Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/10329
RUM Fun with Flavors At the same time that rum brands are reaching out to seri- ous sippers with aged rums, new flavored rums appealing to the fun-in-the-sun crowd keep on coming. Cruzan, a pioneer in this segment, now has 10 flavored rums in its portfolio. And Bacardi—not content to rest on its light rum laurels— has brought its flavor count up to nine with the introduction this spring of Torched Cherry rum, which combines the flavors of Barbados cherries and torch plant aloe. Rum Running in San Juan The annual Taste of Rum Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is changing the perception of rum. Held each March, the event celebrates rums from Puerto Rico, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, St. Croix, Jamaica and Brazil, along with Caribbean foods, salsa dancing and a bartender flair competition. This year, more than 2,000 people attended the eight-hour festival, currently the only one of its kind in the world. The organizers are aiming to challenge vodka’s market share, reminding consumers that rum represents no small percentage of the global spirits business. Moreover, 75 percent of rums consumed in the U.S. are from Puerto Rico alone. Premium rums, aged in American bourbon barrels, can stay in cask for nearly a decade; Puerto Rican rums must be aged a minimum of one year by law. Having long abandoned the astringent rums of yesteryear, producers like Tommy Bahama, Brugal and Serrallés are turning out world-class aged rums that don’t need a sugary soda to comple- ment them. With the new Johnny Depp film The Rum Diary, shot in San Juan, set to open this summer, more new converts are sure to discover the beauty of rum. —Michael Cervin www.tasteofrum.com The annual Taste of Rum Festival in San Juan included a bartending flair competition. Voodoo is a tiki-themed entry in the flavored rum category. For Three-D Spirits, flavored rum is the name of the game. The northern California-based company that got its start with the launch of tropical fruit–flavored RedRum in 1997 has since scored a hat trick with the addition of VooDoo Spiced Rum and Jolly Roger coconut and key lime rum to its lineup. Likewise, the Jumbie brand (brought to the U.S. by the importers of Ron Abuelo) has sailed beyond its flagship Rum Jumbie Liqueur, flavored with tropical fruit and spices, with a quartet of Jumbie Splash flavored rums—coconut, pineapple, vanilla and mango. Even venerable stand-alone rum brands are finding favor in flavors. For example, Coruba’s traditional dark Jamaican rum is now keeping company with four brash new upstarts: naturally flavored coconut, pineapple, mango and spiced rums. Whether it’s aged rums or bold new flavored products, consumers are clearly looking for more than something to add kick to their cola. “People now want to taste some- thing,” says Kobrand’s Pennacchio. “We’re satisfying the evolving taste of people who want to discover new things.” 102 / the tasting panel / may 2010 PHOTO: MICHAEL CERVIN