StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/342974
23 StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q July/August 2014 has been supported by digital and social activations as well as a through a series of off-premise sampling events with retailers. The rum category has its own Real McCoy: a rum that pays homage to Pro- hibition-era rum run- ner Bill McCoy. The Real McCoy brand follows Bill McCoy's dedication to deliver- ing the fi nest rum, and it's produced with no artifi cial fl avors, colors or perfumes added. First launching with a fi ve-year aged expression in January 2013, The Real McCoy released a three-year aged and 12-year aged in November 2013 to award-winning success. The product can be found on the East Coast in Connecticut, Florida, Mas- sachusetts, New Jersey, upstate New York and Rhode Island. The bottle recently underwent a new look to its cap. As the sipping rum ages more, the price goes up with the three-year retailing for $19.99, the fi ve-year at $28.99, and the 12-year at $44.99. New Partnerships I n June, Flor de Caña rum an- nounced a partnership with dis- tiller and distributor William Grant & Sons. Through this partner- ship, William Grant & Sons becomes the exclusive distributor of these Nicaraguan slow-aged single-estate rums in the U.S. "We are hearing more and more talk in the trade about the anticipated growth in aged rums — from bartenders and retailers," said Jonathan Yusen, president and man- aging director, William Grant & Sons USA. "According to IWSR, premium rums are expected to grow at twice the rate of the overall spirits category, so there is certainly upside to the category. Of course, we'd like to think that Flor de Caña will be driving a good portion of that growth, encouraging people to fall in love once again with this wonderful category." Flor de Caña's portfolio consists of Extra Seco 4, Anejo Oro 4, 5 Anejo Clasico, Gran Reserva 7, Centenario 12, Centenario 18 and Centenario 25. Bottles range in price from roughly $18 to $50 and will be available in the states by the end of 2014. To celebrate its global growth, Flor de Caña has new packaging that celebrates the rum's heri- tage and craftsmanship. William Grant & Sons also distills and distributes Sailor Jerry Spiced rum, a top-selling spiced rum, which has shown a steady increase in case sales over the past several years. Push to Premium "I ncreasingly, we're seeing a demand for premium- ization within the category, which has proven to be a growth opportunity for Bacardi," says Kevin Oglesby, brand director-Bacardi Rums. Bacardi's answer to premiumization was the November 2013 introduction of the Facundo Rum Collection, a set of four sipping rums. This limited release is sourced from the Bacardi Family's Private Re- serves, and the rums are handcrafted and aged in the tropics for up to 23 years, creating some of the most ex- traordinary rums ever publicly shared. "The response from both consum- ers and critics alike has been remark- able; in fact, Facundo Exquisito just received a 2014 Double Gold medal for Best Extra-Aged Rum in the pres- tigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition," Oglesby says. The four expressions range in price from $45 to $250 and come in bottles modeled in the Art Deco style. Neo is a white rum aged up to eight years, Eximo is a blend of medium- to full-bodied rums aged at least 10 years, Exquisto is a blend of medium- to high- bodied rums aged seven to 23 years, and Paraiso is a blend of rums aged up to 23 years and then fi nished in French XO Numbered among the many superpremium sip- ping rums on the market is Patron's Pyrat XO Reserve. Tanduay, the world's second largest rum producer located in The Philip- pines, recently released its Tanduay Asian Rum to a few select markets in the U.S. Celebrity partners with new rum brands include Sammy Hagar with Beach Bar Rum, a premium silver rum made from two-year-old Maui-grown sugar cane; and Blue Chair Bay Rum, now available nationwide, created by singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney.