PANAMA. Varela Hermanos, the iconic rum company from Panama, is riding the greater awareness of different tastes and aged products, with its Ron Abuelo Anejo, Ron Cortez Blanco and Ron Cortez Oro lines.
The company was making its second appearance at the Duty Free Show of the Americas last week to service existing customers and to make new ones, especially in South America and the Caribbean. Spain, where 66% of the rum market is for aged products, is considered a key target and the company said it is focussing on duty free and domestic markets in Europe and the US generally.
In Puerto Rico, for example, Varela began working in the local market before making the successful leap into duty free with SMT Duty Free with tastings and direct consumer promotions. The spirits and tourism industries are quite closely linked in Panama and this gives the product an interesting history.
The company was established in 1908 by a Spaniard José Varela B, who developed the first sugar mill and modern distillery in Panama using the Cuban school of production. Today the company has 90% of the local market and produces 650,000 cases per year – including the local cheap spirit Seco Herreramo, similar to Piso.
“The consumer in Europe is becoming more aware of different rum producing countries,” said a spokesman. “They are learning to choose, rather like wine. We are supplying 15 countries today and see a great opportunity for aged rums around the world.”
The Ron Cortez Blanco is a white rum for younger consumers and the Ron Cortez Oro ‘dark and dry’ is a 3 year old. The more expensive Ron Abuelo Anejo is a 5 year old, with new 7 year old and 12 year old varieties to be launched soon. In 2003 Ron Abuelo Anejo won the Gold Medal Best Buy in the Aged Rums category of the Beverage Testing Institute of Chicago.
