Does spiced rum get an unfair shake? - Tiki Drinks and Food

S Scottes Member A Little North Of Boston Joined: Feb 18, 2007 Posts: 490	S Scottes Posted posted on Wed, Nov 21, 2007 12:40 PM From the spiced rums I've tasted, about 8 of them, I'd chalk it up to 3 things: Some of them taste like artificial crap. Not everyone likes the same thing. The flavors can vary wildly. As to #1, much of this is because distributors need to have the rum taste good for at least 1 year on the shelf. That makes sense for such a product, since it might not sell fast enough. Next, the ATF allows something like 0.1% of the ingredients to be artificial and still have the product be called "All Natural." This is due to the 1-year-shelf-life demand, at least in part. Alas, 0.1% of an artifical flavoring can be quite powerful, so a teeny tiny bit can overwhelm any natural flavorings and end up tasting artificial. Even though it says "all natural" on the bottle. #2 is self-explanatory. New or different flavors can be difficult to introduce even if the flavor is excellent. And it's difficult to come up with cocktail recipes that suit the new/different flavor. Since bars are a huge part of the spirits industry, cocktails are by default a huge part of the reason to sell spirits. But if you can't get many people to try a new cocktail made with your new spiced rum, you don't sell much. It's much easier to produce a rum that can be substituted in any recipe that calls for rum or light rum or gold rum or whatever. Look at all the work being done to promote Ten Cane. Moet-Hennesey is pushing this to no end, always towards the cocktail drinkers and/or bartenders. It's different, but not nearly as different as a spiced rum can be, and it's taking a huge marketing and promotion campaign to get it accepted. Just in the Boston area I've come across 3 places that have weekly Ten Cane "tastings" or "cocktail nights" just to push the stuff. And Ten Cane is easier to push than spiced rum... [ Edited by: Scottes 2007-11-21 12:40 ]

From the spiced rums I've tasted, about 8 of them, I'd chalk it up to 3 things:

Some of them taste like artificial crap.
Not everyone likes the same thing.
The flavors can vary wildly.

As to #1, much of this is because distributors need to have the rum taste good for at least 1 year on the shelf. That makes sense for such a product, since it might not sell fast enough. Next, the ATF allows something like 0.1% of the ingredients to be artificial and still have the product be called "All Natural." This is due to the 1-year-shelf-life demand, at least in part. Alas, 0.1% of an artifical flavoring can be quite powerful, so a teeny tiny bit can overwhelm any natural flavorings and end up tasting artificial. Even though it says "all natural" on the bottle.

#2 is self-explanatory.

New or different flavors can be difficult to introduce even if the flavor is excellent. And it's difficult to come up with cocktail recipes that suit the new/different flavor. Since bars are a huge part of the spirits industry, cocktails are by default a huge part of the reason to sell spirits. But if you can't get many people to try a new cocktail made with your new spiced rum, you don't sell much. It's much easier to produce a rum that can be substituted in any recipe that calls for rum or light rum or gold rum or whatever.

Look at all the work being done to promote Ten Cane. Moet-Hennesey is pushing this to no end, always towards the cocktail drinkers and/or bartenders. It's different, but not nearly as different as a spiced rum can be, and it's taking a huge marketing and promotion campaign to get it accepted. Just in the Boston area I've come across 3 places that have weekly Ten Cane "tastings" or "cocktail nights" just to push the stuff.

And Ten Cane is easier to push than spiced rum...

[ Edited by: Scottes 2007-11-21 12:40 ]

Post #345371 by Scottes on Wed, Nov 21, 2007 12:40 PM