Rum, why the finest bottles can be an investment

The case of Caroni, a Trinidadian rum from a long-closed distillery, is emblematic: released on the market at derisory prices it is now disputed at auctions for thousands of euros. But although it is the most striking, it is not an isolated case. Similar paths are being taken for example by the Appleton Hearts Collection of the Campari Group, the Silver Seals of the Italian selector Max Righi and the first Magnum release, with photos by Elliott Erwitt, which quickly disappeared from circulation.

'The bottle and the label certainly help to perceive the value of the rum contained,' adds Gargano. 'With the choice of the black bottle, I believe we have created a style, but it was also important to give the consumer a lot of information on the label, details that fascinate the buyer and convey the heritage of the product.

The growing culture of quality rum is at the root of its commercial success. Marco Graziano, who started his blog 'Le vie del rum' (The ways of rum) in 2012 and is now an independent consultant for several companies as well as a tour leader on discovery trips to distilleries and sugar cane plantations in the Caribbean, is also convinced of this. Whoever approaches rum discovers the differences between one island and another, between one variety of cane and another, between the different places of production. All this enriches and deepens the concept that more and more people have of rum. Gargano has done an extraordinary job in this sense, similar to what Silvano Samaroli had done in his time with whisky but, unlike the latter, rum has always been considered a blending product too, so in a certain sense its nobility, its prestige, has long been overshadowed by the immense volumes that blending types of rum have and will continue to have.

In practice while whisky was born noble, and in fact has been regarded as a kind of safe haven for decades, rum in these terms is a novelty. On which many are setting their eyes.
"Certainly rum, but I prefer to say certain rums, have acquired an authority on the market that was almost unthinkable a decade ago," concludes Gargano. Just as, a decade ago, something like Rum Auctioneer was unthinkable. But beware, one must distinguish between investment and speculation. In the second case, I think it is difficult for the big bottles to continue to fetch the figures they did a couple of years ago but, on the other hand, products with real quality value will always have their buyers in Europe, the US or the Far East. Those who wish to invest must have the ability to distinguish true value, built up over time and resting on solid foundations, from products driven by the fashion of the moment or the hope of immediate return'.

In short, the rum market can provide some interesting answers, including financial ones, provided, however, that one does not get caught up in the excitement of the moment and has steady nerves. Above all, to know its characteristics, history and intrinsic value. Is it worth it? Perhaps yes, also because after all, an element that has been overlooked so far, a good rum is still a pleasure for the palate.