Is Bumbu Rum? It Depends...
One of the biggest reasons why rum isn’t taken seriously by many consumers is widespread confusion about what constitutes rum. It’s an issue because retailers, research firms, and writers seem equally confused — or, in some cases, don’t care. Products that legally aren’t rum regularly appear in top seller lists alongside actual rums like Bacardi and Havana Club.
Bourbon doesn’t have this issue. A “Top Bourbons For Father’s Day” article that included Fireball or Southern Comfort alongside Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace would rightfully be crucified by bourbon aficionados. Retailers and writers (mostly) understand that Fireball and Southern Comfort are whisky specialties or flavored whiskies, so shouldn’t be lumped in with real bourbons.
However, the distinction between rum and rum-based spirit drinks is often ignored in the rum space. Malibu is the poster child here, but other (not) rums are rapidly catching up in terms of consumer confusion. Among them is Bumbu, the focus of this post.
Whether Bumbu is “good” or not isn’t the focus here, and I have no issue with the liquid itself. Instead, we’ll examine Bumbu’s legal definition and contrast that to how it’s marketed and sold in the US market.
As someone who monitors social media to take the pulse of rum enthusiasts, I can say that Bumbu is a lightning rod for criticism from certain “purist” quarters. Much of the criticism of Bumbu is that it’s heavily sweetened, flavored, and isn’t really rum. People who comment positively about Bumbu are often derided as “newbies” who don’t know any better.
But from an objective perspective, Bumbu’s situation is more complex than most know. With that preface, let’s set aside perceptions and focus on the facts.
What follows somewhat relies on a basic understanding of how the US TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau) categorizes alcoholic beverages, e.g., bourbon, single malt Scotch whisky, cognac, etc.… All alcoholic beverages sold in the US must apply to the TTB for approval regarding their labels. An approval includes a TTB-assigned beverage type. The approval is known as a Certificate of Label Approval, aka COLA and is available to anyone online. My preceding article, Lemon Flavored Rum, Petroleum Neutral Spirits, and the US Spirits Regulations, covers this topic in detail, so I won’t repeat the basics here.
Defining Rum
While the definition of rum differs between the US, the EU, and CARICOM, the US defines rum like this:
“Spirits distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or other sugar cane by-products at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) having the taste, aroma and characteristics generally attributed to rum and bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).”
Elsewhere, the TTB documentation notes that rum can contain additives — up to a point. Specifically,
…harmless coloring/flavoring/blending materials may not exceed 2½% by volume of the finished product.
2½% by volume is well below what a liqueur or spiced/flavored rum would use.
Defining Bumbu
At this juncture, it’s imperative to point out that Bumbu isn’t a product; it’s a brand with multiple products spanning several TTB beverage classes:
Bumbu The Original (Barbados, TTB Type 694 “RUM SPECIALTIES”)
Bumbu XO (Panama, TTB Type 493 “OTHER RUM GOLD FB”)
Bumbu Crème (Barbados, TTB Type 679, “OTHER LIQUEURS”)
(The links above take you to the TTB’s COLA page so you can see for yourself.)
Bumbu (the brand) is owned by Sovereign Brands, a US-based company with investment from Pernod Ricard. The Bumbu brand encompasses an actual rum (Bumbu XO), a rum liqueur (Bumbu Crème,) and a Rum Specialty (Bumbu the Original). It’s worth noting that there’s no product called just “Bumbu.”
It must be noted here that per its COLA, Bumbu XO can legally be called rum. It’s made in Panama at Las Cabras distillery and bottled at 40% ABV. Sweden’s Systembolaget has a product page stating that Bumbu XO has 11 grams per liter, well below the US and EU thresholds for allowed additives in rum.
In that regard, the Bumbu brand can rightfully claim to make rum.
However, Bumbu The Original, the brand’s first product, is by far the best-known and best-selling. Due partly to its celebrity spokesperson, Lil Wayne, it’s well known outside traditional rum circles. To the casual observer, “Bumbu” is synonymous with “Bumbu The Original.” (Henceforth referred to as “The Original” for readability.)
Within the US, The Original is bottled at 35% ABV, below the minimum 40% ABV needed to be classifiable as rum. (In Europe, The Original is bottled at 40% ABV.) However, there’s more to the story than just The Original’s ABV.
As noted earlier, the TTB categorizes The Original as a “rum specialty.” Per the TTB’s Beverage Alcohol Manual, specialties are:
“Generally, any class and/or type of distilled spirits that contain or are treated with flavoring and/or coloring materials and/or nonstandard blending or treating materials or processes.”
Elsewhere, the TTB regulations state that specialties are catch-all categories for spirits that don’t belong in a more specific category like “flavored rum” or “rum liqueur.” The Original is neither, per its COLA.
While we don’t know exactly what flavoring and/or sweeteners The Original uses, the Systembolaget page for The Original notes a sugar content of 51 grams per liter.
So far, nothing is amiss here. We might say that Bumbu The Original is no different than Southern Comfort or Fireball Cinnamon in the whiskey space. They are what they are, and people enjoy them. Unfortunately, there’s a substantial gap between The Original’s legal classification and how it’s represented in advertising and retail.
Mixed Messaging
The phrase “Bumbu Rum Company” appears at the top of the Bumbu brand web page. While the brand sells a rum product, its best-selling product isn’t rum. You might consider this running right up to the line between truth and fiction without crossing it.
But this isn’t the real issue. Google for “Bumbu” and you’ll find that most of the top results are liquor retailer product pages for Bumbu The Original. Most of the product pages say one of the following:
Bumbu Rum
Bumbu Original Rum
Bumbu The Original Rum
Bumbu The Original Barbados Rum
Bumbu Rum The Original
Consumers who see these product pages might reasonably assume that the product is…. well…. rum, rather than a “rum specialty” with unspecified flavorings and sweeteners.
The Bumbu brand’s website and related marketing materials carefully don’t represent The Original as a rum. But in the retail environment, commonly used wording strongly suggests that Bumbu is rum. Therein lies the crux of the controversy.
As outsiders, we can only speculate whether countless retailers independently added “Rum” to their product descriptions or if the brand influences how retailers position the product.
In early 2023, a class action lawsuit was initiated against Bumbu Rum Company LLC, suggesting the latter. The plaintiff’s filing states in part:
5. The Product is closer to a cordial or liqueur because it is believed to contain added sugar and flavorings beyond threshold to qualify under this type of beverage. 27 CFR 5.150(a)
6. However, the description of “rum liqueur” would not be accurate because the significant amount of added vanilla and banana flavoring and sweetening results means its predominant characteristic is no longer rum.
7. The Product is self-described as a “Distilled spirits specialty product[s],” reflected in the smaller less conspicuous text in the middle of the cross on the front label which states, “Rum With Natural Flavors.” 27 C.F.R. § 5.156(a)
8. However, this representation is still misleading because it is significantly less prominent than the embossed “Bamboo Rum Co.” on the front label and inconsistent with how it is described, as an “Original Craft Rum” and “premium rum,” in advertising and point-of-sale displays at Defendant’s directions and instructions.
At the time of this writing, the current status of this case is unknown. If anyone knows, shoot me a note!
Why it Matters
Some may say this is all a tempest in a teapot. But if rum is to elevate its reputation to an equivalent level enjoyed by bourbon and Scotch whisky, these things matter. Single malt Scotch whisky and bourbon didn’t emerge from thin air as premium products with a high public trust. It took years of advocacy by producers to differentiate real premium spirits from wannabe imitations. Still, you might ask, “Why does rum need to elevate its perception?”
If a person’s first experience with rum, especially one heavily promoted, is overly sweet and banana flavored, they’re more inclined to write off the category. If Bumbu The Original were a minor presence on rum shelves, it wouldn’t matter. But like it or not, The Original regularly appears alongside Appleton, Mount Gay, El Dorado, Saint-James, and Havana Club rums. Consumers are rightly confused.
Elevating the perception of rum increases how many people try and buy top tier rums. With increased demand comes more consumer choices. Europe’s appreciation for premium rum is widely acknowledged as several years ahead of the US. Consequently, Europe gets a higher proportionate share of exclusive, limited-edition rums. The rum shelves in French supermarkets boggle the minds of visiting American rum enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the typical American supermarket liquor section typically has four or more good quality bourbons, but little beyond Bacardi Superior, Captain Morgan Spiced, and Cruzan.
Changing the status quo regarding rum won’t happen overnight. But as the audience for true premium rum expands, they need to understand what’s holding it back and how they can collectively improve its reputation.
Excellent, as always. Thank you Matt.
Thank you for both the previous post and this deep dive into what constitutes rum. This explains neatly why I find myself reading rum labels so carefully in the store, and why those shelves are so much less organized than the whiskey and scotch.
As a cocktail enthusiast, I find I would much rather stock a good base spirit and my own supporting liqueurs rather than something that is "pre-flavored". I can make a bigger variety of cocktails and have more fun experimenting that way. But I understand how someone who doesn't mix drinks might want the other.
This info makes me feel less like a snob about rum because it gives a means to clearly explain the difference even to an inexperienced drinker, without disparaging their choice of the bottle they found on the rum shelf in the store.