Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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and Sailor Jerry (up 10% to 734,000 cases) showed the biggest gains among the top ten rum brands. Also surging last year: Calico Jack from Beam Global, a mid-priced flavored line that gained more than 13% last year to 340,000 cases. Don Q Rums, from Serralles USA, have also seen impressive sales, growing by about 11% in 2012 to 243,000 cases. Don Q's line includes its mid-priced Cristal, Gold and Anejo expressions, flavored versions of Lime, Coconut and Mojito, and the ultra-premium-priced Grand Anejo. Don Q also released Caliche last year, a superpremium white rum aged up to four years, resulting in a smooth, velvety character with flavors of citrus and vanilla. Serralles USA also markets BlackBeard, launched in 2011, a 43% abv rum with Caribbean spices vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon with tropical fruit. Another spiced entry, Kraken, jumped by 50% to 225,000 cases, while creamy RumChata surged to 365,000 cases. Captain Morgan Black, a higherproof, more molasses flavored style. Meanwhile, Cruzan has recently added Passion Fruit and Key Lime to their 13-item flavor portfolio, and follows up shortly with Cruzan Velvet Cinn, a spiced/cream rum meant for cold weather sipping. Flavors get the attention, but they aren't all Cruzan and other brands have been developing: this fall, the Beam Global-owned US Virgin Island-produced brand intends to roll out its Distiller's Collection, with Cruzan Estate Diamond Light Rum and Estate Diamond Dark Rum joining Cruzan Single Barrel in the portfolio. Other recent line extensions not associated Category leader Bacardi with flavors include Mount Gay's recently launched launch of Black Barrel, finished in Pineapple Fusion, while its charred bourbon barrels and made with spiced entry launched last a higher proportion of double distillates year, Bacardi Oakheart, continues to do well. for a balance of flavors that company says includes wood, pepper and spice. Rhum Clément, perhaps the best-known rhum agricole sold in the U.S., recently increased its expressions to include a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old, and soon the espite some efforts to premiumize and upgrade company will add a white rum made from a single-varithe image of rum in the same way as has been suc- ety of sugar cane, and a single cask rum aged in French cessfully achieved with tequila, gin and other spir- oak for eight years. it categories, it's been the growth in popularity of spiced And then there are and flavored rums that has continued to drive the cate- the newcomers to the gory and attract the attention of major suppliers for the category: Shellback last few years. Today, the brand news, especially from white and spiced rums those big players with deep pockets, this year entered the continues to be flavor innovation. expanding spirit portfoFor example, Pernod-Ricard's lio of Gallo; and there's Malibu in the first part of this year another celebrityreleased a slew of new line extensions backed spirit, this one and branded beverages, including the Blue Chair Rum from first known rum entries into the so called confectionary flavored spirits The Malibu brand has been very busy this niche. Diageo, owner of leading past year, debuting a spiced rum Captain Morgan, new bottle design for announced a line extension of its own, its original Malibu, this time the limited release Sherry introducing several new flavored exprescask-finished Captain Morgan, fol- sions including Malibu lowing last year's successful launch of Island Spiced and Spice, Flavors Growing D Cruzan recently added Passion Fruit and Key Lime to their 13-item flavor portfolio, and will soon debut Cruzan Velvet Cinn, a spiced/cream rum meant for cold weather sipping. Malibu Sundae Float, among others, and adding new flavors to its lineup of 1.75 liter premixed cocktail pouches. 16 • Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • July/August 2013