Rum is done playing sidekick to whiskey, and it means business. Heading into National Rum Day on Aug. 16, distillers are borrowing whiskey’s oldest tricks, staking bottles on a single place of origin and the patience it takes to let a spirit age properly instead of another splash of flavoring. Most drinkers just haven’t caught up to what’s actually in the glass.
Whiskey producers have spent decades using age statements to indicate quality and justify higher prices, turning patience itself into a selling point. Kōloa Rum Company in Hawaiʻi and Ron del Barrilito in Puerto Rico are two producers testing whether rum drinkers respond to a similar pitch, one built around Kauaʻi’s rainwater and cane sugar, the other around a production process the company says hasn’t changed since 1880.
Rum’s rough patch has a silver lining
Rum producers making that bet are stepping into a rough patch for the category as a whole. U.S. rum sales have been sliding for over a decade, and distillers sold about 19 million cases nationwide last year, well off the pace of the category’s 2013 high of about 25.6 million cases. Flavored and spiced rum still make up more than half of everything sold, which is exactly the segment premium producers are trying to step around.
Kōloa Rum treats Kauaʻi like a single vineyard
Kōloa Rum Company stakes its whole identity on the idea that everything in the bottle comes from a single island. The distillery in Kalaheo, on Kauaʻi, sources its cane sugar from suppliers committed to responsible farming in Hawaiʻi and cuts its rum with water filtered through volcanic rock from Mount Waiʻaleʻale’s watershed, one of the wettest spots in the state. It echoes the same emphasis behind single malt Scotch, where whisky comes from one distillery and where that origin carries much of the weight. The Coconut Rum layers toasted coconut, lime zest and a touch of caramelized pineapple, while the Coffee Rum leans on local beans for notes of espresso, vanilla and dark chocolate.
“One of the things I love most about our Kauaʻi Coffee Rum is how versatile it is,” said Jennifer Bryant, a Kauaʻi sales associate for Kōloa Rum Company. “Made with locally sourced coffee beans and our handcrafted rum, it has a rich coffee flavor with a smooth finish. You can shake it into an Espresso Martini, sip it over ice, or drizzle it over vanilla ice cream for an effortless boozy treat.”
Chief Operating Officer Robert Ramer said the island connection runs through every bottle Kōloa makes, not just the two flavored rums sampled here. “At Kōloa Rum, we’re proud to share a little piece of Hawaiʻi in every bottle,” he said. “From the rainwater of Mount Waiʻaleʻale and locally sourced ingredients to the care that goes into every step of the process, our rum is deeply connected to the island we call home. We hope that when people enjoy Kōloa Rum, they experience not only the flavors of Kauaʻi, but also the spirit of Aloha that inspires everything we do.”
Heidi Bruaw at Real Life of Lulu put the Coconut Rum to the test. “It poured clear. It smelled of coconut, kind of toasted and roasted, with piña colada underneath. It had a fresh coconut flavor. I caught a little vanilla and tropical fruit in there too. The finish stayed smooth, with toasted coconut, a little lime zest, and a hint of caramelized pineapple at the end. Nothing artificial-tasting, which I liked. It was great for sipping, but I’d love to try it in a piña colada or over ice with coconut water,” she said.
Bruaw’s tasting notes were just as detailed for the Coffee Rum. “It poured a deep, opaque brown. It smelled like freshly brewed coffee, with molasses and dark chocolate underneath. The first sip was like a well-made espresso cocktail. I picked up vanilla and hazelnut along with chocolate. The finish stayed dry and coffee-forward,” she said. “It was dessert-like. I could see this working really well in a mocha shake or an espresso martini rather than sipping it on the rocks,” she added.
Ron del Barrilito bets on unchanged process
Puerto Rico’s Ron del Barrilito takes the age-statement idea even further back. The distillery makes its rum at Hacienda Santa Ana in Bayamón, and nothing in the bottle is artificially flavored or sweetened.
“When guests visit Hacienda Santa Ana, one of the things that surprises them most is discovering that the same production process has been carefully preserved for 146 years,” said Director of Sales and Marketing Eduardo Bacardi. “As they walk through the aging rooms and experience the rich aroma of our ex-Oloroso sherry casks, they begin to understand how time, patience and craftsmanship come together to shape every bottle of Ron del Barrilito.”
Bartenders who pour Ron del Barrilito every night back that up. “Ron del Barrilito is Puerto Rican history in a glass,” said Christian Davila, beverage director at Donna in New York. “Made the same way since 1880, it’s a go to pour for our bar. Served neat or over ice, the slightly fruity, woody sip is one of my all time favorites. That being said, a stirred down cocktail with Ron del Barrilito 3 Stars is always a winner.”
Stephen Alonso, co-founder of Identidad Cocktail Bar in San Juan, agrees. “For me Barrilito is a very complex rum,” he said. “You can taste its exquisite flavors of ripe fruit, vanilla and crisp dry notes. From a Manhattan to old fashioned or on the rocks it’s a must.”
The rest of the spirits aisle is trading down too
Rum’s premium push is happening against a tough industry backdrop. U.S. spirits sales overall slipped 2.2% last year to $36.4 billion, even as total volume ticked up nearly 2%, a sign shoppers bought more bottles while paying less per bottle. That kind of pullback usually squeezes small producers first. Instead, brands like Kōloa and Ron del Barrilito are using it as a reason to lean harder into the one thing a bulk producer can’t copy cheaply: a specific island, a specific cask, a specific number of years.
If rum’s low end keeps thinning out, the brands betting on where their rum comes from and how it’s made are wagering that’s exactly what will set them apart from anything mass-produced. That’s the argument behind whiskey’s playbook, and rum is now giving it a shot.
Jennifer Allen is a retired professional chef and long-time writer. Her work appears in dozens of publications, including MSN, Yahoo, The Washington Post and The Seattle Times. These days, she’s busy in the kitchen developing recipes and traveling the world, and you can find all her best creations at Cook What You Love.
The post Rum distillers are stealing whiskey’s playbook to win over pickier drinkers appeared first on Food Drink Life.
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