March 2018- Rum in the News

March 2018- Rum in the News

DIPLOMATICO RUM

Last November I wrote about Diplomatico releasing its Distillery Collection, two expressions, each displaying a different distillation technique. These two rums will finally make their American debut this month at the Summit of the Americas in Orlando. Diplomático will also highlight its  Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva edition, which is available in global duty free, and Diplomático Single Vintage 2004. The 2004 edition is scheduled to launch this year and will be available in key European duty-free outlets with Lagardère Travel Retail. Diplomático Single Vintage comprises 100% pot stills rums, is aged for 12 years in white oak casks (ex-bourbon and whisky) and finished for a year in oloroso sherry casks.

HAVANA CLUB

The Havana Club International S.A., announced at the 20th Habano Festival the release of this year’s version of their Tributo rum. Tributo 2018, first luxury Cuban rum aged in smoked whisky barrels, is the third edition of the Havana Club Tribute Collection. Each year’s release pays “Tribute” to the different elements that are part of the process of Cuban Rum manufacturing. This year’s version points to the crucial role of the barrel in the production process of the spirits, showing the flavor provided by barrel aging. The new rum is a mix of the best reserves, exclusively aged in barrels of over 60 years. Such barrels were safeguarded by the Masters of Cuban Rum who assure the superiority of these luxury rums. Cuban Rum Master Asbel Morales, selected to this end and meticulously mixed the rums extracted from those barrels, and aged them again in smoked whisky barrels.

LYON DISTILLING

Maryland’s Lyon Distilling Company will soon be available in the Connecticut and Delaware markets. The distiller is partnering with Craft Wine & Spirits for distribution in Delaware, and with Highland Imports for Connecticut. The expansion will bring Lyon’s rums a total of four markets. Lyon Distilling Company is a micro distillery located in Saint Michaels, Maryland, steps from the Chesapeake Bay. Founded in 2012 by Ben Lyon & Jaime Windon, the distillery launched on 2013 with a signature line of rums paying tribute to the rich, spirited traditions of the Eastern Shore. Lyon spirits start with intentionally-sourced raw ingredients, and are truly hand-crafted every step of the way, resulting in a superior and unique final product.

DESTILERIA SERRALLES

Destilería Serrallés Inc., the producers of Don Q, Puerto Rico’s number-one rum, is proud to announce the release of its Double Aged Vermouth Cask Finish Rum. Destilería Serrallés, and it’s Master Blender, Jaiker Soto, are proud to debut this new rum as part of the distillery’s continued focus on unique barrel-aged expressions. “Blending innovation, art and science has always been characteristic in the way we have been crafting exceptional spirits for the last 153 years. This new expression has allowed us to collaborate with other high-quality artisans in the industry,” says Roberto Serrallés, Sixth generation rum maker and Business Development Vice President. “We’ve been excited with the idea of creating unique spirits from unexpected pairings through barrel-aging in recent years, and felt it was the perfect time to enter the category. Our team had been planning this expression for several years, and are grateful to our friends at Mancino Vermouth for helping us bring this dream to fruition with their barrels”, he added. From the environmentally conscious distillery in Ponce (most recently, winner of a “Green Award” from The Drinks Business, which recognizes leaders in environmental, ethical and sustainable practices within the beverage industry), Soto blends rare rums aged for 5 to 8 years in American white oak casks before resting the spirit for 4 to 6 weeks in Mancino Vermouth Vecchio barrels. Crafted from Italian white oak, these casks carry the distinct aromatics of the fortified wine they once carried, as well as the botanical flavors synonymous with vermouth. This exceptional rum subtly showcases these characteristics, alongside a unique complexity and richness of flavor imparted by the double aging process. With a dynamic mix of flavors and a rich, aromatic essence, Don Q’s Double Aged Vermouth Cask Finish Rum is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Even straight out of the bottle, the expression is reminiscent of a classic Manhattan, with the sweet vermouth-soaked wood barrel creating hints of cherry and raisins that interact nicely with the rare aged rum blend’s natural honey, dark chocolate and vanilla flavors.

DOS MADERAS

Once again, Ron Dos Maderas has joined forces with the Billion Baby Turtles Campaign in an attempt to save 3.000 baby turtles. The campaign, a program by SEE Turtles, which has the support of SOS Nicaragua, works to protect baby turtles, which when fully grown play a fundamental role in the maintenance of the marine ecosystem of the Pacific coastal region, including coral reefs and seagrass meadows. The survival of the different species of turtle in these waters is in danger due to the poaching of their eggs, which are sold illegally on the black market, or the illegal use of their shells to make diverse objects. Money donated to the campaign goes toward the protection of nesting beaches through organized beach patrols, ensuring that baby turtles are able to cross the sand and reach the sea without incident. Luxus is the top of the Ron Dos Maderas range. A rum originating in the Caribbean and then transported to Bodegas Williams & Humbert to continue ageing in casks that have previously aged 20-year-old “Dos Cortados” Palo Cortado sherry and “Don Guido” Pedro Ximenez sherry. Luxus is also the name of the first turtle adopted by the brand in 2014 in collaboration with ICAPO (Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative) with a donation being made for the adoption of Hawksbill turtles in danger of extinction. According to The Drinks Business, Dos Maderas said “This collaboration with the campaign Billion Baby Turtles (Help us save a billion turtles!) or iginates from the desire of Bodegas Williams & Humbert to create closer ties between the region from which its range of rums originates and in which these species, which play such an important role in conserving the environment, are in danger of extinction,” Dos Maderas describes Luxus as “handmade and aged previously in the Caribbean and then it is shipped to the Williams & Humbert facilities, where is it aged using the solera system. It is different from the other two of the range, Dos Maderas 5+3 and Dos Maderas PX, because it is left to age for 15 years: 10 year s in the Caribbean and 5 in barrels that previously held wine at Don Guido. This rum is unique worldwide as it acquires tastes and nuances from the two ancient cultures that make it the “rum among all rums”. That is why it is so popular among the most refined palates. It’s a real luxury for the most sybaritic.” Yes, I admit I had to look up the word ‘sybaritic’. Sybaritic = fond of sensuous luxury or pleasure. Definitely a great word to use the next time you are at the bar.

ALLEGHENY DISTILLING

As of February 1st, 2018, for ever y bottle of Maggie’s Farm core rum sold, either White, Spiced, Single Barrel, or 50/50 Dark rums, $1 will be donated to animal rescue charities in the area of the sale, as denoted on labels for all bottles now rolling out into our current distribution markets. The monthly bottle sales to each market will be tallied and the funds donated directly to non-profit, no-kill animal shelters in the areas of distribution, whether in Pittsburgh, Washington DC, Baltimore, Delaware, Philadelphia, Nashville, or New York, and all future markets. Multiple, different charities in the areas of each city will be chosen each month with the best effort of spreading the donations around to benefit as many as possible. As Maggie’s Farm continues to experience growth in production and sales, a desire to give back has come to fruition. With this ability, and without any product price increases, owners Tim and Layla Russell have decided to assist charities close to their hearts. “These are ones that benefit finding long-term homes for lost, neglected, or abused pets.”

As Layla has stated, “Family pets can be our greatest companions and truly depend on us, and in exchange provide us their unconditional love.” Layla and Tim’s own dogs include Crosby, a yellow lab/golden retriever mix, rescued from a foster home in Washington County in 2007. Lumi, a 10-month old Shiba Inu mix, was recently rescued from an Indiana County Animal shelter after being found lost in nearby woods without a collar and Blake, a black lab, was rescued by Tim’s younger sister and parents from a neglectful home in 2008. In the time since its opening just over four years ago, Maggie’s Farm has become one of, if not the most awarded rum distillery in America with nearly fifty awards and medals including Highest Ranked American-made rum and spiced rum (Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2017) and awards for Best-in-Show spirit (American Craft Spirits Association 2016), Best-in-Class rum (American Craft Spirits Association 2015 and 2016), Best-in-Category spiced rum (American Distilling Institute 2015), Best-in-Category coffee liqueur and Best-in-Category “other” liqueur (for fresh ingredient falernum) (American Distilling Institute 2017), and 2X Pennsylvania Distillery of the Year (New York International Spirits Competition 2014 and 2016).

BACARDI

February 8th was not just another day in the office for the nearly 5,500 Bacardi employees around the globe who ditched their desks and hit the streets, visiting hundreds of bars around the world to reignite the company’s entrepreneurial spirit and culture. The first annual “Back to the Bar” was timed to coincide with the company’s Founder’s Day festivities, commemorating the 156th anniversary of family-owned Bacardi, today the world’s largest privately held spirits company. “Back to the Bar is our version of ‘walking the factory floor’ and puts our people in touch with what’s happening in our business in real life and real time, something you can’t truly understand behind a computer screen, sitting through a presentation, or dissecting a spreadsheet,” says Mahesh Madhavan, CEO of Bacardi Limited. “For us, Founder’s Day is more than a celebration; it’s a reminder that we are our best when we act as founders ourselves.” Madhavan, who began his career with Bacardi more than 20 years ago, said that Back to the Bar is a new tradition at Bacardi founded on one of the company’s most cherished principles, “For seven generations, the Bacardi family has impressed upon its team that this is our company and we are all salespeople, whether we work in finance or human resources or operations. That cultural touchstone is as true as ever today, and there is no time better spent than in the markets to see first-hand what is happening in accounts with bartenders, restaurant owners, and most importantly, our consumers.” “The cocktail revolution continues to flourish as more people from more places are drinking more kinds of drinks than ever before. When it comes to what’s new and next in cocktails and occasions, there is no question we learn more about our business in the bar than we do in the boardroom,” said Bacardi Chief Marketing Officer John Burke. “What makes this day really special and different is that the whole company is making its way out into bars. It reminds us all why we do what we do and gets us into contact with the great creativity of the bartenders who lead innovation in our industry.”

MOUNT GAY RUM

The Barbados Advocate reported that Mount Gay launched a new campaign entitled, ‘Time Well Spent’, while they were in the midst of their 315th Anniversary Motorcade. Raphael Grisoni, Managing Director of Mount Gay Distilleries, told the media “Today we are also launching a new campaign at Mount Gay, where the tagline is ‘Time Well Spent.” He explained that the visual on the truck was a beautiful picture of Barbados and people in Barbados celebrating Mount Gay, either in a rum shop, on the beach or a luxury villa. He noted that the idea behind the campaign was to remind people to enjoy Mount Gay with their friends and families. “The idea is to have a campaign that is very inspirational for the client target and really show that Mount Gay is the ideal rum to be shared with friends. So really, how to stop the clock of the business and day to day activities. So, it’s really the messaging behind the tagline ‘Time Well Spent,’” he said. As the Original Spirit and world’s oldest rum, Mount Gay Rum presents its “Original Spirits” campaign and website, www.theoriginalspirits.com, celebrating modern day “Original Spirits” who embody the same sense of craftsmanship used to make Mount Gay Rum, and have rich stories worth telling. With over 300 years of expertise in creating a handcrafted product of exceptional quality, Mount Gay Rum understands the importance of honoring history, process and tradition. As part of this new campaign, the brand is sharing the stories of four Original Spirits from varied backgrounds and fields who celebrate time honored techniques and who are interested in preserving what it means to make products with their hands – those who provide a human touch in creating quality products and who take the time to enjoy the process. Every Original Spirit has their own distinct story, and every story begins with a time and a place. Mount Gay Rum’s story begins in Barbados in 1703. Pete Raho, woodworker and furniture maker; Brock Willsey, designer; James Tucker, printmaker; and Ernesto Roman, photographer are four Original Spirits who have a story of their own. Mount Gay Rum has followed these “Original Spirits” in their everyday lives as they create their products and tell their stories. These stories have been captured in a series of short films illustrating the synergies between their own crafts and the ethos behind Mount Gay Rum and can be viewed on www.theoriginalspirits.com. Selected digital influencers and multiple native editorial posts across various websites helped to illuminate this campaign.

IRONWORKS DISTILLERY

Barque Picton Castle and Ironworks Distillery have announced that four oaken casks of Ironworks Lunenburg-made Rum will be loaded aboard the grand sailing ship Picton Castle and will travel in the ship’s cargo hold on a voyage around the world during the next 18 months. This is the seventh and last around the world voyage of Picton Castle under the command of Captain Daniel Moreland. This rare edition rum will be a one-time release, and will be available at the end of Picton Castle’s voyage upon its return to Lunenburg in May 2019. “We are very excited to be working with the Barque Picton Castle on this project. We know that rum ages well in an oak barrel and if that barrel is riding the ocean, it will be even better. The idea that our customers will be able to enjoy a Lunenburg-made Rum knowing it has sailed around the world on a Lunenburg-based Tall Ship is quite simply very cool,” said Lynne MacKay, co-owner of Ironworks Distillery. Daniel Moreland, Captain of Picton Castle says “This fine cane elixir from Ironworks Distillery, which makes a rum as excellent as any of the very best in the Caribbean, will be snug and secure in the cargo hold for all of our trade wind passages across the South Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans before hoisting it back ashore at our wharf in Lunenburg at the end of the voyage.  We’re pleased to partner with such a savvy local company on this project.” Enthusiasts will be able to follow the voyage of the “Round the World Rum” via the Barque Picton Castle website which will track the voyage via GPS. There will be ongoing reports from the ship’s crew and the Captain’s log of the voyage. There will also be links to the voyage from the Ironworks website as well as updates on all our social media outlets.

EASTSIDE DISTILLING

Eastside Distilling, makers of craft spirits, announced the introduction of Hue-Hue Coffee Rum. Hue-Hue (pronounced “way-way”) is a fine, coffee-infused rum that starts with Arabica coffee beans grown at the Finca El Paternal Estate in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. This fine free trade coffee is custom light roasted by Portland Roasting Company, then small-batch cold brewed by Eastside by hand, following a proprietary process that has been optimized for spirits by Eastside’s Master Distiller, Mel Heim. After brewing, the coffee is hand blended with silver rum and a trace amount of raw Demerara sugar, following our recipe. The result is Hue-Hue, a 70 proof spirit that is “all about the coffee.” Hue-Hue is unique in having the full flavor and richness of cold brew coffee, without the syrupy sweetness of sugar-drenched coffee liqueurs. The new Hue-Hue bottle design was created by Sandstrom Partners, a leading spirits branding firm that branded Aviation Gin and Bulleit Bourbon, among others, and with which Eastside works closely. Mel Heim, Master Distiller of Eastside, commented, “Our contemporary imagining of coffee rum as a hip incarnation of Pacific Northwest ‘cold brew’ is a premium spirit that quickly rose to be the number one seller by volume in our tasting rooms. We were very proud of cold brew coffee rum and we knew we had a hit, but the old ‘Below Deck’ bottle it was packed in was keeping its great DNA a secret. The new Sandstrom Hue-Hue bottle fixes that and then some because it explains what our cold brew coffee rum is in a way that is worthy of its premium ingredients and it also tells the fascinating backstory of its Guatemalan and Portland roots. I think that people will see Hue-Hue on the shelf and be attracted to its uniqueness. When they experience it, I think they will convert to Hue-Hue as their coffee spirit, the same way they’ve converted to cold brew as their coffee of choice.” The Hue-Hue name is derived from Huehuetenango, a city in the highlands of western Guatemala where our coffee is sourced. The Hue-Hue bottle design created by Portland’s Sandstrom Partner’s takes inspiration from Guatemala’s burlap coffee sacks that are uniformly labeled throughout the country to convey details of origin. Similarly, the Hue-Hue bottle conveys the Hue-Hue coffee’s origin on the El Paternal Estate, its Portland roasting history, and the cold brewing and infusion with select rum. It authentically represents a unique Guatemalan coffee that has been roasted and brewed by hand in Portland, then blended with select silver rum in small batches. Eastside’s popular Below Deck Coffee Rum, upon which Hue-Hue is based, has been replaced by Hue-Hue. At present, Hue-Hue is only distributed in Oregon, but the Company is planning distribution outside Oregon later in 2018.

-Rum News written by Mike Kunetka- 

These are the most recent and noteworthy headlines in the rum industry. If you want us to share your news with our readers, please send an email to Mike@gotrum.com. Mike Kunetka is a land-locked rum enthusiast, he is based in Colorado, USA.