Matuaselem in the Dominican Republic?

[Matusalem]

Originally Posted by bunnyhugs

Thanks for the article Matusalem.


Matusalem certainly tastes 'Cuban' to me, not that I'm any expert. I just find a similarity between their golden rums and the Havana Club 3 YO. They seem to me to be in a similar style.

I'm surprised they say Bermudez is the biggest seller in the Dominican Republic. Based on what I've seen so far I'd have thought Brugal was easily the biggest.

The article is from 2005. Also "biggest seller" can be quite deceptive terminology.

I.E. Some might say most bottles sold period (including minis etc.) makes them the "biggest seller". Others might say they are the bigger seller even though they sold thousands of gallons less product ...but at higher wholesale / retail prices. Still others might be called the "biggest seller" even though their overhead or other costs has them bankrupt or negative on the books.

As a rule of thumb and to keep things in perspective, I often refer to the quote: "The first casualty of war is always the TRUTH". That particular victim is laid to rest before the first shot is ever even fired!

[Rum Runner]

Great observations Mat.

[RobertBurr]

Originally Posted by bunnyhugs

I'm surprised they say Bermudez is the biggest seller in the Dominican Republic. Based on what I've seen so far I'd have thought Brugal was easily the biggest.

My sources say Brugal sells more than 70 percent of all rum on the island.

[RumBarPhilly]

I believe that was out of Dave Broom's book; Brugal's rise of marketshare in D.R.

[Count Silvio]

Originally Posted by bunnyhugs

Thanks for the article Matusalem.


Matusalem certainly tastes 'Cuban' to me, not that I'm any expert. I just find a similarity between their golden rums and the Havana Club 3 YO. They seem to me to be in a similar style.

I'm surprised they say Bermudez is the biggest seller in the Dominican Republic. Based on what I've seen so far I'd have thought Brugal was easily the biggest.

I actually did not find similarities to any Havana Club rums, or other Cubans I've tasted. Atleast not in Gran Reserva.

[rumdog007]

Originally Posted by Count Silvio

I actually did not find similarities to any Havana Club rums, or other Cubans I've tasted. Atleast not in Gran Reserva.

I agree with Count Silvio on this one. Granted, bunnyhugs is correct in that I find Matusalem rums being close to the style of Cuban rums. The tastiness coupled with its light nature make them close cousins in my book. But the Gran Reserva has more punch in taste and finish, IMO. One has to sample the Havana Club 15 before you get close to the body of Matusalem's Gran Reserva. Arecha's Ron Refino has the taste kick and stronger finish of the Gran Reserva, but an unrefined bitterness quickly spoils it a little. So, as much as I like my HC7 as a "freindly" sipper that's a good "go to" rum, the Matusalem Gran Reserva is a unique gem which I would position in the "something-else category".

[bunnyhugs]

Originally Posted by Count Silvio

I actually did not find similarities to any Havana Club rums, or other Cubans I've tasted. Atleast not in Gran Reserva.

Maybe I need to taste again. . .

I have been wondering though whether or not Dominican and Cuban together form a single category. They seem vaguely in the same style.

Or maybe not?


Actually I am very confused about how best to classify rums. . . I guess it's a whole different topic. But, for example, on my own website I am not all that happy about the classification system I'm using for rum. Of course it is still a work in progress as there are various styles I have not got around to writing anything about.

I was thinking something like:

Demerera
Jamacian
Barbados
Trinidadian
Cuba/Dominican (both together?)
Central American (or maybe they aren't all sweetish like the Guatemalans? The Panamanian rum I tried certainly wasn't)
Cane Juice (probably best further divided into sub categories of agricole, odd-ball rums like Barbacourt, Cachaca)

Then maybe you have a South American Cateogry?

So basically. . . looking at the above and how the classification falls apart. . . it's a mess.

But I don't find a classification like 'light', 'cold', 'dark' very useful either.

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere. Maybe one day I'll end up with a system that makes sense to me.

[rumdog007]

Originally Posted by bunnyhugs

Maybe I need to taste again. . .

I have been wondering though whether or not Dominican and Cuban together form a single category. They seem vaguely in the same style.

Or maybe not?


Actually I am very confused about how best to classify rums. . . I guess it's a whole different topic. But, for example, on my own website I am not all that happy about the classification system I'm using for rum. Of course it is still a work in progress as there are various styles I have not got around to writing anything about.

You and me both, bunnyhugs! At first, I bought into the Cuban-style phrase everytime I saw it. Now, I see it a little like this. When Castro seized the distilleries, facets in their rum production became frozen in time. Masters of their craft had a fight on their hands with the new owners, the post-revolution regime (which new nothing about any business, let alone the rum business), to keep their product's quality intact. Sure, shortages of everything have made it hard to cope, but they have managed pretty well. They have developed and modified in a closed system. Probably, this went on until the partnership with Pernod. Having had old Cuban rums from 1940's bottles and the new HC's, Caribbena Club, Arecha, and Varadero I can say that new Cuban rum is its own breed. Different than their ancestors. Now, some of the companies touting Cuban heritage have actually ended up making great rums. Right now, I believe that Dominican rums have forged their own category.

[Rum Runner]

I love seeing your process taking place here Bunny with regards to "classification" of styles....In my experience, the more one discovers, the more difficult it becomes to "pigeon hole" every product in the world.

Whilst the Caribbean region remains a seminal producer of classic rums, there are anomaly's to be found. And that is ok in my mind. One can recognize them as stand alone products. Your initial classification started out based on Geography and then disintegrated into a regional (lumping Central America) view and then an admitted confusion as what you termed as Sugar Cane Juice products.

And to open the proverbial "can of worms" how do you classify a rum from Nepal like Khurkri? Is that a Demerara style. How about the rum from Mauritius? Is that a Jamaican style? What about Bundy?

To my mind, the more closely we can define a product to it's own locale of production, then we can begin to more better understand and appreciate it's qualities.

Granted, some of what the countries are exporting may not be what they are drinking locally.. The world of exporting to what the consumer wants has grown savvy ...One cannot fault then for that. We can still look for what is consumed at the local level...Whether we like it or not.

You have had the benefit to visit some of the Caribe and get some first hand knowledge. That's no small feat. Especially given your starting point.

Thanks for your thoughts and insights.

[rumdog007]

Rum Runner, well said and, very well explained. I benefit greatly from your clarity and experience.