Botran’s customer heart and tasting rooms in Guatemala
Curiosity in various rums past the white selection which are the premise for therefore many cocktails has been rising as new releases come in the marketplace from conventional areas just like the Caribbean to surprising sources just like the Philippines, India and the Czech Republic. Top-of-the-line-known Guatemalan manufacturers has been Botran, which selected to get out of the marketplace for two years and now returned with a brand new method to a extra subtle market. To seek out out extra I interviewed Botran’s Ivan Valdez, senior international model supervisor for Licores de Guatemala.
Ivan Valdez, senior international model supervisor for Licores de Guatemala.
Why did Botran have a hiatus on its gross sales for 2 years?
As Guatemala’s top-selling aged rum, representing Guatemala in over 50 international locations around the globe, we took a while to revisit our model and market technique. At a world scale, we elevated our imaginative and prescient to “to fill each glass with the intense and vibrant spirit of Guatemalan rum,” leading to a contemporary look and new certifications that spotlight the model’s provenance and rum mastery. Subsequently, our in-market technique led us to a quest to search out the accomplice with the potential and drive to place Botran Rum within the premium section. Thus, our refreshed model, stable credentials and robust accomplice make it the proper timing for a reinsertion to realize sustained development within the U.S. market.
What are the brand new certifications?
• Botran is Guatemala´s top-selling aged rum with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) of “Ron de Guatemala”
• ISCC PLUS (Worldwide Sustainability & Carbon Certification) accreditation, certifying Botran because the world’s first sustainable rum throughout all elements of the rum journey, together with plantations, mill, distillery, ageing amenities, and bottling
• Licensed Carbon Impartial from SGS in recognition of Botran´s home Guatemalan Spirits dedication to our planet. Since 1977 Guatemalan Spirits has planted and grown greater than 1.8 million timber in Guatemala. (Consequently, it self-mitigates its carbon footprint with out the necessity to buy carbon credit.)
Botran’s sugar mill.
What does sustainability imply vis-à-vis rum manufacturing?
In 2019, Botran was awarded ISCC PLUS by the Worldwide Sustainability Carbon Certification, thus changing into the primary sustainable rum on the earth to turn into sustainable all through your entire rum-making course of (social, harvest, distilling, ageing, bottling) moderately than a bit of the rum journey. Thus, we supply our “ISCC” seal proudly on each again label of our merchandise; furthermore it’s a dedication to sustainable practices corresponding to:
• Amenities geared up with the suitable situations for our staff to grant their security and well-being
• Reforestation
• Water administration – Greater than 96% of water utilized in our mill is recycled
• Waste administration – we use cane bagasse to supply clear vitality
• Clear vitality – we use biogas, lowering our fossil gas use by 40-50%
Is the San Andres distillery the identical one utilized by Zacapa?
Sure, Botran and Zacapa share the identical distillery. However please observe that Botran makes use of totally different sugar cane, has its personal getting old facility in Xela, Quezaltenango, and has three feminine Grasp Blenders that solely work on Botran rums: Magda López, Grasp Blender and Ageing Facility Supervisor; Yazmín Chapeton, Grasp Blender and Head of Manufacturing & Blends; Leslie Taracena, Grasp Blender and Mix Researcher & Coordinator.
Botran makes a number of kinds of aged rums in its new line.
What’s Botran’s “Dynamic Ageing System”?
Botran’s Dynamic Ageing System is definitely extra advanced than a conventional solera system. As a substitute of utilizing the customary solera pyramid construction, we’ve created a classic stacked system that works in vertical columns. Through the years, our three Grasp Blenders have perfected this getting old routine, elevating it to an artwork kind.
Various kinds of casks are utilized in every column to maintain the method dynamic, with a concentrate on amplifying flavors and aromatics. As our rums are blended, the casks are repositioned, and the method is repeated. Over time, the youthful rums tackle the massive, daring flavors and distinct personalities of the aged rums. Every mix is created to particularly spotlight desired traits. That is an tailored solera system that provides complexity, and creates roundness and homogeneity throughout the Botran portfolio.
Is the rum market rising in gross sales and variety of rums coming into the market?
In 2021, the full rum market within the U.S. reached a complete quantity of 198 million liters. Whereas the usual and worth segments in rum are lowering (5-year compound annual development charge of -1%), development is coming from the segments at increased tiers. That’s the premium, tremendous premium, ultra-premium, status and status plus segments with a 5-year CAGR of 4%, 20%, 22%, 10% and 44%, respectively.
How would you distinguish between a Guatemalan rum and one from different areas within the Caribbean?
Guatemalan rum has a Protected Designation of Origin, which is safeguarded by the Nationwide Affiliation of Alcoholic Spirits Beverage producers of Guatemala. It has been acknowledged in 32 international locations, together with these within the European Union. Guatemalan rum type is exclusive from crop to drop and all of it occurs in Guatemala:
• Our terroir has vertisol soils, which might solely be present in 2% of planet earth.
• We’re a Guatemalan rum and use two kinds of sugar cane that are solely used for Botran Rum: Chapina and Preciosal
• We don’t use molasses (a byproduct of sugar manufacturing). We use the virgin honey which comes from the primary crush of sugar cane – a extremely concentrated sugar cane juice.
• We slow-age in altitude within the mountains of Guatemala at 2,300 meters above sea degree.
• We’ve got a particular dynamic ageing system, regionally developed and impressed by the normal solera ageing system.
Do you’ve a customer’s heart and tasting room? In that case, are you able to inform me about it?
Sure, we do. We invite friends to be taught extra in regards to the Casa Botran Expertise at https://botranrum.com/casa-botran-experience/. Friends can ebook excursions to study our rums, manufacturing, getting old and greater than 80 years of our historical past. Tastings can be found as a part of the Casa Botran Tour.
Are your numerous aged rums higher for sipping or are they good for mixing?
Whereas we consider everybody ought to take pleasure in our rums nevertheless they greatest like, we are inclined to counsel our Reserva Blanca and No. 8 rums for mixing. The Reserva Blanca was particularly made on the request of bartenders who wished an aged rum profile to work with however didn’t need coloration to get in the way in which of making vibrantly coloured cocktails. We’ve employed a particular activated charcoal filtration course of that removes coloration however maintains style. Botran’s No. 12 is a perfect alternative for somebody on the lookout for a extra subtle but versatile rum that may bridge cocktails or sipping. For many who take pleasure in sipping on rums—neat or with ice—Botran’s No. 18 and No. 15 are particularly excellent choices in relation to savoring our cane spirits. These two specifically have been aged utilizing ex-sherry and ex-Port casks, offering refined shades of flavors and aromatics which are greatest loved on their very own.
Rum costs have been comparatively average by comparability to many different brown spirits. Why?
For years, rum consumption has been tied primarily to traditional cocktails (mojito, rum and coke, piña colada) leveraging on nice mixability and sharing enjoyable moments. Thus, nonetheless in 2021, 94% of the rum quantity sits in the usual and worth value segments (USD 22.49 and under). In distinction, these segments signify 57.4% for the whisky/whiskey class – a class primarily related to a second of reward and “on the rocks” consuming. Whereas rum has advanced and we see a rising development in premium, as a class, we’ve got the problem to alter rum’s notion over the approaching years from a mixable spirit utilized in cocktails to a premium spirit of distinction. Thus, extra sipping-rum premium experiences and innovation will come sooner or later leveraging terroir, getting old course of, and barrel-types. This may foster a better sense of connoisseurship and appreciation over the reality behind rum and create extra premium-rum-lovers as they unveil the craftmanship and uniqueness behind rums throughout the globe. Within the coming years, darkish rum will proceed to see development in excessive value tiers with a 2021 to 2026 CAGR of seven%, 13%, 6%. 11% within the tremendous premium, ultra-premium, status and status plus segments respectively.
Botran makes use of as much as 4 totally different barrels for its solera system.
Scotches and bourbons are more and more being marketed as small batch and completed in particular barrels. Has Botran any such intentions?
The usage of particular barrels has been our specialty since 1940 and is a particular trait in our dynamic ageing system. We use as much as 4 particular barrels for our No.18 and No.15, three particular barrels for our No.12 and No.8 and two particular barrels for our Reserva Blanca.
Nonetheless, we took our rum mastery to a different degree, releasing a Uncommon Mix bottling. These are restricted editions that embody Botran Rum completed in a fifth particular cask. Most just lately, we launched Botran Uncommon Mix Guatemalan Oak (for the European market) and Botran Uncommon Mix Classic Wine Cask (for journey retail), which featured a mix of rums aged 8 to 25 years that had been completed in a really particular cask. Proper now, Uncommon Mix solely goes to pick out markets.
Because the Caribbean is so sizzling and humid, does local weather change have any impact on the plantations?
Local weather does affect plantations, primarily shifting harvest seasons. Nonetheless, we use superior expertise and work along with Guatemala’s Local weather Change Institute to plan forward and proceed delivering the good high quality that represents our protected designation of origin: Ron de Guatemala.
What are the threats from hurricanes?
Hurricanes are unprecedented occasions that not often have an effect on the southern space of Guatemala. Up till at the moment, we’ve got by no means been straight affected by such a pure menace, as our amenities are positioned exactly on this space of the nation.
What different international locations is Botran bought in?
Along with the U.S., you’ll find Botran Rum in additional than 50 international locations corresponding to Guatemala, El Salvador, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia, Czech Republic, Panama, Croatia, Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, Honduras, Sweden, Israel, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Greece, and many others.
