502-320-6419 - The American Distilling Institute

tilling it themselves. They would then ship the
finished product to ports in West Africa, where
they exchanged the rum for slaves. Finally,
ships bound for the Caribbean and South
America carried slaves to work the sugarcane
plantations, where cane was harvested and
molasses was produced. And then the cycle
would repeat itself.
The gradual decline of rum in the states
came about with the American Revolution and
the disruption of the triangular trade system
through war. Whiskey consumption began to
rise as more of the uS population moved westward,
making use of grains more economical
than shipping molasses from the Caribbean.
Rum continued to slowly decline, and by the
time of Prohibition, production had ceased
in the uS. Although Prohibition did not stop
the import or production of illegal liquor, it
did help give rise to the notion of rum as a
low-quality product fit only for mixing. Rumrunners
could buy cheap rum in the islands,
and sell it for a handsome profit stateside.
Rum is currently experiencing a healthy
revival on the cocktail scene and in the spirits
world, but can it once more claim title to the
throne in the united States? And can American
craft rum distilleries claim a decent share of
this market? I interviewed several rum distillers
and experts from across the united States to
examine this question. Through the interview
process, it became clear that there are some
significant hurdles facing American rum distillers
that affect the continued growth of rum as
a category. Some producers see these issues as
opportunities to be creative, while others view
them as real challenges to their businesses.
Listening to these producers gave some insight
into just how nuanced and complicated these
issues can be.
Whether A System Of Classification?
Phil Prichard, proprietor of Prichard’s Distillery
in Kelso, tN, writes that the nomenclature
provided by the uS government does
nothing to describe the numerous styles of
rum, nor does it say anything about the wide
variety of flavored rums produced at different
proofs. The current disorderly system, which
has not been codified under uS law, describes
rum mainly by color, such as white, dark and
aged. under these loose classifications, dark
rum can be made with the addition of caramel
color, thus giving a false impression as to its
age. And age is not a good criteria either for
describing rum because there are no provisions
that address how it was aged, or for how long.
With all the new rums coming on the market,
not to mention the ones already on the shelves,
Prichard argues that there needs to be a better
way to quell consumer confusion and to adequately
describe rum to the growing number
of rum enthusiasts.
Indeed, if one examines the definition of
Luis Ayala, International rum consultant
rum under the CFR’s Standards of Identity,
class 6, the statute provides no more direction
than the following: “Rum” is an alcoholic distillate
from the fermented juice of sugar cane,
sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses, or other
sugar cane by-products, produced at less than
190° proof in such manner that the distillate
possesses the taste, aroma and characteristics
generally attributed to rum, and bottled at not
less than 80° proof; and also includes mixtures
solely of such distillates.
bill owenS
andrew Faulkner
Prichard advocates the development of a system
of classification to be used by distillers that
would help consumers make more informed,
intelligent decisions when assessing and buying
rum. He posits the use of three broad categories,
traditional, Classical, and Industrial/Refined,
each with a subcategory of white, dark
and certificate aged. The traditional category
would broadly encompass those rums that are
produced from fresh squeezed cane juice, while
the Classical category would be made up with
rums that are produced from sweet, table-grade
molasses. Finally, the Industrial/Refined rums
would be those that are produced from black
strap molasses.
Luis Ayala, international rum consultant
and president of Rum Runner Press, Inc.,
also believes that the craft rum industry is at
a crossroad in its need to develop a comprehensive
nomenclature and standardization
of terms. This would help guide the growing
body of rum consumers, as well as maintaining
quality standards within the industry. However,
actualizing this might be a different matter.
For instance, a rum distiller who did not adequately
plan both financially and technically
for his or her distillery might have the good
intention of selling an aged rum, but later find
themselves in a position of having to bottle
and sell the product before it is truly matured.
Consumers used to buying aged rums may buy
the product at a high price point, only to later
discover upon tasting that the product is not
truly what it purports to be. Ayala believes that
the craft rum industry would not back a government
classification system because it would
take away their freedom to decide when to
release their products, although placing spirits
prematurely on the market can also damage
the reputation of the industry as a whole.
Some distillers see freedom for creativity in
the vague nomenclature for rum, and the sale
of such experimental products can be lucrative.
unlike the uS nomenclature for whiskey,
which sets out very specific types of whiskey
and how it must be produced, the lack of such
a structure for rum allows producers to create
new flavor profiles without having to worry
about where to situate their product within
the proper category before submitting their
labels for COLA approval. Such vagueness is
what allowed Andrew Causey, president of
Downslope Distilling in Englewood, CO, to
take a chance on buying previous use Hungarian
tokaji barrels and experimenting with
aging his rum in them, and then releasing the
product when we felt it was ready. He also
aged some of his rum in Cabernet Sauvignon
and other wine barrels. He says that the growth
curve for these products has “surpassed those
of the white and gold rums.”
Because the Standards of Identity are silent
as to how and for how long rum should be
— C O N T I N U E D
2 0 1 2 • a m e r i c a n d i s t i l l i n g i n s t i t u t e d i r e c t o r y
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