Cuban Rums: aged naturally or artificially?

[Dom Costa]

One of the biggest importer and distributor of rums in Italy, has recently declared in a weekly magazine , that Cuba is selling far more aged rum than they can produce, and he is convinced that all aged rums exported outside the country are white rums aged artificially and with robust addition of caramel syrup for extra coloring.

I'd like to hear your opinion, what do you think about it?

Cheers

Dom

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

I think they need to prove the statement about selling more than they can produce. But, in any event, as long as I like the product...

Yes, I'm interested, but...

Hey...maybe I can turn HC3 into HC7 with some caramel syrup?

Edited February 19, 2003 by Bolivar Petit Corona (log)

[Ed Hamilton]

Most rums have some added caramel for consistency of color and some distillers make several different blends of the same label but I seriously doubt that Cuban rum producers would add things like Mellow Age which is added to rum to artifically age the rum. The addition of caramel alone won't give rum an aged taste though it will be slightly smoother, Meyers's for example isn't nearly as old as most consumers guess.

But on the other hand there are plenty of conterfeit Cuban cigars on the market so why not rums?

I for one can tell when someone it trying to claim a 7 year old product is less than say 5 years and I have no doubt that others can do this as well.

There are also a lot of dirty campaigns to smear the competition. Does anyone in this forum think that they've tasted mismarked Cuban rum?

I am also aware of a couple of rums that claim to be very old and I know for a fact that they don't contain much if any of the old rum. In the US market rum or any spirit can only claim the youngest age spirit in the blend as the age. But even with that you have to read the label carefully.

[Bolivar Petit Corona]

Counterfeiting of Cuban rum possible, and I'm sure is being done somewhere, but not very probable, for the following reasons:

1. Cuban rum is relativly inexpensive anywhere it is sold, a single Cuban cigar often retailing for more that a bottle of Cuban rum. In high counterfeit areas for Cuban cigars, buying the cheaper brands like Fonseca is the best way to get the genuine article, for the un cigar savy--they just aren't worth counterfeiting. Who counterfeits $1 bills?

2. In many countries a spill guard is placed in the mouth of the bottle, to prevent easy refilling.

3. Bottles, with labels, seals et cetera, are hard to produce.

4. Cuban Rums, like Cuban cigars, have unique flavours & aromas, and can be told apart by those with sensative noses/palates. But, not all counterfeit Cubans are non-Cuban.

Edited February 21, 2003 by Bolivar Petit Corona (log)

[scheer]

in the EU it is forbidden to add anything but Caramel E150! Just to get a standerdized colour, and yes the type of caramel itself will influence the taste and smell of the rum.

Just have a look at the typical UK rums, Old navy and so on. I always tend to think the darker the rum the more "Pirate"like the rum looks and therefore this attracks the "real men" to drink these. In fact most of these Demerara rum are haevily coloured with caramel, but low in esters!

But you never can tell I still have not found the Rum Police yet.

Ed