Many argue they protect and add value to a product through provenance and quality guarantee – think Scotch whisky. However some believe they can be restrictive and limit innovation – again, think Scotch. Nevertheless it is far easier to edit an existing GI than it is to establish a new one, particularly when the reputations of existing brands are at stake.

The British colonisation of Barbados in the 17th century was largely driven by the sugar craze in Europe, but following the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 and the decline of the sugar industry, it was rum production that took over as the island’s most popular commodity.

Originally the local sugar mills made just pot-stilled rums, until German engineer George Stade built the West Indies Rum Refinery in 1893 – later renamed the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) – which introduced the column still to Barbados. From the 1930s onwards the exports of Barbados rum began to pick up and to this day WIRD is responsible for the majority of the island’s rum production.

In 1996 the RL Seale company, one of WIRD’s biggest customers at the time, opened the Foursquare Rum Distillery where it now produces its namesake brands as well as other rums including Doorly’s. Alongside these two producers are Rémy Cointreau’s Mount Gay, the oldest commercial rum distillery in the world, and St Nicholas Abbey, a small-scale producer launched in the 2000s.

With just four distilleries on the island, an all-inclusive and productive GI should, in theory, be a straightforward development, but this is far from the case. In late 2019, Mount Gay, Foursquare and St Nicholas Abbey proposed their own GI to the Barbados government, which, according to its regulations, would force WIRD to remove ‘Barbados’ from some of its rum labels.

“Barbados is the birthplace of rum, so it is important that all distilleries using the ‘Barbados rum’ name adhere by the rules and are transparent when it comes to how their rum is crafted,” says Mount Gay MD Raphaël Grisoni.

“There is no restriction against making non-compliant rums, but they would not bear the ‘Barbados rum’ GI name and seal. Rum distilleries across the world look up to Barbados as the industry leader and it is imperative that we continue to be transparent with how our rums are made and stick to those rules within which each distillery can express their style.

“The GI will help the Barbados rum reputation differentiate from non-genuine products, like some today that blend with other provenance rum, add sugars to round the taste, flavour to accentuate vanilla or other flavour profiles, and use rum distilled in Barbados and aged abroad. We open ourselves up to the possibility of having any brand use ‘Barbados rum’ in their name, which will detract from over 300 years of rum-making expertise.

%%PAGE_BR%%

“Together, we [St Nicholas Abbey, Foursquare Distillery and Mount Gay] hold 90% of Barbados’ aged rum reserves and we feel it is imperative to have a GI to protect the quality and reputation of Barbados rum. As the oldest-running rum distillery in the world, we at Mount Gay have the responsibility to preserve the integrity of Barbados rum for years to come.

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION

Meanwhile the fourth producer in the debate, WIRD, has some reservations about what the purpose of the GI should be as well as the individual regulations. Nevertheless, managing director Andrew Hassell insists that a GI is important for the category.

“We believe there should be a GI for Barbados, but it should be inclusive and support the reputation of Barbados rum so that it can create sustainable jobs for the island and grow its economy,” says Hassell. “We’re not out to disadvantage the smaller distilleries. We’re all part of a family of Barbados rum it’s just that right now we have a difference in opinion as to what is tradition.

“WIRD has been fermenting, distilling, ageing and supplying Barbados rum to all of the major Barbados rum brands since 1893. A good Barbados rum GI should differentiate and characterise Barbados rums with the identification of the place of origin, of their quality, their process specifications and reputation.

“We strongly believe that a GI should allow all Barbados rum stakeholders to honour their heritage and continue to do what they do best, and continue to do what has made Barbados rum a world-renowned spirit. By no means should the GI become a competitive tool to be used by one interested party over another. The right Barbados rum GI should allow ‘Barbados rum’ to grow in the best interest of Barbados.

“We have spent years researching the heritage of Barbadian rum-making techniques and created a non-profit foundation to fund research and protect historical methods. Our goals are to learn from and to shine a light on the rich and diverse heritage of Barbados rum techniques.”

DOWN TO DETAILS

Of the proposals put forward by the three distilleries in 2019, some of the key regulations opposed by WIRD were that Barbados rum should be aged solely on the island, use fresh local water in production and use no added sugar.

Plantation Rum, one of the flagship brands under WIRD’s parent company Maison Ferrand, uses a process called ‘double ageing’, which sees its rum initially aged in Barbados before heading overseas for a period of secondary maturation.

Hassell adds: “The rum double-ageing process is not owned and has not been created by Plantation Rum. Double ageing is a centuries-old practice that is part of Barbados rum heritage. WIRD has signed customs documents in the distillery vault showing that the distillery used to send our rum to Liverpool, England, for a second maturation.

“We think that this double ageing tradition should be recognised, respected, protected, and enjoyed. This is why we are working towards a Barbados rum GI that allows ageing in Barbados, but also preserves the tradition of further ageing in countries that officially and legally respect the Barbados rum GI, and are managed by a robust customs traceability system.

%%PAGE_BR%%

“We think that how the rum is aged should be clearly stated on the label for the consumer to be educated. The consumer can then make their own personal decision. Plantation Rum labels already contain significant information for the consumer about our rums, our production practices, our ageing process and age statement.”

On the case of added sugar, Hassell adds: “We have documents dating back to the 19th century to support our stance on traditional rum making. Looking at these old documents there’s nothing that says rum cannot have added sugar from sugar cane and ultimately rum is made from sugar, we don’t think you should be using artificial sweeteners, but if it’s from sugar cane then sure.

“We’re not talking about using sugar to hide defunct spirits, because adding a little bit of sugar can actually enhance the flavour of rum. There are many rums we produce that don’t have added sugar, but of course for those that do it should be clearly marked on the labels.”

In regard to using a local water source, WIRD said in a statement last year: “Archives show that there are historical references to rum being fermented using a hint of sea water. This is a tradition that we value, continue to apply, and want to perpetuate. Salt does not pass through the distillation process. Rather, it creates a specific environment for the fermentation.

“We will continue to fight to protect the entire heritage of Barbados rum and we encourage you to know all the facts and join us. The future of the diversity of Barbados rum depends on this GI outcome.”

The proposals put forward in late 2019 from the three brands make a lot of sense, but are not nearly inclusive of the rums made at WIRD. This leaves the Barbados government in a tricky situation as it would make no sense trying to protect Barbados rum while simultaneously banning its biggest producer from baring the country’s name on the bottle.

When George Stade introduced his column still to the island in the late 1800s it was not considered traditional at the time. However, it revolutionised rum production, and today all four distilleries on the island use a form of column distillation to make their rums.

While there’s no question a GI is essential for the future of Barbadian rum’s integrity, a little compromise from both sides could go a long way towards achieving this common goal.

PROPOSED GI

• Must be matured entirely on Barbados
• Can use any type of still and fermentation techniques
• Must use fresh juice, syrup or molasses from sugar cane only
• Can use any yeast, but saccharomyces strain must be native
• Age statement must be the reflection of the youngest age rum of the blend
• Must use fresh water from Barbados
• Must be matured in new oak or in refill casks from a list of recognised wine and spirit denominations
• Must not use sugar additives nor flavouring. Barbados rum with additives will be considered under the ‘spiced rum’ definition
• Caramel colour, under strict guidelines, can be used for consistency