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Premium expressions: The new-look 18yo and 15yo Botran aged rums |
Casa Botran revealed a new bottle design and packaging for its two Botran aged rums at the recent IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas, and revealed its ambitions to expand in the travel retail channel. North America and Europe head its list of regional targets.
The new designs were for the 15yo (also known as Reserva) and the 18yo (Solera). Botran Managing Director Frank Quinones said: “The brand is built on the solid pillars of heritage, tradition and the art of producing exceptional rums that have been nurtured by Casa Botran for nearly a century. And as part of that legacy, we also have the responsibility, the passion to innovate, to find new points of contact with an increasingly demanding consumer.”
In addition, Botran is celebrating the award of its Denominación de Origen Protegida (PDO) label, which means it can be described as Ron de Guatemala.
Quinones told The Moodie Report: “It was a very strict process to gain approval and that sets the brand apart from other Guatemalan rums.”
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The company has big ambitions to grow its presence in US duty free and in Europe. The brand’s traditional stronghold lies in Latin America (and in particular Central America).
Quinones said: “In 2010 we repositioned Botran for the duty free market and since then we have grown the brand’s presence in many places. It is now firmly established as a premium rum internationally.
“We expanded into the US last year, with a presence now in Atlanta, New York and Miami, and we want to track those consumer groups that know us from the domestic market, where Botran is highly visible through leading hotel and high-end bars.
“We have now partnered with Chase International for US duty free, with whom we want to open more airport locations in the US.
“We have further expanded our presence in the Americas, through World Duty Free Group in Vancouver as well as in Latin America; and we aim to move into European duty free in the coming months. We can build on a strong domestic presence in Europe, in particular markets such as Spain.”
He added: “We want to be in the key airports of the world, but selectively so. If we are there in the next five years, then we are in a good place. And we will use the duty free channel to encourage people to try Botran.
“Like all young brands the challenge is about raising awareness but that is natural in business. We are where we want to be in our brand cycle and we are growing. We are not rushing that development, just as we don’t rush the production of our rum. We want to develop good relationships with our partners, rather than simply being listed everywhere.”
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Frank Quinones and Harald Jensen Botran showcase the new designs at the IAADFS show |
Harald Jensen Botran, one of the third generation of the rum family, was also in Orlando to showcase the brand. He told The Moodie Report: “We are heavily involved as a family in the brand’s progress and we are deeply passionate about the product. We want our customers to try the brand and to taste the liquid, and we know that takes time. But we have come a long way in the past four to five years already.”
Quinones continued: “That is where the family involvement makes a difference. In many companies the demand is to deliver every quarter and the outlook is very short-term. But the family has the courage to choose the long-term path to build the brand, with a focus on quality.”
In other news, the company has taken on singer and music producer Emilio Estefan as brand ambassador, as it boosts its profile to US consumers. “He shares our values and is very passionate about what we do. This move will raise Botran’s visibility and impact,” noted Quinones.
