The Far East Rum Diary - Le Journal du Rhum d'Extrême-Orient
The Far East Rum Diary (TFERD) is a collection of "rum worthy" news and events taking in place and beyond Asia written by Philippe K.A. Buchle, French Rum Ambassador based in Hong Kong.
|
The French Colonial Empire over the centuries (source: Wikimedia)
|
Former French Colonies in the Caribbean (source: Wikimedia)
|
If you are not yet familiar with rhum you may not know that it is a category of rum mainly associated with French speaking islands and territories. French rum or "Rhum" (with a 'h') is quite unique (compared to other rums) and finds its roots in Armagnac and Cognac distillation and ageing methods.
Martinique is the birthplace of Rhum (1496), Reunion island however is the biggest producer of French rum by far (at least when it comes to rum distilled and bottled on French soil). Pretty much all rhum is made in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius and Reunion. They are other less know places including Marie Galante, Guyane and arguably mainland France.
Martinique is the birthplace of Rhum (1496), Reunion island however is the biggest producer of French rum by far (at least when it comes to rum distilled and bottled on French soil). Pretty much all rhum is made in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius and Reunion. They are other less know places including Marie Galante, Guyane and arguably mainland France.
Rhum AOC Martinique
|
Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion.
|
Mauritius Distillers Map
|
Large selections of Rhums in a supermarket in Reunion.
Rhum Riviere du Mat (Reunion), Damoiseau (Guadeloupe) and Flamboyant (Mauritius).
|
Things would certainly be easier if rhum was made the same way everywhere regardless of location and administrative status. Fortunately, it is not the case allowing rum lovers in the broad sense to taste products ranging from molasses rums (e.g. Rhum Savanna from Reunion) to Rhum Agricole (e.g. Damoiseau, HSE, Neisson) as well as flavoured rums and rum liqueurs (e.g. Chatel and Isautier in Reunion, Chamarel in Mauritius…). To make a long story short, rhum (a.k.a. French Rum) is mostly made in the lesser Antilles and the Indian Ocean (Mascarene Archipalego). Not all Rhum is Agricole however. Over 95% of all rums in the world are made with molasses, this is also true for "Rhum Tradionnel" (traditional French rum), the other rums are made with freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. The French rums made from fermented and distilled pure sugarcane juice are known as "Rhum Agricole" (sometimes called Agricultural Rums). In Brazil, the juice is mixed with roasted cereals before being distilled to make Cachaca. |
Rhum selection from the family house in Reunion. On the right Rhum Charette (white) and 5 years old.
|
Rhum Agricole Isautier 5Y
|
Rhum Charette 7Y
|
The Rhum Agricole itself is subdivided into Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique and all the others that are basically Rhum Agricole not made in Martinique (e.g. Damoiseau, Isautier…).
To make things worse, there is apparently a piece of regulation (that I have not yet found) limiting the usage of the terms "Rhum Agricole" to those produced on French soil (not including former colonies). As a result, distillers like St Aubin, La Rhumerie de Chamarel in Mauritius and even rum producers like Rhum Arcane in France have been forced to call their respective products "pure cane juice spirit" instead of "Rhum Agricole".
To make things worse, there is apparently a piece of regulation (that I have not yet found) limiting the usage of the terms "Rhum Agricole" to those produced on French soil (not including former colonies). As a result, distillers like St Aubin, La Rhumerie de Chamarel in Mauritius and even rum producers like Rhum Arcane in France have been forced to call their respective products "pure cane juice spirit" instead of "Rhum Agricole".
A bucket of molasses
|
Freshly squeezed sugar cane juice.
|
In my humble opinion, this is a mistake and the law if any should be changed because it is helping neither neither Rhum nor Rhum Agricole (less than 5% of the world production) overall. Also Rhum comes far behind Ron and (English) Rum not only in terms of volume produced and sold but also awareness around the world.
|
Think about it, the public need to know that these are not molasses rums and when you say something like "it is made from fresh sugar cane juice" most people are gone before you can complete your sentence.
By the way, cachaca is also a "cane juice spirit" so people may think that we are talking about cachaca instead of rum. On the other hand, French lawmakers could create more AOC regions for both types of rhum (e.g. Rhum Agricole AOC Guadeloupe, Rhum Traditionnel AOC Reunion…). The AOC Martinique is not the only known label when it comes to Caribbean rums there is also the ACR. 
The making of Limousin oak casks, priced up to 1000 Euros.
|
Rhum Agricole St Aubin (Mauritius)
Rhum Agricole Clement 6Y, Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique
|
CARIBBEAN RUMS
The Caribbean Sea.
|
The ACR Map and associated brands.
|
Defining Caribbean rums can be a controversial topic although it should not necessarily be the case.
Rums from Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante are all historically and geographically Caribbean rums but rums from Guyana, Guyane and Suriname are not as they are located beyond the Caribbean Sea.
All AOC rums are Caribbean rums so are most but not all ACR rums. All AOC and ACR rums are part of a larger area known as the West Indies.
To understand what the ACR is one must first learn about The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association Inc. (WIRSPA).
Based in Barbados, it was founded in the late 1960s and is an association of national associations of rum producers in the Caribbean.
"The Authentic Caribbean Rum (ACR) marque was developed as a symbol of authenticity, provenance and quality for rums within the WIRSPA family."
Rums from Martinique, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante are all historically and geographically Caribbean rums but rums from Guyana, Guyane and Suriname are not as they are located beyond the Caribbean Sea.
All AOC rums are Caribbean rums so are most but not all ACR rums. All AOC and ACR rums are part of a larger area known as the West Indies.
To understand what the ACR is one must first learn about The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association Inc. (WIRSPA).
Based in Barbados, it was founded in the late 1960s and is an association of national associations of rum producers in the Caribbean.
"The Authentic Caribbean Rum (ACR) marque was developed as a symbol of authenticity, provenance and quality for rums within the WIRSPA family."
|
To understand the ACR we must determine what it is and what it is not. To do this we must look at geography, history and the importance of rum in the economy of several countries and islands in the region.
They are 9 Continental countries with Caribbean coastlines and islands located between Mexico and Venezuela namely Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. Add to this 700 islands, islets, reefs, and cays located in the Caribbean Sea and you get an idea of what we are talking about. The Caribbean and the West Indies are not exactly the same: "the Caribbean islands, consisting of the Greater Antilles on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), are part of the somewhat larger West Indies grouping, which also includes the Lucayan Archipelago (comprising the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands) north of the Greater Antilles and Caribbean Sea. In a wider sense, the mainland countries of Belize, Guyana, and Suriname – may be included. Geopolitically, the Caribbean islands are usually regarded as a subregion of North America and are organized into 30 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies." (source: wikipedia) Over the centuries these islands and territories were controlled by Dutch, Spanish, English or French all contributing to the birth of rum as a commercial product. Today they are 13 sovereign states and 17 dependancies among the 30 territories. All WIRSPA members are part of these 13 sovereign states. Strictly speaking they all are located in the West Indies and most but not all in the Caribbean. WIRSPA and the "Martinique AOC" have this in common, both associations are working to defend and promote rums that are made in places where rum making is the main if not the only industry. Unlike AOC where Rhum must be made according to very strict rules, ACR seems to be more like a marketing umbrella for rums that have very little in common. Several branded ACR rums are available in Asia (the same cannot be said for AOC rums), among them Mount Gay rum from Barbados, Ron Barcelo from Dominican Republic and Angostura from Trinidad and Tobago. |
Angostura 1919
|
Mount Gay Rum
|
El Dorado 12Y
|
RUM SWEET RUM
Sugar
Emil Greiner Sugar Hydrometer Brix Scale.
|
Adding caramel to spirits such as brandy, whisky or rum is neither new nor rare.
When a new batch of rum is lighter than the previous batch (possibly due to the ageing of the cask used for decades that have less tannins to give) caramel may help acting as a colouring agent. When a limited amount of caramel is used the impact on the rum is minimal however as measured by several institutions and rum lovers the brix level (i.e. amount of sugar per litre) may sometimes exceed 40 grams. I am in no way advocating the ban on everything "sugar" after all my family have been growing sugarcane for three hundred years. However it would certainly help the consumer if sugar content was indicated on the bottles. 
Conversion Table courtesy of Johnny Drejer.
|
|
What is the brix level and how is it measured? You need an hydrometer (and most likely a conversion table) not to be confused with an alcometer. The former uses gravity to measures the sugar content of your liquid in relation to water at a specific temperature. You use an alcometer to determine an alcohol strength. Both tools are used in the industry to ensure that spirit when reduced with water will remain at the desired strength and the sugar content will meet specific requirements. This alcometer looks pretty much like the one my grandfather used back in the 1930s. |
Alcometer GAY-LUSSAC - SALLERON.
|
There is an ongoing discussion on the internet about Sugar added in rum.
Some lists have been published by the Swedish and Finnish authorities.
I found a rum lover from Denmark named Johnny Drejer who measured the brix level of at least 80 rums. He was kind enough to allow me to share some of his findings. The results are presented in a slideshow. All measurements and photos were made by Johnny Drejer. You may want to visit his web site drecon.dk to find out more.
Some lists have been published by the Swedish and Finnish authorities.
I found a rum lover from Denmark named Johnny Drejer who measured the brix level of at least 80 rums. He was kind enough to allow me to share some of his findings. The results are presented in a slideshow. All measurements and photos were made by Johnny Drejer. You may want to visit his web site drecon.dk to find out more.
They are two points to bare in mind in relation to brix level, first it is easier to exceed the recommended daily consumption of sugar with a sweetened rum even more so when used in cocktails or mixed drink. Second, if caramel can enhance the look of your rum and the sweetness makes it easier to drink, is it really necessary to go beyond 3 grams per litre? I would say no added sugar is best, up to 3 grams is acceptable, up to 10 grams somehow tolerable but beyond that especially for those containing 20 to 50 grams of sugar per litre I would say proceed with caution.
Given the choice, I would always pick Appleton, Clement, Tanduay or Dictador over El Dorado, Pyrat or Zacapa. This is probably a matter of taste. A rum that is smooth and has a long finish is often considered to be an excellent rum. It certainly takes more than a teaspoon of sugar to create a truly great rum.
Given the choice, I would always pick Appleton, Clement, Tanduay or Dictador over El Dorado, Pyrat or Zacapa. This is probably a matter of taste. A rum that is smooth and has a long finish is often considered to be an excellent rum. It certainly takes more than a teaspoon of sugar to create a truly great rum.
BLACK TOT DAY
The Royal Navy Rum Tot
Since 1655 a half pint of rum became part of the daily ration of the English sailors.
Over time the amount of rum was reduced but this tradition continued in the British Royal Navy until July 31, 1970 when the last daily rum ration (rum tot) was poured at 11 am after the pipe of 'up spirits'. That day is known as Black Tot Day.
The move was followed by two other Commonwealth navies: March 31, 1972 was the final day of the rum ration in the Royal Canadian Navy and February 27, 1990 was the final day of the rum ration in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
It happened half a decade earlier in the Royal Australian Navy (1921).
It is not clear what was the real impact on rum producers but English rums are still often called Navy rum and sailors are known to like this spirit.
Over time the amount of rum was reduced but this tradition continued in the British Royal Navy until July 31, 1970 when the last daily rum ration (rum tot) was poured at 11 am after the pipe of 'up spirits'. That day is known as Black Tot Day.
The move was followed by two other Commonwealth navies: March 31, 1972 was the final day of the rum ration in the Royal Canadian Navy and February 27, 1990 was the final day of the rum ration in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
It happened half a decade earlier in the Royal Australian Navy (1921).
It is not clear what was the real impact on rum producers but English rums are still often called Navy rum and sailors are known to like this spirit.
Lamb's Rum
|
Pusser's Rum
|
Black Tot Rum
|
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
Come back and see for yourself but remember that August is the Chinese Ghost month.
It is also the National Rum Day month with the National Rum Day taking place on August 16th.
Two good reasons to make sure you have enough rum in your house.
It is also the National Rum Day month with the National Rum Day taking place on August 16th.
Two good reasons to make sure you have enough rum in your house.
COMMUNITY - "That's The Spirit!"
"That's The Spirit!" is a Hong Kong lifestyle forum for amateurs, connoisseurs and professionals to meet, share knowledge, taste and experiment with the best distilled beverages currently available. To join visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thatsthespirithk/ Past Issue(s) of The Far East Rum Diary |
|
To find previous edition of our newsletter, simply visit our cellar and select what you need under the past issues section.
For example September 2013 will take you to the first web edition of our newsletter. SUBSCRIPTIONTo subscribe/unsubscribe to our mailing list compose a new email addressed to info@rhumdefrance.com and write subscribe/unsubscribe in the subject. After you send the subscribe or unsubscribe request, the list manager will send you a confirmation e-mail in reply. You must reply to this e-mail to complete the process. If you have not received the confirmation request, check that it has not been marked as spam.
|
