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 ten years?
On the producer side, we’ve seen huge changes. For many years, many Caribbean distilleries struggled to stay open. Building a new distillery would have been considered madness. But since 2013, we’ve seen many new distilleries come out of the ground, such as A1710, Renegade, Papa Rouyo, San Juan Artisan, Copalli and Port-Au-Prince. Similarly, we have seen significant investment in the expansion of existing distilleries such as WIRD, Mount Gay, St. Lucia Distillers and Fonds Préville.
As far as consumers are concerned, there has never been a better time to be a rum connoisseur. The variety of interesting rums available to us has exploded. The number of independent bottlers is multiplying at an incredible rate. Can you imagine ten years ago when we could not only buy DOK from Hampden Estate, but also choose between unaged and aged varieties? Even the iconic brands are breaking out of their usual patterns and releasing interesting limited editions for enthusiasts.
How do you think things will develop over the next ten years?
It will be interesting to see how the major investment in distilleries, old and new, will play out. Will some of these new distilleries become iconic in the space of a few decades? I can’t wait to find out.
I hope that the number of educated and committed enthusiasts will increase dramatically. I also hope that people will recognise that rum is a meta-category with many distinct spirits, just as whisky is a meta-category with universally understood distinct spirits such as bourbon and Scotch whisky.
I’m a bit worried that whisky lovers are coming to rum and influencing its natural evolution. When rum is seen as an alternative to the most popular styles of whisky, enthusiasts favour the rums that most closely resemble whisky. While this is a good thing in itself, there is a risk that some producers will go after these consumers by producing rums that are very similar to whisky, without taking into account what makes rum unique.
There is a historical precedent for this. In the mid-twentieth century, many rum brands began to target light spirits, such as vodka, which were particularly popular at the time. Within a few decades, bold rums were hard to come by. Fortunately, tasty rums are back, but we mustn’t forget the lessons of the past.
Do you have any news for us?
Shortly after winning the Spirited Award for Modern Caribbean Rum, I started work on my next book about rum. It’s not the sequel, which will focus on the rest of the world. However, it’s a subject I’ve written about many times, and will come as no surprise to those who know me well. My articles on rum will continue to appear on Rum Wonk, and I have many exciting topics planned. In addition to my writing, I’m also very busy with our publishing company, Wonk Press. We will soon be publishing a book on another popular spirit, written by a true industry legend.
What does Rumporter mean to you?
As someone who dedicates his career to elevating and educating about rum, it’s wonderful to have a publication focused on rum lovers, with intelligent and in-depth articles written by some of the most passionate rum writers. I’m also very pleased to see that much of Rumporter’s content is available in English. I wish the Rumporter team another ten years – and more – of success.
