Botran Rum
The age
experts
A one of a kind production process, a healthy dose of foresight and a little bit of luck have given Botran Rum a major leg up in the competitive high end rum game BY RYAN WHITE n the 1940s the Government of Guatemala decided to tax rum production and passed a law requiring rum companies to increase their production. As opposed to bottling more rum and attempting to immediately recoup their investment, the Botran family set a large portion of its liquid aside to age. Thanks in large part to the company’s foresight, Botran now has one of the largest reserves of aged rums in the world. This fact, combined with Botran Rum’s unique production, puts the company at the forefront of the high end aged rum segment “Aged dark rums are our forte,” says Frank Quinones, Commercial Director for CB Products Inc., part of Botran Rum brand owner Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala. The company is the marketing and services agent for Botran Rum brandowner Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala. “Botran Rum is a major focus for us in the Americas. The range consists of 18, 14, 12, 8 and 5 YO variants. For duty free we concentrate on the high end of our portfolio, namely the 18 and 14 YO.” It’s no surprise that the premium variants are given preference in travel retail. However, Harald Jensen of the Botran family tells us that Botran 18
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and 14 YO—in fact the entire Botran range— offer rum connoisseurs some very distinct points of difference from other rums out there, regardless of how old they may be. “I think what sets us apart is the company itself,” Jensen says. “Botran controls the whole rum making process from start to finish. The Botran family owns thousands of acres of sugar fields where the cane for our rums is produced.” While most rums are a by-product of sugar production, sugar is a by-product of the production of Botran. The company uses only the first press of two special types of sugar cane—one imported from Puerto Rico and another developed in Guatemala— and then sells it so that the remaining juices can be extracted from the cane to make sugar. Put simply, says Jensen, starting with better raw materials is another reason why Botran is unlike other rums out there. “Another thing that sets us apart from almost everybody else is that we age at high altitude—at about a mile and a half high,” Jensen explains. “Due to a more consistent temperature, the entire aging process becomes more stable.” A fortunate result of the high-altitude aging process is that the angels’ share is significantly less, meaning that Botran can age for a longer period of time than many other rums. “Aging as long as we do for some of our high end rums wouldn’t be very cost-
Botran Solera 1893, an Extra Añejo rum produced according to Botran’s stringent standards
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THE AMERICAS DUTY FREE & TRAVEL RETAILING JUNE 2012
effective in the Caribbean, for example, because of heat and humidity,” Quinones adds. “Our master blender compares Botran’s aging process to simmering food to release more flavor as opposed to cooking at a high temperature.” The result of this attention to every detail, from the sugar cane and cask selection to the blending and bottling, results in rum that is truly unique. Botran Solera 1893, one of the company’s higher end offerings, is rich brown in color with a nose of caramelized crème brulée, new glove leather and sandalwood. The taste is described as lush and mouth filling, the rich sweetness of honey and maple syrup balancing with notes of toasted wood and baking spices. It’s easy to see why Botran and travel retail are a match made in heaven, and Quinones tells us that the brand is making significant headway in Central America and has also been listed at Miami and JFK, as well as in Mexico. One of RCP Corp’s objectives for this year is to secure more listings in North America, broadening Botran’s reach in the US and getting into US/Canada border stores. “Our main goal at the moment is to get things right first and foremost across the Americas,” Quinones explains. “2011 was our first full year back in duty free with new bottles and a clear focus on the premium level, and we’ve made some great strides. We’re well established in some important areas of the Americas, but there’s certainly more opportunity for Botran in the region, specifically in North American duty free.” c Botran Reserva, the brand’s Añejo expression; the Botran family has one of the largest stocks of aged rums in the world
Harald Jensen of the Botran family (right) and Frank Quinones, Commercial Director for CB Products Inc., part of Botran Rum brand owner Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, at IAADFS 2012