Adultery? It's time for a divorce...
I recently read a nice article over at the Count's - about hopeful trends in rum (link). The trends show that most of rums' growth comes from the flavored sector (at the cost of premium rums) and which may account for the secrecy regarding likely adulterants in the other sectors. To me, this article only adds fuel to the fire of just what constitutes "real rum"? The sad truth?
Most rum is secretly altered. Let's first review this article:
The article first paints rum in a hopeful light - it cites a steady but small growth rate (annual compound rate of 1.7%) - but accepts that rum still lags behind other, finer spirits, such as Scotch. Rum may indeed be the "next big thing", but so far this hasn't happened. Next, the article makes note of the fact that large conglomerates (eg Diageo) have moved into the rum market, along with their alleged "improved production, presentation and innovation..". Not to mention better "...distribution and brand-building skills".
Not a whit about improved distillation and aging methods.
Nope, it simply smacks of better marketing. This is already evident with the new bottles and labels affixed to such classic products as MGXO, Cruzan and Barbancourt. And of course, the smaller labels feel obligated to follow suit. As so well stated by the article "The ratio of advertising and promotions to net sales is growing ever higher, particularly in the US," the report states.". The article points out the selling point of "versatility" - eg being adaptible to mixed drinks (a growing category) as well as sipping, not to mention an exotic and promotable history (pirates of the caribbean). Still no mention of nobility, and the cat is out of the bag. What bag?
The bag of adulterants, aka flavoring.
Let's quote the article "Rum naturally lends itself to flavoured expressions. Brands such as Bacardi, Captain Morgan and Cruzan today derive considerable volume from their flavoured variants." It's a big category, perhaps the biggest insofar as rum sales are concerned. This subsector is growing at 8.3% - taking into account the overall growth of 1.7%, it's clear that flavored rum is pretty much the whole show.
Yet even the flavor centered rum industry recognizes the risk of such a focus on flavor, namely that "Most premium rum marketers believe that flavours do not make natural bedfellows with their aged offerings," the report states. "They contend that the popularity of flavours has run contrary to their efforts to forge a more premium image". The industry also fears that too many flavors may dilute rum's image. So is it any surprise that secretly adulterated rums are kept secret? Or that the ever bigger conglomerates resist even minimal labeling of contents and/or age?
Not at all.
Now it is true that a few premium oriented (smaller) producers stand against the adulteration, secret or not, of rum. These are a small minority with not much clout or control. . Over the past year or so, Sue Sea and I have tasted most of the leading rums, roughly the Top 100, and we have come to the sad conclusion that most - you read that right - most rums are secretly adulterated using various old family or new marketing department created "profiles" designed more to increase increase sales.
But not to highlight the nobility of pure "real rum". Rum whose marvelous flavor and real profile is based on the artistry of skilled fermentation, distillation, aging and blending. It is a sad note that it takes so much time and tasting of lesser products to discover and appreciate real rum.
Cheers to JaRiMi and the others who have come to this realization. Until the industry gets honest, I think the current trend of focus on flavor, and the resultant ignobility of rum will continue...
Marketing: Rum Trends
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Capn Jimbo
- Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
- Posts: 3550
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
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Marketing: Rum Trends
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Capn Jimbo
- Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
- Posts: 3550
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
- Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
- Contact:
Introducing Exhibit B... the El Dorado "premium" b
Introducing Exhibit B...
That marketing and conglomeration of rum has come to the world, as it is, of rum is no surprise. Kindly name a product or service category exempt from the corporatization of life on earth, as we - and the rest of humanity - has known it. I remember when America was truly the land of opportunity when both my grandfathers and my father were entrepreneurs - times of true competition, small business artistry and choice. Like the Italian bakery that made the best donuts in town - made them at night for sale during the day.
And were open til the wee hours for those of us with munchies to grab a bag of fresh baked, chocolate dipped donuts, still warm and to die for! And now it's all Dorkin Donuts on every other block.
A tragedy.
Fast forward back to now. Just about the time I got to know, respect and enjoy what I thought was the tradition of rum, due in nt small part to the "It's all good" rantings of the Ministry of Rum Sales, no less than the oldest distiller on earth - Mount Gay - changed the bottle and presentation of their flagflagon Extra Old. The new bottle and label?
Modern and devoid of history and tradition. The bottle is more whiskeylike, with sloping, rounded shoulders and the thick glass base that is supposed to make our underwear wet. It begs to ask, "Is this Mount Gay or a rare, $200 single malt?". More expensive looking, modern and a portent of either a price increase, or of an attempt to protect and justify the current prices and/or to promote sales.
Goodbye Italian bakery, hello Starbucks!
I simply couldn't believe it. If Mount Gay has begun to topple, something is afloat and it ain't good. Cruzan's labels had already changed, and their exclaimed and popular Cruzan Estate Diamond 5 year discontinued. Venerable Barbancourt - another world favorite - succumbed to a wandering Madison Avenue shill to change their presentation. And most recently...
El Dorado.
First was a label change, then - horrors - yet another of the new thick-based whisky style bottles which I found housing their new 3 year "premium" white mixer. Aged 3 years, then filtered to remove any memory of it even being rum. Crystal clear, like a "premium" vodka. Ugh! Let's see if I understand. This rum is nicely aged for 3 years, no doubt full of nice, relatively young flavors. Then is filtered and filtered to remove all that nasty color (and no doubt some of the flavors).
What artistry!
No wonder it's gonna be promoted as a premium white. It's not cheap to age rum to add flavor, then filter it to remove color and some of those hard won flavors. I'm sure their targeted Hummer driving purchasers will appreciate this emasculated mixer designed just for them. Were it not for this cuteness, El Dorado might have ended up with something like Mount Gay's Special Reserve with it's lovely straw colors and full mixing flavors.
Too bad. It's a mess...
That marketing and conglomeration of rum has come to the world, as it is, of rum is no surprise. Kindly name a product or service category exempt from the corporatization of life on earth, as we - and the rest of humanity - has known it. I remember when America was truly the land of opportunity when both my grandfathers and my father were entrepreneurs - times of true competition, small business artistry and choice. Like the Italian bakery that made the best donuts in town - made them at night for sale during the day.
And were open til the wee hours for those of us with munchies to grab a bag of fresh baked, chocolate dipped donuts, still warm and to die for! And now it's all Dorkin Donuts on every other block.
A tragedy.
Fast forward back to now. Just about the time I got to know, respect and enjoy what I thought was the tradition of rum, due in nt small part to the "It's all good" rantings of the Ministry of Rum Sales, no less than the oldest distiller on earth - Mount Gay - changed the bottle and presentation of their flagflagon Extra Old. The new bottle and label?
Modern and devoid of history and tradition. The bottle is more whiskeylike, with sloping, rounded shoulders and the thick glass base that is supposed to make our underwear wet. It begs to ask, "Is this Mount Gay or a rare, $200 single malt?". More expensive looking, modern and a portent of either a price increase, or of an attempt to protect and justify the current prices and/or to promote sales.
Goodbye Italian bakery, hello Starbucks!
I simply couldn't believe it. If Mount Gay has begun to topple, something is afloat and it ain't good. Cruzan's labels had already changed, and their exclaimed and popular Cruzan Estate Diamond 5 year discontinued. Venerable Barbancourt - another world favorite - succumbed to a wandering Madison Avenue shill to change their presentation. And most recently...
El Dorado.
First was a label change, then - horrors - yet another of the new thick-based whisky style bottles which I found housing their new 3 year "premium" white mixer. Aged 3 years, then filtered to remove any memory of it even being rum. Crystal clear, like a "premium" vodka. Ugh! Let's see if I understand. This rum is nicely aged for 3 years, no doubt full of nice, relatively young flavors. Then is filtered and filtered to remove all that nasty color (and no doubt some of the flavors).
What artistry!
No wonder it's gonna be promoted as a premium white. It's not cheap to age rum to add flavor, then filter it to remove color and some of those hard won flavors. I'm sure their targeted Hummer driving purchasers will appreciate this emasculated mixer designed just for them. Were it not for this cuteness, El Dorado might have ended up with something like Mount Gay's Special Reserve with it's lovely straw colors and full mixing flavors.
Too bad. It's a mess...