a996: Barbancourt rum (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

The taste of the Caribbean in a class of its own.

(source: http://www.rosro.com/ourworld.htm)

Barbancourt rum should not be mixed with Coca Cola. Its taste, comparable to
a cognac, should be savored without alteration. Unlike white rums, the aged
Barbancourt products, acquire the superb parfum of after-meal drinks. Even in
the Caribbean, where discussions over the quality of local rums often turn
into patriotic debates, Barbancourt stands out; it is simply different. Yet
is still has to conquer the international market, better acquainted with
Jamaican or Cuban rums.

Société du Rhum Barbancourt "is one of the oldest enterprises in Haiti,"
recalls Thierry Gardère, General Manager of the company, whose family has
been running the business since 1862.

Since 1940, the company has been cultivating its own sugar cane to guarantee
the quality of this aged rum. Like other famous brands, Barbancourt keeps its
production process secret.

"Our rum has to age for a certain period of time before it is bottled and
marketed. Thus we need a lot of investment," explains Thierry Gardère,
adding: "Since we are traditional in our way of production, we advance very
slowly and through phases. There are several categories of rum. When it comes
to aged rum, we have no competition. When it comes to young (white) rum, we
have competition from Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe," assures Gardère,
the fourth generation of rum producers.

Barbancourt does not have a problem finding new markets. The challenge
consists of meeting the demand, since the volume of production is not
elevated. The United States is the second most important market for
Barbancourt, Italy being the most important buyer. Although quality is a
trademark of this rum, it cannot aspire to conquer new markets without new
investments.

Although 90% of the rum officially sold in Haiti comes from their
distilleries, the volume of production cannot be sufficiently increased at
present to have this product in duty-free shops at international airports.

Major investments are required in order to convert Barbancourt rum from a
drink known only by connoisseurs into a widely known beverage.

Barbancourt cultivated approximately 40% of its own sugar cane while the rest
is bought from peasants or big plantations. "Small land owners are often
confronted with problems: lack of irrigation, drainage or fertilizers," says
the General Manager, commenting that the company plans to expand its agrarian
properties into the unexploited areas of Haiti. Foreign investors have
already approached the Barbancourt owners. "We are a small family enterprise
in expansion. Probably in the future we shall envisage the acceptance of
foreign capital," concludes Gardère.


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