"Gargano Classification"

The rum market is attracting growing interest in this particular historical moment. But a significant part of this success is due to a huge number of brands, distilleries, bottlers and consequently a great deal of confusion in what rum means. This lack of regulation leads to confusion that affects the entire production chain to the detriment of consumers, especially the "less knowledgeable" ones.

 

The rum category includes rums from distilleries, rums that are brand only, private labels, rums aged in tropical climates or continental weather. It has no real distinction between different categories (apart from Rhum agricole AOC).

 

 

 

Luca Gargano and his Velier was the first, now more than 20 years ago, to bring the concept of three "styles" to distinguish in the European market between Latin rums, British rums and French rums. Useful then, but a bit inconsistent now.

 Luca Grargano continues to work to offer the world of commerce and the rum community a single language across different categories. We think the long-term success of rum requires these huge differences to be brought to light, both between products and between producers.

 

 

The classification was created in 2015 by the patron of Velier, Luca Gargano, and promoted together with Richard Seale of the Foursquare distillery (Barbados) and is based on the distillation method, the only comprehensive method to include all types of rum. It is not a way to understand quality, but rather an objective method to classify, give credibility and value to the entire category of rum.

The first distinction is made on the basis of raw materials: sugar cane juice, syrup and molasses.

1. On the first level of the diagram below, we find Pure Single Rum, distilled in batch still, guaranteeing the yield of the raw material and the know-how of the distiller.

2. On the second level, we find Single Blended Rums, a blend of rum distilled in columns and in batches.

3. At the third level, we find Traditional Rum which is distilled in traditional single or double columns.

4. At the fourth level we find Rum produced in large volumes with modern multi-column distillation systems which, as we have already underlined, give life to spiritless and industrial rums and which by choice we will never deal in our shop.

 

 

The classification can only be applied to rums that declare the distillery of origin, whether they are original bottlers of the same distilleries or independent bottlers.

Products that do not declare the distillery of origin are impossible to classify since neither the production methodology nor the country of origin are known ... and it is in no way sufficient to write the country of origin in the absence of other basic information !

This classification represents a precise decalogue outlining the origin of the raw material, harvesting, production and aging methods for all distillates originating from sugar cane, offering a reference and above all protection for all enthusiasts.