Rum Age Rules

These rules do not clearly allow added sugar, but they have been interpreted as allowing it, and it is still the current practice of the TTB to allow up to 2.5% added sugar by volume. If a rum bottler only added sugar, they could add up to 17 grams/liter of sugar. GIs are legally binding regulations that «protect manufacturers from external intruders who make an inferior product and pass it off as something not comparable to the original. Would you feel cheated on by a Canadian rum called Jamaican rum? Or Brazilian «bourbon»? AOC and GIs are the regulations enforced by the government that prevent such parodies from entering store shelves and the wallets of unsuspecting consumers. «Does the lack of regulation slow down rum? Trick question! Rum has many regulations. In the next episode of this series, we`ll learn more about rum regulation and why many insist rum doesn`t have rules. «We`re not going to compete. We are honest about our age requirements. We will not make middle-age claims. That`s not how it works, and under U.S.

rules, we couldn`t do it. The fact that you can make rum from any source of sugarcane is one of the main reasons for the variety of flavors in the category. After all, the difference between freshly squeezed sugarcane juice and black molasses is quite profound, so it makes sense that the distillates of it are also very different. Geography also plays a role in the different flavors of rum. Islands naturally form information silos, and each organically develops its own way of doing things. But perhaps the main reason for diversity is the lack of uniform rules. During my trip to Cuba, the always helpful representatives of the Havana Club sometimes pointed out something that was (or was not) allowed by Cuban rum regulations. Before, I didn`t know such rules existed – and I was brimming with enthusiasm for all things Cuban – and I entered Hyper-Wonk mode as soon as I got home. Eventually, I discovered the regulations in an obscure place on Cubaron`s website. One problem: they are in Spanish, a language I cannot read. As I suspected, the execution of the document by Google Translate provides barely readable results for technical reasons, which are not worth discussing here.

However, with a little virtual elbow grease, I was able to edit parts of the document one by one to reconstruct the reasonably readable English version below. Fortunately, there are a few rum-producing countries with strict guidelines. «Countries with fixed ages for rum include Barbados – the home of rum – Jamaica and Puerto Rico,» García says. «On these islands, the age on the bottle should refer to the age of the youngest spirit in the blend – similar rules apply to Scotch and Bourbon. In Puerto Rico, he says, «rum must have aged for at least three years to be called `rum,` even clear rums that achieve clarity through charcoal filtration.» Richard Seale is annoyed by the idea that rum has no rules. The fourth-generation Barbadian distiller works at Foursquare in Four Roads, Barbados, and is one of the most vocal advocates of the spirit. On a beautiful day at the distillery, just behind the copper distillery, he digs into this misunderstanding. These rules are controversial; A lot of people I`ve talked to think Venezuela doesn`t really enforce these rules. What`s even more problematic is that it doesn`t appear that many other countries have signed an agreement with Venezuela to comply with such labeling laws. Without such an agreement, Venezuelan distillers could, for example, produce highly sweet products that violate their own local rules, as long as this rum is sold in other countries.

ARTICLE 35 ratified or, where appropriate, develop and approve the following specific rules in the exercise of the functions conferred on the Board of Regulators: Just over 100 miles north of Martinique is Guadeloupe, home to one of my favorite styles of rum. Grassy and earthy with a subtle curve, Guadeloupean rums are dynamic and stimulating. Freed from AOC rules in Martinique, Guadeloupe makes both rums made from canned juice and molasses, often combining a bit of both to create a style of its own. Damoiseau was recently launched in the US, and other products from brands such as Bielle and Pere Labat can be found throughout Europe. Many rum producers point to Scotland as a potential model for regulating and protecting the integrity of a mind while allowing creativity. But Scotland is a small country, not countless countries that speak a number of languages. «It`s a very limited geography, few producers, and they made rules and always followed them for 50 years,» says Serralles. «They have created an incredibly strong brand for what Scotch whisky is and is not. Can we get there with rum? I don`t know.

[…] In this context, you might be interested – Yes, rum has periods! […] It is popular to say that rum has no rules. But look around, and you`ll find that many rum-producing countries have detailed regulations on what is required to label your rum as a product of that country. The most famous is, of course, the AOC Martinique, which is considered by many to be very strict in its regulations for rum production. Brazil is also drafting regulations for cachaça. At the end of 2016, Jamaican rum producers approved a geographical indication (also known as a «GI») for rums produced there. The wording of the rules is contained in Resolución 798 boletín de la propriedad industrial 459, 4/11/2003, revised in 2019. I don`t speak Spanish, so I have to rely on Google Translate. The rules appear to include provisions such as – In rum-producing countries, production rules (such as cropping, distillate and ageing requirements) vary depending on the destination of origin. In the United States, however, standards for what constitutes rum are much, much more flexible, focusing primarily on basic ingredients and ignoring geographic diversity. Even cachaça from Brazil, because it is distilled from sugar cane, is called rum in the United States. «It`s not a lack of rules, it`s just an incredible variety of rules that can seem a bit like the Wild West to a consumer,» says Serralles. «The geography of rum production, if you look at it, is all over the world.

The No. 1 rum producer is currently India. Before we get into #2, let`s look at TTB`s rules for spirit ages. From TTB BAM Ch. 8, we find: «Age is the period during which distilled spirits were stored in oak containers after distillation and before bottling», «Age may be underestimated, but not overestimated». There are no exceptions for rum or for Solera trials, which I am convinced are declarations of stupid age in Spanish. So if every drop of rum in the bottle has not aged for at least 23 years in oak containers, this manufacturer cannot label their product with an age indication of 23 years. Zacapa 23 is not a 23-year-old rum that consumers often confuse. This brings this to example #3. Without a compliance check by visiting each distillery, it is not possible for me to name brands. But I can calculate. Rums that have matured in the tropics lose an incredible amount of angelic content each year, from 7 to 12% per year.

Producers consolidate barrels as they age, which helps, but doesn`t stop this process. With a loss of 10% in the first year and 7% each year thereafter, which is the lower limit, the angel`s share after year 12 is 60%. That`s an 82% loss by the year 23. Start considering the time and cost of keeping inventory for 23 years, the cost of exporting to the United States, federal taxes, import costs, wholesale and retail reductions, it`s easy to see that when you see rums on sale for less than $50, the ages are over 20, The alarm bell should sound. Many experts believe that it is best to look at age information on labels with some degree of uncertainty. This is especially true if the rum is produced in a country that does not comply with strict rules regarding minimum age indications. Dividing rum into significant groups is complicated because there is no uniform standard for what constitutes rum. Instead, rum is defined by the different rules and laws of the nations that produce the spirit. Differences in definitions include issues such as strength of mind, minimum aging, and even naming standards.

Martinique rums are unique for many reasons, but the two main factors are the use of sugarcane juice and its AOC. The appellation d`origine contrôlée (AOC) is the French equivalent of the protected designation of origin (PDO) of the European Union. The AOC regulates how sugar cane is to be planted, grown, harvested, crushed, fermented, distilled and aged.