20 personalities decipher the last 10 years, and provide food for thought for the next 10.
How has the rum market changed over the last 10 years?
In my opinion, there are some positive changes and others less so. I’m going to mention three of them.
First and foremost, the number of players (and therefore the products on offer) has multiplied, with more products on offer than ever before. This goes hand in hand with a huge diversity of origins. The Caribbean and Latin America remain the two major regions, with all their ‘styles’ of rum, but we’ve also seen the emergence of rums from Asia, Africa, North America and the Atlantic islands. Personally, I really enjoy discovering new rum profiles linked to cultures that we’re not used to seeing in this world. But this offer is also linked to a need for distilleries and bottlers to stand out through new products, innovations and marketing campaigns. At times I’ve had this image of a runner who has to accelerate in order not to fall, but how fast?
The second major development has been the rise in prices (and this is far from over). There are a number of reasons for this, which vary greatly from one company to another and from one company to another. Of course, there are exogenous causes, such as the rising cost of dry materials, energy and transport, but they don’t explain everything. I’d like to note that a link is often made between rising prices and speculation, but it’s the latter that has often led to the former, not the other way round.
Finally, within this growing range, there are more and more rums aimed at connoisseurs: brut de fût, unsweetened rums, vintage rums, high proof whites… I’m not going to complain. But let’s not forget that most of the rum market (and spirits in general) is in supermarkets.
How will it evolve over the next 10 years?
I don’t see this rise in prices slowing down any time soon. Over the last few years, we’ve seen prices soar to new heights, even for young references, and I don’t see that stopping. On the one hand, it clearly means that a lot of wine lovers – myself included – are going to buy a lot less, and on the other hand, it (sometimes) means that producers are earning a better living, which hasn’t always been the case.
There’s no doubt that other players will emerge: new distilleries, new brands of blended rum, new bottlers… I wonder if there’ll be room for everyone at the end of the decade ahead.
In addition, brands will continue to try to detect what the new trend will be and jump on it, or follow the pioneers. It’s rare to see a new distillery opening its doors at an independent bottler, without seeing it flourish at many others in the weeks and months that follow.
Do you have any news you’d like to share with us?
My friends and I are back for the fifth season of Single Cast, the podcast dedicated to rum. So get ready to listen!
In this season of back-to-school trade fairs, I’ll be very active on the blog (Les rhums de l’homme à la poussette) and the associated social networks. I’ll also be taking part in Caveman and Barmag magazines as the new season gets underway.
What does Rumporter mean to you?
When I started out, Rumporter, along with the Durhum.com blog, were my two sources of written information. I learned a lot there and it was perfect alongside my tastings, often at Parisian wine merchants (A’Rhûm and Christian de Montaguère). Rumporter was also the first magazine I ever wrote for. That was 7 years ago! Thank you again for your confidence in me.
