November 2016 - Rum In The News

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November 2016 - Rum In The News

BACARDÍ

OAKHEART Genuine Spiced Rum now has new signature packaging, following another win for Best Tasting Spiced Rum. OAKHEART Genuine Spiced Rum has “benched the Captain” again as a result of a U.S. national blind taste test that found it to be the best tasting spiced rum compared to Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum among consumers ages 21-34. The test was administered by the independent, third party research company, Radius Global Market Research LLC. This news follows the launch of last year’s “All in, All Heart” campaign which took aim at Captain Morgan. The bold campaign will continue, expanding targeted media efforts and promotions in the coming months, and mobilizing a program of consumer experiences across twelve key U.S. markets in tandem with top sporting events throughout the fall and winter seasons. Among the many exciting developments for the favored spiced rum, OAK HEART is also announcing that the brand will be packaged and positioned to stand alone from BACARDÍ.

HEE JOY RUM

Last year, the French brand Hee Joy launched their spiced rum. Now they are releasing Origins, a blend of 40% aged rum from Jamaica, 40% aged rum from Trinidad and 20%  aged rum from Guyana. Jean-Marc Larhantec chose Jamaica rum aged in bourbon barrels for the powerful and structural side of the blend; rum from Trinidad, aged in American Oak-barrels for its aromatic intensity and rum from Guyana for its minerality and complexity. After ageing in their respective countries, the rums are sent to the Grande Champagne District in France, where they are blended and further aged in French Oak barrels that once held cognac.  Origins was first shown at the Rum Fest Marseille in October.

EVON BROWN, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL RUMS OF JAMAICA , RETIRES

After 55 years in the spirits industry, National Rums of Jamaica Managing Director, Evon Brown has retired. Over his career, Brown held the role of director of the National Rums of Jamaica Group of Companies for 36 years, chairman of the Caribbean Molasses Company for 39 years, and chairman of the Spirits Pool Association for 20 years. One of Brown’s many career highlights was the development of a plan to inject capital in the National Rum Group from Caribbean distillers including the West Indies Rum Distillery of Barbados, Demerara Distillers Ltd from Guyana, and Diageo. As a result, the Group now operates one of the most modern rum distilleries in the region and is now poised to become a more significant player in the international rum market. In a statement, National Rums of Jamaica said: “The Directors of National Rums expressed their deepest gratitude to Evon for his unswerving dedication to the rum industry for over half a century and his hard work and deep insights in overcoming the numerous challenges the Industry faced over those years. “The Board proposes to suitably convey to Evon its tremendous appreciation for the magnificent job which Evon has carried out both for the rum and spirits industry in general and the company in particular over the many years.” National Rums of Jamaica comprises Clarendon Distillery Limited, Long Pond Distillery Limited and Innswood Distillery Limited.

OAK & CANE

Oak & Cane is the creation of Fred Greene and Cameron Grace, two Fort Lauderdale locals and marketing executives. The development of Oak & Cane comes as a response to rum’s increasing popularity, along with a desire to make a craft rum that captures the spirit of Florida. “It’s long been said that rum has been overdue for its time in the spotlight, and what we wanted to do was to create a Craft Rum that captured the spirit of Florida in a bottle,” said Fred Greene. “We wanted a spirit that was sophisticated yet relaxed, Oak & Cane is great for sipping neat or on the rocks, or enjoyed in one of our unique concoctions. We were extremely excited to debut Oak & Cane at the 2016 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention in Las Vegas this April.” Classically aged in white American oak and uniquely infused with a hint of freshly cut orange peels, Oak & Cane offers a subtle orange aroma and a complexity of flavors that gives it a relaxed Floridian vibe.  Along with local Florida sugar cane and spring water, Oak & Cane are all the flavors one craves bottled up in a mid-century modern lifestyle package that mirrors the sophisticated and unique nature of the craft spirits market. With rum beginning an upward trend as consumers try the spirit over others, quality craft rums such as Oak & Cane are filling a void in a market that is growing rapidly and the uniqueness of an all -Florida craft rum made with the finest of ingredients is already proving a pull for lovers of the drink and its many subtleties based on local market testing that began in early March 2016.

REAL MCCOY

The Real McCoy Rum announced the release of its new 2016 Limited Edition, which is a blend of rum that has been aged for 12 years in American oak bourbon casks, with rum that has been aged for 12 years in Portuguese Madeira casks and bottled at 92 proof. With only 3,000 bottles produced for worldwide distribution, this Limited Edition is an extremely rare production by renowned master distiller, Richard Seale, of Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. The Real McCoy 2016 Limited Edition rum premiered at the German Rum Festival on October 15 and 16. Bailey Pryor, 6 -time Emmy Award winning filmmaker, and founder of Real McCoy Rum, will be at tending the event. Master Distiller, Richard Seale, will also be in attendance and will be delivering his Master Class. “This is a true expression of a Single Blended Rum from Foursquare and the Madeira cask 12 Year aged rum really shines through,” commented Pryor. “We were excited about bringing this unique and limited expression to the market and sharing it with the attendees of the German Rum Festival.”

RHUM ST JAMES

To celebrate the UK Rum Fest, launched a decade ago by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, SAINT JAMES submit ted a special Agricole Rum bottle for the convention’s Auction. Marc Sassier, SAINT JAMES Plantations oenologist, went exploring through the ageing cellars in Martinique in order to find the perfect 10 year old Rum, as a symbol for the event’s 10th edition. From a 2006 harvest, the pure cane Rum was aged all these years in oak casks before being revealed at the event. This unique SAINT JAMES Rum bottle was a Single Cask and also a Cask Strength at 69.6% ABV, resulting in a pure and concentrated SAINT JAMES Agricole. The bottle was sold for 3100£.

BUNDABERG RUM

Bundaberg Rum is shaping up for summer with the launch of a packaging refresh across its core product range. The new design aims to modernize the packaging and drive consistency across the Bundaberg Rum trademark. Jodi McLeod, Marketing Manager, Bundaberg Rum said, “Packaging is the number one touch point for consumers across both the on and off premise. Initial research has shown that the new packs are more recognizable and easier to navigate in store. Added to this is the use of consistent language to drive better understanding of the different liquids and variants in both our glass bottle and premix range.” Many of the rum’s existing brand icons will remain, including the square bottle, gold stripe and the Bundy bear, but they will now be complemented with more contemporary elements, which the company hopes will help drive authenticity, craft and confidence. While the bear remains, it has been refreshed and will now be larger on pack, in what Bundaberg describes as “a new design that is a modern interpretation of the original ”. The new design also sees the addition of a yellow cap emblazoned with ‘The Famous’ as well as clear descriptors on the labels to make the different products in the range clearer to consumers. The new packaging will feature in Bundaberg Rum’s core spirit range including Bundaberg Rum  UP, Bundaberg Rum OP, Bundaberg Spiced, Bundaberg Red, Bundaberg Tropics and Select VAT. The Bundaberg Rum premix range will also be refreshed. The evolution of the brand will continue into next year with Bundaberg Rum’s premium spirit range also undergoing a packaging refresh. New designs for Bundaberg Rum Small Batch, the Master Distillers Collection and Royal Liqueur will launch in the second half of 2017.

CAPTAIN MORGAN’s JACK O’BLAST

Following the 2015 launch of Cannon Blast, a mix of Caribbean rum, natural flavors and a “bold spice blend” of citrus, chipotle and jalapeño pepper described as an“ intensely delicious shot”, Captain Morgan has recently released Jack-O’Blast. It is a blend of Caribbean rum, fresh pumpkin, cinnamon and other autumnal spices. “As much as we enjoyed tropical cocktails over the summer, it’s time to make room for the bold flavors of fall everyone enjoys,” said Linda Bethea, vice president of Captain Morgan. “Captain Morgan Jack-O’Blast is a must-have for responsible adult consumers during their favorite seasonal activities, whether it’s at football tailgates, Halloween parties or backyard bonfires with friends.” Like the cannonball bottle before, the 750mL pumpkin bottle leverages the round bottle shape, but adds a few distinct and clever touches star ting with a striking, full-wrap, skin-tight and wrinkle-free pumpkin mimicking shrink-sleeve label.

CLIFTON ESTATE NEVIS SPICED RUM

The folks at Clifton Estate refer to their spiced rum as a ‘real spiced rum’ in that only natural ingredients are used to infuse flavor into the rum; no artificial flavorings or oils are used. Clifton Estate is a handmade, small-batch rum that is a blend of two year old dark rum with natural flavors; what distinguishes it from most spiced rums is the infusion of orange, which is joined with some honey and what the company says are secret island spices. The rum is presented in a unique barrel -shaped bottle.

ABUELO XV RUMS

From Panama, the Abuelo XV Finish Collection features a trio of luxurious double barreled aged spirits aimed at the serious rum enthusiast. These limited edition 15 year old expressions are rested in casks of Tawny Port, Oloroso Sherry and Napoleon Cognac respectively. Each delivers a well - aged, complex Central American spirit created from molasses, enhanced with a delightful bouquet of European wines during the second stage of maturity. Abuelo Añejo XV Años Tawny Port Cask Finish has aromas of cocoa and tart berry over ripe dark fruit, butter cookie and mild wood. On the palate, sweet dark fruit leads to bitter chocolate Bon Bon and raspberry with bread pudding, fading into ear thy wood and hints of cocoa in the long finish. Abuelo Añejo XV Años Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish features aromas of cacao and stone fruit with suggestion of herbaceous cane, vanilla custard and a hint of pear. On the palate, rich dark fruit builds to vanilla custard over musty wood and cola before aromatic eucalyptus and but ter croissant precede a hint of cane and molasses in the long finish. Finally, Abuelo Añejo XV Años Napoleon Cognac Cask Finish has aromas of vanilla and musty bourbon oak lead to sweet fruit and pound cake with hints of green and black peppercorns over bitter wood. On the palate, a sweet caramel entry leads to bold cognac wood in the complex mid-palate, with a balance between sweet fruit and dry vanilla. The finish is wonder fully viscous, fading into echoes of honey, green banana and flowers. These 750ml bottles of the Abuelo XV Finish Collection, at 40% abv, retail for about $75 in the United States. The Abuelo brand offers a range of award winning rums from Panama including the Añejo, 7 Años, 12 Años and the luxury expression Centuria. The history of Varela Hermanos S.A. goes back to 1908, when Don José Varela Blanco, a young Spanish immigrant, founded first sugar cane plantation in the newly formed Republic of Panama in the fertile green valley Pese. “From the early days, the Varela family is known for their absolute dedication to exceptional quality” said Luis J. Varela Jr. “This category of matured rums puts us in the best position to express our craftsman ship. More and more people are trying Ron Abuelo and recognize our superior taste, softness and complexity. That ’s the best compliment we could ever receive.” Meanwhile, the family business has grown into the market leader in Panama. Besides Ron Abuelo, they produce also 

MASTERS OF MALT RUM ADVENT CALENDAR

I wrote about these Advent Calendars last year, but I think they are so cool, they need a second mention. Wikipedia described traditional Advent Calendars as “a special calendar used to count or celebrate the days in anticipation of Christmas. Since the ate of the first Sunday of Advent varies, falling between November 27 and December 3 inclusive, the Advent calendar usually begins on December 1, although many include the previous few days that are part of the season. The Advent calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries but is now ubiquitous among adherents of many Christian denominations. Advent calendars range in theme, from sports to technology. They come in a multitude of forms, from a simple paper calendar with flaps covering each of the days to fabric pockets on a background scene to painted wooden boxes with cubby holes for small items.” In the case of the Masters of Malt calendar, each cubby hole contains a small 3cl bottle of rum. The 2016 calendar contains the following rums: Pusser’s 15 Year Old; Trois Rivieres VSOP; Rumbullion! XO 15 Years Old; Flor de Caña 25 Year Old; Clément Rhum Agricole - 125th Anniversary Edition by JonOne; Gosling’s Family Reserve; Don Q Gran Añejo; Plantation Pineapple Stiggins’ Fancy; Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva; Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema Solera 23; Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera; Elements 8 Gold Rum; Rhum J.M. 1999; Pusser ’s ‘Gunpowder Proof’ Black Label; Rumbullion!; Blackwell Black Gold Fine Jamaican Rum; Pyrat XO Rum; Cana Brava 7 Year Old; St Lucia Distillers 1931 Fourth Edition; Diplomático Ambassador; Rhum J.M XO; El Dorado 12 Year Old; Ron Barceló Imperial Premium Blend and Clément XO Rhum Agricole. Masters of Malt also offer 3cl tasting bottles of over 120 different rums, including the likes of 10 Year Old English Harbor, Ron Abuelo Centuria, Appleton Estate 21 Year Old, Mony Musk 15 Year Old, Rum Nation Panama 21 Year Old, Santa Teresa Bicentenario A.J. Vollmer and Banks The Endeavor – Limited Edition No. 1.