When is the Jamaican Rum You're Drinking Not Jamaican?

It’s only champagne if it’s from Champagne. Ham from Parma is equally exclusive. And now, some rum producers in Jamaica are causing quite a ‘stir’– working to tighten rules that identify varieties of the Caribbean’s most famous spirit by ‘appellation’ or geographic origin.

Champagne, Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and many other foods, wine and spirits work to get these designations to protect the authenticity, heritage and production methods of a uniquely-produced regional food or drink. The appellation or GI (Geographical Indication) label verifies to buyers that the product has guaranteed qualities, characteristics and even reputation inherent to that specified region, even if made by different producers within the destination.

For travelers, tasting and buying products with an appellation ensures you’ve got your hands on the real thing, the authentic flavor of the destination. GI labels also protect local economies investing in heritage traditions from inferior imitators inside or outside the region.

In addition, strong GI’s become an anchor tourist experience in a region, enhancing travel opportunities.

Rum’s the word

The ‘rum’ble in the rum industry in Jamaica could affect what mojito, daiquiri, or souvenir bottle of rum you choose on your next trip to the Caribbean island.

On one side, six rum companies who want tighter rules about what can be permitted to be labeled “Jamaican rum.” The country’s Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) has already approved changes that now require any spirit called “Jamaican rum” to be aged within the country.

But the tighter rules are being challenged by opposing producers who do part of the rum-making process in Jamaica, while sending it off the island for ageing. In fact, one of the biggest producers says the new rules would put it out of business.

The increased restrictions are not unprecedented in the world of global GI. In fact, on-location ageing of GI spirits is pretty standard.

Scotch whisky must be produced entirely in Scotland, including maturing for at least three years. Tequila must be aged in Mexico. Cognac must be aged in France.

An opinion piece in the Jamaican Gleaner by Clement Lawrence, the chairman of the association of rum producers, in favor of tightened rules, asserts:

“In the context of rum, terroir refers to how Jamaica’s specific environment, its tropical climate, humidity, soil conditions, and traditional methods affect the fermentation, distillation, and, especially, the ageing of the rum. This is why rum aged in Jamaica develops a different flavour profile than the same rum aged in, say, Europe or North America.”

He adds, “In tropical climates like Jamaica, ageing occurs at 2–3 times the rate of temperate regions. The interaction between spirit, wood, humidity, and temperature uniquely shapes the rum’s chemical composition, its colour, body, and aroma. Ageing in Jamaica is not incidental, it is defining.”

The six companies in favor of the on-island ageing rule point out that a stronger GI is needed to meet standards in the spirit’s two biggest international markets: the US and the EU. It would protect Jamaican rum against imitators and also add to its reputation as a premium spirit made to the highest, exacting standards. Plus justify higher prices required to maintain those standards.

Lawrence concludes – as would many a tippling traveler – that Jamaican rum is “a world-class product, deserving of the same protections and reverence as its global peers,” like Cognac, tequila, champagne and other strictly-regulated GI beverages we travel to enjoy in their places of origin.