Chairman’s Reserve Launches Chairman’s Spice Lab – Press Release

Bythefatrumpirate April 21, 2020

Chairman’s Reserve Rum, the premium rum brand from Saint Lucia,
launches the first edition of its new challenge: The Chairman’s Spice Lab!

Award-winning Chairman’s Reserve of St Lucia is proud to announce the launch of ‘The Chairman’s Spice Lab’, a unique programme designed to showcase the abilities and understanding of the spice rum category by bartenders around the world.

Spiced Rum remains a genuine institution in Saint Lucia today. Each family prides itself on having its own recipe (the best!). Served straight, in cocktails, or used in the kitchen, a trip to Saint Lucia is not complete without an authentic Spiced Rum experience!

Open in 10 countries (United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, China, United States, and Saint Lucia), the Chairman’s Spice Lab will offer an opportunity for 3 bartenders to create together, in Saint Lucia, their own limited edition of Chairman’s Spiced Rum, which will then be marketed internationally.

The selection of 3 winners (1 from Europe / Asia, 1 from the USA, and 1 from Saint Lucia) will be done in three stages

The first round online: (registration at www.chairmansreserverum.com/spicelab)

The second round is a creation and activation phase around the Spiced Rum imagined by each nominated bartender

A final selection made from the best tasting Spiced Rum recipes by an international jury of industry professionals

Part of the profits from the sale of this limited edition will be donated to local associations to help hospitality community n Saint Lucia, deeply affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

The Rules:

STEP 1 ONLINE REGISTRATION AND SELECTION

Bartenders must present their project online (registration at www.chairmansreserverum.com/spicelab). Their submission should include their vision of Spiced Rum, their inspirations, the blend of spices provided in their recipe, the suggested best serve option, and their motivation to become the next ambassador of Chairman’s Spiced Rum!

STEP 2 CREATION OF SPICED RUM AND ACTIVATIONS

Bartenders selected for phase 2 will be notified in June and will receive a Chairman’s Reserve spice kit containing 6 spices to be used. Each bartender will be able to add a maximum of 3 additional spices. This creation phase will end in September, giving bartenders at least 2 months to perfect their Spiced Rum recipe and promote it in their community (bar activations and beyond). At the end of this second round, the best creations and projects from each market will be selected for phrase 3.

STEP 3 TASTING AND SELECTION OF WINNERS

The Spiced Rums selected in each country will be presented to an international jury of professionals at the end of September. Three bartenders (1 from Europe/Asia, 1 from the USA, 1 from Saint Lucia will be chosen and invited to Saint Lucia in November 2020) to create together their limited edition of Chairman’s Spiced Rum in collaboration with the R&D team from Chairman’s Reserve. The limited edition will be launched internationally in 2021.

For further information on the ‘Chairman’s Spice Lab’, please direct to the UK Chairman’s Reserve brand representative Dave Marsland, dave@emporiabrands.com

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Foursquare Mandamus
Bythefatrumpirate February 11, 2026February 11, 2026

Foursquare Mandamus. Here we have another word that I never heard or come across before………Mandamus is Latin for “we command”, a legal term referring to a court order compelling action.

It’s a suitably assertive name, and one that feels very much in keeping with the Foursquare ECS range. These releases no longer arrive as curiosities or experiments, they arrive with a certain expectation attached. Foursquare Mandamus is not here to introduce anyone to the Foursquare Rum Distillery, nor is it designed to broaden its appeal. It assumes a certain level of familiarity and interest from the outset. It knows its target audience.

The ECS formula is well established: a pot and column still blend from Barbados, with long tropical ageing often given a secondary maturation (but not always) in casks other than ex-bourbon which is then bottled at cask strength. In this case the talking point is a finishing period in Port caks. Which was one of the earliest ECS releases Port Cask Finish. Wine finishes will always be contentious in rum circles especially Fortified sweeter “wines”, often for good reason. When handled poorly, they can overwhelm the spirit, pushing everything toward sweetness. When handled well, they can add structure, depth, and contrast. Foursquare’s track record suggests the latter will occur.

Foursquare Mandamus was bottled at 64% ABV, released in the usual stubby 70cl bottle and landed in the UK at around £100 in late 2025. That price point will inevitably cause debate, particularly given how ECS pricing has steadily crept upward over the years. At the same time, consistency and transparency remain central to the brand’s appeal. Whatever else you think about the cost, you know exactly what you’re getting and what you’re not.

There’s also an increasing sense that these releases are now aimed squarely at an established audience. They’re not designed to convert newcomers or soften the category’s edges. Foursquare Mandamus feels like a rum that expects its drinker to meet it halfway, rather than one that attempts to charm its way into favour.

So lets get on with the good bit…….

Nosing the first impression of Foursquare Mandamus is unmistakably dry and oak-led. Dark cherries, red grapes and raisins sit at the forefront,. This is followed by toasted wood, vanilla and cocoa powder.

The Port influence is clearly present, but it manifests as firmness and tannin rather than sweetness or overly sweet jammy fruit. At 64% ABV the alcohol is evident, but it remains controlled and clean.

On the sip. The Dark fruits lead to begin with cherry, raisin and plum — We then get oak, dark chocolate and a touch of black coffee and warming spice. The Port finish adds definition rather than softening it. This is not a rich or glossy ECS release; it’s one that prioritises balance. The high strength carries flavour confidently across the palate without becoming aggressive. Foursquare Mandamus rewards slow, deliberate drinking.

Finish wise its long, persistent, and drying. Oak, cocoa, spice, and red fruit skins linger well after the sip, gradually fading rather than dropping away. The tannic edge remains present to the end.

This is a confident and assertive entry in the ECS range and one that leans hard into dryness and structure rather than easy appeal. It won’t be universally loved or as crowd pleasing as some of the slightly softer previous releases. Those who favour richer, sweeter, or softer profiles may find it challenging.

The Zinfandel finish has been applied with a steady hand, adding complexity without over shadowing the underlying distillate.

The question of value remains more complicated. At £100, expectations are understandably high, and comparisons with earlier, cheaper ECS releases are inevitable. That said, judged purely on quality, balance, and intent, Foursquare Mandamus stands comfortably among the stronger modern releases. It’s a rum that knows exactly what it’s trying to achieve — and achieves it without compromise.

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Twin Fin Barrel Aged Rum | Uncategorised

Twin Fin Barrel Aged Rum
Bythefatrumpirate February 19, 2026

Twin Fin Barrel Aged Rum. From the outset it seems that Twin Fin is one of those brands that seems to have arrived with a very clear idea of who it’s for, and just as importantly, who it isn’t.

There’s no attempt to muscle in on the hardcore enthusiast space, no claims of ancient recipes or secret fermentation techniques. Instead, Twin Fin leans into a relaxed, lifestyle-led identity that suggests surfboards, sunsets and uncomplicated enjoyment.

It comes from the Southwestern Distillery in Cornwall which is best known for Tarquin’s Gin. So none of this should come as much of a surprise.

Twin Fin Barrel Aged Rum represents their take on “straight” Caribbean rum blended and bottled in the UK. They do, of course have a Spiced variant and other flavours but we aren’t reviewing those today. If ever………..

The Barrel Aged expression is where Twin Fin makes its most convincing case for being more than just a branding exercise.

This is molasses-based Caribbean rum, it pairs a 5 year old rum from Guyana with a 6 year old Panama rum, which were matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being blended and bottled in Cornwall.

There’s no age statement and no real attempt to play on the origins of the blend. Caribbean which immediately tells you this is not a transparency-first release aimed at hardcore rum enthusiasts.

Bottled at 40% ABV and typically priced between £30 and £35 in the UK, it should sit comfortably in that middle ground between casual mixer and entry-level sipper.

This is a rum designed to be neat-friendly, without demanding your full attention. It will also play nicely in cocktails or simply mixed with cola.

In the glass, Twin Fin Barrel Aged Rum is a amber colour, golden brown with a light copper tint.

Nothing here suggests extended maturation, but it looks clean and well put together. It hasn’t been radically dosed with E150.

The nose is soft and approachable and “pleasant”. Vanilla and caramel arrive first, soft and rounded rather than sharp or sugary. There’s plenty of ex-bourbon cask character: toffee, light brown sugar, and some oak spice.

Beneath that sits a mild tropical fruit layer banana, a touch of pineapple and a hint of orange peel. The spice profile is restrained offering cinnamon and nutmeg rather than clove or allspice and there’s a faint buttery almost shortbread-like note that adds to the overall softness. It’s not complex, but it is well balanced and there’s nothing off-putting or awkward in the mix.

On the palate, the rum does largely what the nose suggested. Sweetness first with vanilla ice cream, caramel and milk chocolate forming the core flavour profile.

Mid-palate, some gentle fruit notes emerge. Banana remains the most prominent, joined by a touch of tropical fruit and dried fruits, perhaps sultanas. The spice remains firmly in the background, with cinnamon and a mild white pepper lift adding just enough contrast to stop things becoming flat. Oak influence becomes a little more noticeable here, gently drying the palate and keeping the sweetness in check without introducing bitterness.

The finish is medium in length and is perfectly pleasant rather than mid blowing. Caramel and vanilla fade first, followed by a light oak dryness. It doesn’t linger for long, but it also doesn’t vanish instantly.

The aftertaste is clean and inoffensive, making it easy to return for another sip.

Taken as a whole, Twin Fin Barrel Aged Rum is pretty good rather than memorable. It’s well balanced, neat and clearly designed with broad appeal in mind.

It won’t thrill high-ester devotees or cask-strength hunters and it doesn’t offer much to more hardcore rum enthusiasts.

A solid, approachable barrel-aged rum that does most things right without pushing boundaries. Not exciting, but well made, easy to enjoy, and entirely comfortable in its own skin.

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Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx
Bythefatrumpirate December 31, 2025

Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx.

One of my first “Premium” rums was a bottle of Ron Barceló Imperial that I picked up for around £12 in Gibraltar circa 2012.

At the time I was fairly pleased with it but as my experience grew I found myself less enamoured by the rum. I reviewed it back in 2017 by which time my perception had changed quite dramatically.

In the UK you will occasionally see Ron Barceló rums but it is not a brand which has been taken up by any of the big pub or restaurant chains to the best of my knowledge. It’s presence in the UK is fairly low key.

However, for anyone who travels outside of the UK and into Europe it is often present at the AIrport Duty Free. This bottling I am reviewing today I have seen numerous times when visiting Spain especially. The brand is pretty popular over there.

In the UK a bottle will set you back around £45 but if you are a regular traveller you are best picking it up at the Duty Free. I picked my bottle up from Amazon for £30 in a sale. Curiosity as much as anything and to maybe mix up the reviews a little.

Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx comes in a very wide flask style bottle with a short stubby neck. The cork stopper has a large ornate plastic topper. You also get a cut out card sleeve to house the rum.

Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx comes in a 70cl bottle coming in at a slightly disappointing 38% ABV. So only just above the legal limit. Quite common for Dominican rum though.

There is no information regarding the rum on the bottle or the cardboard sleeve. So its off to their website for some information. First thing that hits me is that the site claims Ron Barceló is the most exported Dark Rum in the world. Which seems a slightly odd (and difficult really to judge) claim to make. Dark Rum? Hmmmm

Anyway, I have found the following information regarding this rum

“The result of the finest selection of rums aged up to ten years in oak barriques with a high toast degree, subsequently filtered from real Onyx stones to obtain a rum with intense, deep notes and a unique character.

Notes on tasting

Mahogany colour with amber shades.
With a robust, structured body and of great character. Toasted fragrances, with a subtle hint of cherry, coffee and nuts. Intense sensations of wood and vanilla with a persistent aftertaste. An aged and complex rum that delights all the senses.

Ideal for

To be enjoyed used for the preparation of classic and contemporary cocktails. 750 ml and 700 ml presentations.”

So not a great deal of information. Ron Barceló say that their rums are made from the finest Sugar Cane Juice. Which like their Haitian neighbours might suggest something akin to Agricole Rhum.

What Ron Barceló don’t tell us on the website is the method of distillation. Industrial Multi Columns. So not the traditional Coffey Column Still’s used in Agricole.

So with my information exhausted I think I will pop that chunky cork and see what this is like.

In the glass the rum is indeed pretty dark – almost a mahogany colour. Coloured a little? Most likely – nearly all continuously produced rums are coloured to some degree for consistency, if nothing else.

The rum gives off a nice aroma – dark chocolate, a touch of cocoa, some plums and other dark fruits. There is a sweetness and a lighter touch as the rum settles in the glass.

Further nosing I’m getting some leather and cigar smokiness.

Despite the dark colour of the rum and the desire to be rich and decadent it isn’t as “deep” as I think they want us to believe. It’s still got a sweet light Spanish style aroma.

I’ve checked the Hydrometer and it bobbed at 38% ABV but I wouldn’t be surprised if their is a touch of Glycerol/Glycerin.

Taking a sip it is less interesting than the nose suggested. Much of the coffee and leather aromas are over taken by a sweeter note. It tastes more like something that has been made to feel old rather than actually long aged. I dare say there is a fair bit of a stretch going on with the “up to 10 years” claims.

It’s sweet but not overly so but it gives a fairly standard Spanish style rum flavour which you can find for a lot less money. Even they note this is for cocktails.

There really isn’t a great deal going on with this. It’s entry is fairly nice with a little bit of spice but the 38% ABV isn’t doing it any favours.

I usually comment on the mid palate and the finish. Unfortunately the main downfall for this is how short the overall experience is. It disappears very quickly and d

oesn’t leave much behind once swallowed. A very slight burn which quickly fades – sweet and inoffensive.

I’ve mixed it a Rum and Coke and its okay. At the price point it should be. That said I’d be happier with their own Anejo or Gran Anejo if that is all I was going to do with it.

They offer up Premium Cocktails to try on the website but in all honesty this rum doesn’t have enough about it to really enhance anything. So I’ll give that a miss.

I’m not disappointed or surprised by this rum. It’s not unpleasant but just doesn’t justify its price point in anyway shape or form. Which sadly means I’m going to give this very average rum a slightly below average score.

Another one for the Pretty Bottle Brigade. Not for me though.

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An Interview with Oliver Gerhardt – RumX App and Community
Bythefatrumpirate September 24, 2021

Today we have an interview with Oliver Gerhardt who is the man behind the popular (and growing) RumX app and RumX Facebook Community Group.

Formerly known as Rum Tasting Notes, RumX is an app available on both Android and iOS devices via the Google Play and Apple stores. The app enables you to rate your own rum collection as well as read the opinions of other rum enthusiasts around the world.

The site also has numerous rum reviews from various renowned rum bloggers around the world…………..and myself. Over 10,000 rums are currently listed.

In addition to this the app has an extensive database of rum brands, distilleries, shops and lots of other information regarding rum and the rum world in general.

The app has been developed by Oliver in his spare time, away from the day job and it really is a great app for all rum lovers.

The RumX Facebook Community also allows rum lovers to interact even further and discuss all things rum, in a friendly and well moderated environment.

So here is Oliver’s story………………

1. First of all what inspired your initial interest in rum and what has helped grow that interest?

My first contact with rum was – like most people I guess – as a basic ingredient in cocktails and long drinks. In my university days I “enjoyed” countless Mojitos and Cuba Libre’s, but I was never aware of the variety and quality behind the spirit. By chance, I tried a sip of Botucal Reserva Exclusiva one evening. At that time, I was thrilled to see how round and delicious a spirit can taste even neat.

After this experience, I became more intensively involved with the subject of rum, studying the bottle shelves during bar visits and keeping an eye out for the “new favourite spirit.” A key moment was then a rum tasting in a bar in Stuttgart, where rums from different countries were in focus. Here, for the first time, the insane variety was revealed to me and I was totally fascinated.

2. Are there any notable figures, websites, resources etc that have helped shape your rum knowledge and viewpoint?

In the beginning I followed mainly the German bloggers and thereby looked beyond the classical sweet rums. Here I am especially grateful to Marius from www.singlecaskrum.com and Florian from barrel-aged-thoughts.blogspot.com for their incredibly valuable contributions to the rum community.

In addition, Luca Gargano has also inspired me as a pioneer. Especially his intuition and passion for new – and partly forgotten – styles is a great enrichment for the rum world.

In the course of time, I was lucky enough to meet some inspiring personalities in real life. It is precisely this personal contact and the bond within the rum community that makes up a significant part of the fascination for rum for me. So I can hardly wait until fairs and gatherings are possible again soon. Maybe I’ll see some of you at the German Rum Festival in Berlin at the end of August…. 😊🥃

3. Where do you stand on the “additives in rum” debate?

Personally, I prefer natural rums without any additives. Here, the art of craftsmanship and barrel aging comes into its own best. Basically, however, I am of the opinion that everyone should enjoy what he or she likes. It is only important that additives are indicated transparently. That way, everyone can consciously decide which bottle to buy. For me, the new EU regulation is a first important step in the right direction.

4. What first inspired you to create the “Rum Tasting Notes” app?

When I started my journey of rum discovery, I was fascinated by the diversity of this spirit. When I realized that each country and each distillery conjures up its own character in the glass, I was on the seek for new taste experiences. Since I am unfortunately not blessed with a photographic/sensory memory, I began to record my taste impressions of the different rums in an Excel spreadsheet. This worked well in the beginning, but over time it became more and more time-consuming and cumbersome. As a passionate software engineer I then started the hobby project “Rum Tasting Notes”. The idea was to transform this tedious Excel spreadsheet into an intuitive app that I can carry around in my pocket anytime, anywhere.

Originally, I developed and used the app just for myself. As the functionality became more sophisticated, I showed it to a few rum friends one evening. The idea and vision were so well received that my friends directly encouraged me to officially publish the app in the App Store. That was the official birth of “Rum Tasting Notes” in December 2018.

5. Why has Rum Tasting Notes now become RumX?

Over the last few years, I’ve been continuously improving the app in my spare time. The focus was shifting away from just tasting notes. More and more community functionalities were added and the database has developed further in the direction of a rating portal and reference work. To express this change, I was looking for a suitable, catchy name that would reflect this new DNA. In the end, it was the name RumX that perfectly describes this change. The X stands for the 4 pillars of the app: Xperience (taste your rums like a pro), Xchange (share your experiences with the community), Xplore (discover your new favorite rum) and Xtend (manage your rum collection).

6. What help and inspiration have you enjoyed along the way?

Since I’m developing the app alongside my day job, I would never have gotten this far without the support of fantastic people. I’m especially grateful for the help of Benoit Bail-Danel, whose influence and network in the rum world has played a huge role in spreading the word about RumX in the community. Behind the scenes, passionate rum lovers and friends also support me in marketing, development and database maintenance. In addition, it would not have been possible to build the largest rum database in the world without the tireless support of RumX users. With every submission of a new release and every correction request, the database gets bigger and better – a huge thank you to everyone who contributes – you guys are awesome!

7. What do you hope to do going forward with the Rum X Community and the app?

On the one hand, I want RumX to take beginners by the hand and give them the ideal introduction to the world of rum. Here, for example, the editorial recommendation lists help to broaden one’s own horizon. But also the tasting assistant offers support for the optimal tasting and provides tips on what other users smell and taste. Currently, I’m working on an extensive discovery section that will push this idea further, which will be released later this year.

The heart of the app, however, is designed for experienced rum lovers. Through the digital tasting diary, you’ll never forget which rums you’ve already tasted and how you liked them. In the future, there will be personalized recommendations that use the swarm intelligence of the RumX community to find your individual, new favorite rum.

The third area is all about the community. The most-wanted feature is now already live: With the new RumX community forum, it’s super easy to organize private bottle splits. This way you can share the cost of new purchases with the community and on the other hand get a lot of exciting new tasting experiences for little money. It was exactly this sample exchange that helped me discover and learn to love the diversity of rum back in the day. In the future, the app will merge more and more with this forum and will be expanded with exciting new features, such as a friends system. So you can look forward to exciting new developments! 🙂

8. How do you see the future of rum?

Especially in the high-end rum market, it is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. 1-2 years ago, you could still try a promising new release in advance without any problems and then buy a whole bottle if desired. Nowadays, due to the new dynamics, one is forced to buy a promising release directly blind – if one gets the chance at all. I personally regret this development very much. Especially because many bottles are probably gathering dust in cellars instead of being enjoyed by real aficionados.

On the other hand, I am very happy about the number and variety of new releases in general and the growing interest in rum. It feels like there are as many new, exciting bottlings coming out every month these days as there were released throughout the year a few years ago. In my opinion, this positive development will continue due to the ever-increasing demand and benefit us rum lovers. The important thing then is just to keep track and figure out which bottle to buy next – but that’s what RumX is for…. 😇

9. What would you advise our readers to look out for rum-wise over the next couple of years? Are there any brands you currently feel are flying under the radar that people should look out for?

Personally, I am a big fan of the independent bottler “Rum Artesanal”. Dominik Marwede does a fantastic job of selecting first-class barrels and that at an unbeatable quality-price ratio. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the German community 😉), the availability of these bottlings outside Germany is still quite manageable.

In addition, I am curious how the “El Dorado” series of DDL continues to develop. In my opinion, there are still real treasures to be discovered here, which can keep up with and even surpass old, legendary bottlings in blind tastings.

Finally, I think that – especially in Germany – Rhum Agricole is still totally underestimated. Especially bottlings from Neisson and HSE are among my absolute favorites.

10. How is your native rum scene? In the UK it is sadly dominated mostly by sales of Spiced and Flavoured rum. Also rums with additives are quite popular but not so much as I notice in places like Denmark and Poland.

In Germany, things look similarly disappointing. In the supermarkets you can find first-class whiskey standards, but if you look in the rum shelf you will find mostly rum-based spirits of the big brands. Only in smaller delis or tobacco stores you can find exciting bottlings – but that needs luck…

However, if you look into the topic of rum more intensively, you will come across very active and exciting rum groups. For example, the Facebook group “German Rum Association” is a real tip for anyone interested in natural and high-quality rum.

11. Can you name your 3 Desert Island or Bucket List rums that you really want to try?

Phew, that’s a tough question…. If I had three wishes, I would probably choose these three legendary bottlings:

Velier Skeldon 1978 (RX867)

Velier Caroni 1982 (RX3140)

Cadenhead’s 1964 PM 36yo (RX3731)

Now all I need is a magic lamp – or a lottery win…. 😅

So there you have it a very interesting take on the Rum World from Oliver and very interesting to here from someone doing something a little different in the rum world. I’m sure a lot of you out there will find the RumX a very useful way to record all the rums you taste on your journey.

Using the RumX app is certainly a lot easier than doing it via a website and using WordPress. I can tell you that for free………….

Thanks very much for your time Oliver

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Geographic Indications (GIs): The End of Creative Geography in the Rum World
Bythefatrumpirate February 14, 2026February 15, 2026
Geographic Indications (GIs): The End of Creative Geography in the Rum World

The rum world is finally being forced into a conversation it has managed to sidestep for decades: Geographic Indications (GIs).

For some producers this is a welcome step towards clarity. In fact, it is those producers who are largely calling for change. For others, it would appear to be catastrophic to their very existence.

That is of course if you believe their heavily marketed and distorted hyperbole. These producers are certainly not calling for change. Unless of course it can be done in a way which suits their current business model.

Which strangely enough doesn’t bed itself with what a true GI should look like. It is far more about keeping the Status Quo (no not Rick and Francis) and continuing to fly the flag of colonialism, albeit with revised history and romanticised marketing.

The problem you see is once you define what Jamaican or Barbados rum actually is, you can’t just improvise around it. Sadly such improvisation has been very profitable.

Let’s be clear from the start this is the first step in a much larger discussion. There are nuances. There are regional differences. It isn’t all about Jamaica and Barbados. Other regions have already introduced GIs or some form of accreditation that ties their sugar cane products to a framework.

There are of course, economic realities. If anyone wants to make reference to anything this article may be missing – hold that thought. I’ve got a lot more to say.

If rum enthusiasts have learnt anything from the “First World Additives in Rum War 2014-2018” it is that the rum world doesn’t change because one rum writer, writes one piece, one time and the whole House of Cards comes crashing down.

This will not be the only article I write about GIs. This will not be the only time this is mentioned on this website. I won’t just comment on this article in the online rum forums. I won’t ignore the negative responses.

I’m going into this knowing fully that for some in the industry, at the very least I will be that “annoying little irritant that just won’t go away”

Much like I did with Hydrometer Tests and Additives I will make this topic “normal” in my little corner of the rum world.

Will I have a seismic impact on the Rum World overall?

Will I reach the casual rum drinker?

Will the Industry change because I’m talking about it?

Will it balls. Absolutely not. I would be naïve to even dream this is possible.

Do you know who will take notice of what I am saying though?

YOU the more regular, more serious, more engaged rum drinker. Enthusiasts and Rum Nerds. People who genuinely care and have a deep interest in Rum.

Will everyone even agree with my stance? Of course not. If that were going to be the case then it wouldn’t be worth writing about or even discussing. It would be completely unnecessary as the war would already have been won – one way or the other. The discussion would be over.

Will other rum writers begin writing about the GIs? I certainly hope so. Will this article and subsequent articles on the subject lead to counter arguments and articles opposing my view? Again I hope so. In fact I very much hope so because that is when the fun begins.

You see it did the last time with Hydrometer Tests and Additives and this is without doubt a far bigger, more far reaching issue than those ever were.

If anything additives was a footnote to this and something which by the GIs very design, could logically become a far less widespread an issue.

The very fact that you are reading this shows that you at least care about this topic and most likely rum in general. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with all or even part of what I write. As with all my writing, its not personal and I’m not going to call out individuals.

“Get back to the GIs Wes”

OK

The principle is simple and could have been thought up by a small child. If you put a region’s name on the label, you should meet that region’s standards.

The fact that this is controversial tells you everything you need to know.

What GIs Actually Do And Why That Makes People Nervous

A Geographic Indication is not a marketing slogan. It’s a legal definition.

It ties a product to:
- A specific place
- A defined production process
- Recognised and agreed traditional methods
It removes ambiguity and ambiguity has long been one of rum’s most flexible assets.

For years, parts of the industry have operated in a comfortable grey zone:
- Bulk rum produced in one country
- Shipped elsewhere
- Aged under different conditions
- Adjusted post-distillation
Then wrapped in a story about heritage, traditional processes, pirates, fairies and most bizarrely of all – Terroir.

Yes Terroir from 6,000 miles away. Work that one out.

Is that illegal? Often no.

Is it transparent? Also no.

GIs don’t criminalise creativity. They simply force alignment between the label and reality and that alignment reduces wiggle room.

The Additive Question: Heritage or Engineering?

Let’s talk about the sugar bowl. Again………

Additives in rum are not new. Dosing has historical precedent. No serious person denies that.

What is new is scale, positioning, and silence.

In some modern “Premium” expressions, sweetness isn’t a subtle adjustment it’s structural. Flavourings and smoothing agents are used to shape profile consistency and mass appeal. Then the result is marketed as a pure expression of regional craft.

That’s where the tension lies.

If a significant portion of a rum’s character comes from post-distillation additions, how honest is it to sell that character as the natural outcome of fermentation, distillation, and tropical maturation in that region?

A GI forces that question to be answered instead of danced around with fluffy marketing and selective history.

Some GI frameworks allow limited additives. Others restrict them. The important shift is this: once defined, producers cannot blur the boundary between traditional practice and modern market engineering.

Yes, that threatens certain business models.

Largely because once sweetness can’t hide behind storytelling, quality has to stand on its own two feet.

Aging Abroad: Climate Matters Until It Doesn’t?

Now to the other uncomfortable topic: aging outside the region of origin.

Historically, rum travelled not a little but a lot. Barrels were shipped to Europe back to the colonial masters. Climate differences slowed maturation. Losses were lower. Logistics made sense. No argument there.

What began as necessity has, in some cases, been reframed as luxury.

Here’s the awkward question:

If climate meaningfully shapes maturation and every producer will tell you it does when defending tropical aging then how can removing that climate from the equation not matter?

You cannot simultaneously argue that tropical heat defines regional character and that continental aging preserves it perfectly.

Both cannot be true.

Under a strict GI, if you want to sell Jamaican rum, aging in Jamaica becomes part of that identity. The tropical environment isn’t incidental. It is formative.

That is not anti-innovation. It is definitional consistency and consistency can be very expensive.

The Real Objection: Constraint

The resistance to GIs is often framed as a defence of freedom and flexibility. Freedom to do what exactly?

To experiment? That remains.
To sweeten? Still possible.
To age in Europe? No one is stopping you.
To blend across regions? Go ahead.

The only constraint is this: don’t market those products as traditional regional expressions if they don’t meet the regional definition.

That’s not oppression. That’s labelling integrity. Which is frankly long overdue in rum.

The real discomfort isn’t about creativity being stifled. It’s about geographic branding becoming less elastic. For some brands, elasticity has been the point.

Why Rum Actually Benefits from GIs

Rum’s biggest long-term problem isn’t regulation. It’s credibility.
- Too many inconsistent standards.
- Too many opaque practices.
- Too much romance doing the heavy lifting for what should be production quality.
GIs offer the following corrections

1. Clarity for Consumers

If a bottle carries a regional name, that name has enforceable meaning. Trust increases. Confusion decreases.

2. Protection of Production Identity

Fermentation styles, still types, raw materials, aging environments these are not aesthetic choices. They define regional character. GIs formalize that definition instead of leaving it to the fluffy marketing departments and pseudo historians.

3. A Harder Definition of “Premium”

Premium stops meaning sweeter, older-sounding, or more theatrically narrated. It starts meaning better raw material, better fermentation management, more precise distillation, and maturation done, where the tradition says it should be.

That shift rewards producers who invest in process rather than post-production polish.

Not everyone benefits equally from that shift.

Authenticity vs. Elastic Identity

At its core, the GI debate asks a simple question:

Is regional rum a production identity tied to place and method? Or is it a flexible storytelling device?

If it’s the latter, then resistance makes perfect sense. If it’s the former, then GIs are inevitable.

Rum cannot simultaneously demand respect as a serious, terroir-driven spirit and insist that geographic definitions remain conveniently fluid.

Other categories have chosen definition. Rum now has to decide whether it wants to.

This Is Just the Beginning

GIs are not flawless. Some regional standards are politically negotiated. Some are compromises. Some will evolve.

We’ll get into all of that.
- We’ll examine specific frameworks.
- We’ll look at additive thresholds.
- We’ll look at aging rules.
- We’ll talk about the economics.
The key principle stands though:

If you use a region’s name, meet its standards.
- Clarity over mystique.
- Definition over suggestion.
- Authenticity over profit-driven flexibility.
For producers who already operate with transparency, GIs are validation.

For those who rely on ambiguity, they are disruption.

The future of rum will depend on which side of that line the industry chooses to stand.

For the first time, that choice could well be forced and consumers have a lot of a say in this. If they want to.

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