WIRSPA: more Regulation?

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What kind of labeling scheme do you prefer?

Simple and flexible, like WIRSPA
2
100%
Mindnumbingly miniscule and complex, like the AOC
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 2

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Capn Jimbo
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WIRSPA: more Regulation?

Post by Capn Jimbo »

WIRSPA: West Indian Rum and Spirits Producers

WIRSPA is an association of producers from about 15 islands in the Carribean, and includes some of the biggies like Mount Gay and Angostura. They have recently unveiled three new marques or labels you may be seeing. There are three different tags...

The first tag, "Authentic Carribean Rum" is black and white, and indicates that the rum is made from molasses or sugar cane juice from the Carribean, Africa and Pacific regions. Strange. The second label "Matured Authentic Carribeand Rum" is black and silver and indicates that the rums are aged for at least one year. The last, "Deluxe Authentic Carribean Rum", is gold and black and indicates aging for a minimum of five years.

Crude and minimalistic, doesn't tie anyone's hands and fits in ever so well with the rough and rowdy history of rum. I have no problem, no concerns and think this is a good thing - betcha Richard Seales would agree.

Why bother, you ask?

According to "It's all good" Preacher Ed, the association states these labels are "a visual symbol of provenance and quality, designed to help trade and consumers". Of course the good but inconsistent minister (the head cheerleader for the AOC designation - who makes the same claim of ensuring quality) is skeptical. This time. He wonders who is financing the new label, who's allowed in the club and seems concerned that this might, just might be an attempt by the producers of that nasty industrial rum to do a little marketing of their own.

Of course it is.

Just like your AOC, my friend. Except this time it's the puny AOC oxen that are being gored. Here's to WIRSPA and their relatively sensible and simple labeling scheme...


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Capn's Note: Rhum snobs sniff at the term "puny", but let's be honest - agricultural rums (or "rhum agricole" as these effete may prefer) have managed to coopt a stunning 3% of the market. That's puny. But hey - they've only had about 150 years to do so, give em a chance.

Worse yet, the voluminous and choking AOC regs have not led to increased quality, ratings or consistency (see "Comparing Agricoles" in the French Style section). The AOC's only (and intended) success: parting look-at-me rhum snobs from weighable sums of money for comparatively average rums. I'm looking alright - in disbelief...
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Capn Jimbo
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ACR vs ACP

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Rum, er Rhum really is wacky!

Don't get me wrong, I like this scheme. But there is room for confusion that a few drams might clarify. First off the WIRSPA: the West Indian Rum & Spirits Producers Assoc. Say that ten times fast. Second are their ACR labels - standing for "Authentic Carribean Rum" - rums made from cane juice or molasses. OK so far, I think.

But not so fast white man...

The "Authentic Carribean Rums" - from the so-called "Caribbean Region" of the larger ACP (Africa, Carribean and Pacific) - include rums from Barbados, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas. Of these Suriname and Guyana are not in the Caribbean.

Go figure. A PR release from WIRSPa states that some of the specific rums included are:
"Angostura 1919, Appleton Estate VX Jamaica Rum, Banks 10 Year Old XM Royal Gold, Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale Five Star Rum, Barceló Imperial, Borgoe 8 year old, Brugal Extra Viejo, Chairman’s Reserve, Clarke’s Old Grog, Cockspur Fine Rum, Doorly’s XO, English Harbour 5 Year Old, El Dorado 15 Year Old, Macoucherie Red, Mount Gay Eclipse, Mount Gilboa, One Barrel Refined Old Rum, Rum Bar Rum, Sunset Captain Bligh Rum, and Westerhall Plantation".
Enough! So why has this come about? Turns out this is about another intrusion of the WTO negotiations with the European Union. Here's how I see it:

1. The WTO/EU agreement opened up the EU to "white spirits", including rum, from Brazil, Panama, Mexico and Venezuela.

2. Producers of Carribean white rum for bulk sales feared that their EU customers might find other cheaper outside suppliers from Brazil, Panama, Mexico and Venezuela. Potential losses estimated at $260 million per year.

3. Earlier, the French, fearing competition for their puny AOC agriculturals from Martinique, Reunion and Guadeloupe, had successfully restricted EU imports of both brown rums and bulk white rums.

4. They were then countered by WIRSPA who managed to open up the EU to these brown and white rums. But then came the WTO/EU agreement.

5. Under pressure, the EU decided to throw a bone - albeit a pretty big one - to WIRSPA and alloted $70 million (Euro) in funds to modernize, distribute and market, institute environmental (read tourist) protections, and finally to develop identifiable "marques" or brands.

Ergo the new ACR labels. Anyone who believes any of this - AOC, ACR, ACP, WIRSPA, et al - has absolutely anything to do with "protecting quality" (Preacher Ed's spew) is...

Nuts. It's power, protection and politics - period...
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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And the website...

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Wanna know what $70 million can buy?

Here the link (bottom of this page) to the new, WIRSPA-sponsored website where they promote "true rum". They got their money's worth. It is tropically rich, lush, smooth - with enticing notes of vanilla and chocolate (anyone who gets this earns a Capn Jimbo limited edition sticker).

Honestly, a lovely presentation. Very well done. But I have to ask: is there really such a thing as "true rum"? Yes there is - which I sometimes refer to "real rum". And does the new WIRSPA website identify and promote "true rum"? In a word...

No.

WIRSPA is a wonderful marketing tool for rum in general, and so-called Carribean rums in particular. But not all of the rums are Carribean. And about the only thing it takes to get in the club is a true statement of age and a willingness to hold forth as a WIRSPA, ACR ("authentic" Caribbean) rum. Not a whit about additives.

Oh, and the CMO must tattoo the logo on his ass...


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Link to WIRSPA's "True Rum" Site
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