European Union Laws for suggar added to Rum


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Domstadtkerl πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ | 38 ratings Author Posted 8 Mar '20

Hey Guys, First off thanks for this great Site and App. From May 2021 the European Union will have stricter laws concerning the definition of Rum. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/eng/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX%3A32019R0787&from=EN&fbclid=IwAR0211HngfraXpL14VIMzcar6Qwzk82rQFveqecRI2yqOeUdpxzIRmi_ats Rum is goinbg to be defined as: (a) Rum is a spirit drink produced exclusively by the distillation of the product obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of molasses or syrup produced in the manufacture of cane sugar or of sugar-cane juice itself, distilled at less than 96 % vol., so that the distillate has the discernible specific organoleptic characteristics of rum. (b) The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of rum shall be 37,5 %. (c) No addition of alcohol, diluted or not, shall take place. (d) Rum shall not be flavoured. (e) Rum may only contain added caramel as a means of adjusting the colour. (f) Rum may be sweetened in order to round off the final taste. However, the final product may not contain more than 20 grams of sweetening products per litre, expressed as invert sugar. Drinks between 20 and 100 g/l added Sugar have to be sold as "Spirits". Drinks with more than 100 g/l added Sugar will have to be sold as "Liqueurs". Wow, finally something happening in the Sugar-Discussion. Im myself im really interested to see the outcome of this. Will some of the big producers change their receipts to still be sold as a true "Rum"? Or will we just see them being relabeled? Whats your opinion on the matter, I know a lot of you are US-based. But still the topic itself is interesting and should stay respectful. This is not about telling others what to drink and what not. If you like sweetend Rums, you will also be able to drink them in the future.
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vomi1011 πŸ‡©πŸ‡ͺ | 403 ratings Replied 10 Mar '20

Thanks for this information. I think it's ok, 20g is a good value. I like also sweetened rums. If El Dorado or Zacapa has to write "spirit" on their lable, it's fine for me. If they change the taste because of this regulation, well then I will buy some of the old bottles. Everything changes, the rum taste will certainly adapt. I hope rum remains affordable and diverse.
Andy avatar image
Andy (PREMIUM) πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ | 143 ratings Replied 10 Mar '20

Wow seems like an enormous change and step in the right direction, thanks for sharing!!!
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Paul B πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ | 472 ratings Replied 13 Mar '20

This is GREAT news for the European Union!!!! What a coincidence that they have ruled rum into my two lowest categories for added sugar: Dry (0-9 gpl added) and Semi-Dry (10-19 gpl added). I found out the hard way that rums with 20 gpl or more of added sugar don't allow their initial flavors to last due to oxidation in the bottle. They also create havoc on my system the next day. I started this journey by liking everyone's favorite sugar bombs, but now that I have switched to Dry and Semi-Dry rums, I can barely stand the taste of those sugar bombs. Will the USA do the same? I wouldn't bet on it. Sadly, Bacardi Superior will still be classified as rum since it has no added sugar.