Can anyone explain imported rum to me?

[rockydog101]

Hi all,

I initially posted this at "the other place", but didn't get much of a reply. I am really curious about the rum business and how it works. I had always assumed all these neat rums were just the results of people tinkering around with their distilleries. Well, I know some are. But I'm really curious about the brands that are imported rums distilled elsewhere and then bottled under a different name.

Are bulk blends "exclusive" or "copyrighted?" For example, could someone contact a distillery and ask for the same blend that someone else bottles? And how do you do that? Do you just go visit the distillery and setup an account and start importing rum? "I want ten barrels of a blend of these two rums, NO SUGAR ADDED!"

I find this all fascinating. No, I'm not going to do it. (At least for a decade!) But I'm curious how the process works. And, why haven't any of you done it? Why not goto your favorite distillery and get a blend without any sugar and start importing a beautiful untainted rum?

Please educate me!