Are you drinking premium rum, or do you just think you are?

[Edward Hamilton]

I'm asked all the time about the best premium rums and after getting some statistics from the Distilled Spirits Council I began taking another look at labels containing the words 'premium,' 'ultra-premium,' 'super-premium' etc.

According to David Ozgo at Discus, "The categories that I use (Value, Premium, High End Premium and Super Premium) are my own. No one really had a workable definition so I developed a system by first placing market leaders into a category and analyzing how brands fell around them. For rum, Bacardi (Light) and Captain Morgan (Original) were categorized as Premium. Brands priced below Bacardi and Captain Morgan would be Value brands. Some High End Premium brands are: Appleton Estate XV, Myer's Original Dark and Bacardi 8 Reserve. Super Premium examples are Mount Gay Extra Old and Angostura 1824."

This about summed it up for me. If you want to make a premium rum, raise the price and join the group that is growing at double digits.

[Scottes]

Calling Captain Morgan a "premium rum" seems like sacrilege.

[Fabio]

Edward,
Does it means that Rum price is not always connected to quality?. How can I make sure that a premium rum is premium because of the content quality and not because there is a marketing / adverstising or positioning strategy behind it that raises its price?.

[Edward Hamilton]

I look for a distillery name on the bottle, but there are some premium private labels. Other than that you'll have to taste it and go from there. In my opinion, a premium spirit should have a well integrated flavor with the body following the initial taste and the finish should be continuous with the body. If the initial taste dominates the flavor profile I question the quality of the spirit.

I tend to consider the price last in determining whether or not a spirit is really a premium product or not. I tend not to buy bottles which have the word premium or super premium on the label, but that is just my preference.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Edward Hamilton

In my opinion, a premium spirit should have a well integrated flavor with the body following the initial taste and the finish should be continuous with the body. If the initial taste dominates the flavor profile I question the quality of the spirit.

I tend to consider the price last...

Ed, how bout some examples of low/lower priced "premiums"?

For me these would include the Abuelos, del Barrilitos, Barbancourts, San Pablo. Another, more recently, Rum Antiguo Bodega 1800.

[rumdog007]

Originally Posted by Bill

For me these would include the Abuelos, del Barrilitos, Barbancourts, San Pablo. Another, more recently, Rum Antiguo Bodega 1800.

San Pablo! Now there's a premium rum with a low price. As previously posted, I stumbled across a cache of this rum and bought it all. I cannot locate any more of it! The Florida company which previously imported it not longer has working phone numbers.

[Rum Runner Imports]

Where is San Pablo from? What where you paying for a (750ml?) bottle?

[rumdog007]

Originally Posted by Rum Runner Imports

Where is San Pablo from? What where you paying for a (750ml?) bottle?

It is a Curacao rum. I got the gold and silver for around $10.00. I thought that it was a bottom shelf rum when I first saw it. I used my Blackberry to web search it and read some good things. Captain Jimbo liked it, etc.. So, I scooped it all up. Got it home... and, it was great. Mind you, a lighter style, dare I say, Cuban-style, full of flavor. The silver is a wonderful mixer and makes a great daiquiri. Yesterday, I got some Elements 8 Platinum and it tastes a lot like it.

[Bill]

Same here. The good Captain and his partner have a tongue for worthwhile-but-affordable rums and a truck drivin friend of mine made a stop in South Florida and brought me two bottles.

I agree that this is a superb rum that is the equal of rums three times the cost. According to the Cap it is fair to call it a Cuban rum, produced by a gentleman named Gonzalez, who managed to remove his stock and business to Curacao where the rum is still produced and reported to be highly valued.

I'll probably never see another, but it sure was nice. My only problem: how long can I make the remaining half bottle last?

[the NOSE]

Originally Posted by Edward Hamilton

I look for a distillery name on the bottle, but there are some premium private labels. Other than that you'll have to taste it and go from there. In my opinion, a premium spirit should have a well integrated flavor with the body following the initial taste and the finish should be continuous with the body. If the initial taste dominates the flavor profile I question the quality of the spirit.

I tend to consider the price last in determining whether or not a spirit is really a premium product or not. I tend not to buy bottles which have the word premium or super premium on the label, but that is just my preference.

Hello Ed,
good description what a premium rum (spirit) should be.
In my opinion, and i have to be careful what i say as a trader, the price and the marketing really doesn't play the role to make a premium rum. The customers, if they are educated!, taste the difference. And customers are very individual, so i find each day a other way to sell a "premium" rum. It depends what they expect: my knowledge and recomendation?, the marketing things? or their own taste?...
Meanwhile i have clients, they try some and find out, what they like. I am happy about that. Lucky me, their taste can really change. ;-)
But the advertising is hard and make a lot stupid products to "premium" stuff...
I wish, the rum producers could find a way to sell some of their fantasic products in a better way, not calling as a premium, super premium or something superdoopa thing. It is inflationär (sorry i didnt find the right english word for it, hope you understand it), only with the original character of the product.

Kristina