our fastest growing lines. We just had a hard time keeping up with it. People were asking all the time for larger bottles.” SO, they finally made the move. You can now find their Wicked Dolphin Crystal, Coconut, Gold and Black Rum in 750ml, 1 liter and 1.75 liter bottles at most stores like ABC,  Publix liquors, Total Wines & Spirits, Winn Dixie and local chain and single stores. Wicked Dolphin Distillery is getting ready with a new property purchase south of the distiller y for expansion that should start in 2017. They have been upgrading their tanks and bottling line to be able to handle the new business expansion. “Wicked Dolphin has a great team and we have a few exciting releases coming soon. We are all looking forward to the future” states JoAnn Elardo.

MATUSALEM RUM

After arriving in Cuba from their native Spain, Benjamin and Eduardo Camp and  Evaristo Alvarez, founded Matusalem Rum in 1872 in Santiago de Cuba. The company’s President/CEO is Dr. Claudio Alvarez, a direct descendant of Evaristo Alvarez. Although the Miami-based family owners of Matusalem Rum have been exiled from Cuba for nearly 60 years, they have never lost their passion for producing fine rums. They recently celebrated the opening of their new ISO 9000 approved production facility in Monte Plata, Dominican Republic. The new facility is projected to produce more than 550,000 cases of rum per year, with an initial production of 14,000 bottles a day, creating more than 300 direct jobs and approximately 750 indirect jobs in the local economy. Matusalem Rums are still produced in the same Cuban tradition, using the family’s secret formula and according to the same exacting standards established by the brand’s founders over a century ago. These rums are produced and bottled in the Dominican Republic under the strictest quality guidelines and every batch is carefully analyzed before release.

CANE LAND DISTILLING

The Baton Rouge city-parish approved the construction permits for the long-awaited Cane Land Distilling Company on St. Philip Street recently, paving the way for the local distillery to produce molasses-based and fresh pressed cane juice rum in the Capital City. Originally announced in mid-2013, work on 9,700-square-foot warehouse at 760 St. Philip St., near the 13th Gate and behind the Belle of Baton Rouge, is expected to cost about $250,000 and include installation of all the moving parts needed to create “cane to glass” rum. “As you can imagine, it’s quite a bit of engineering. It’s quite complex,” says Walter Tharp, who co-owns Cane Land with Jim Massey. Tharp says he hopes to have the distillery in operation by the time sugarcane grinding season star ts in late September or early October. That would allow the rum to age for a few months and be ready to be sold around the start of next year. Tharp says he wants to release three rums and a whiskey for the initial launch. Two of the rums will be sold under the PARADE label—one being a botanical spiced rum and the other being an argenté, which is French for silver. Both rums will be molasses-based spirits. The third will be a rhum agricole, made using fresh pressed cane juice.