In the ongoing quest to disprove the uninformed Rum has No Rules trope, I’ve written about several cane spirits geographical indications, some in full, others summarized. The full set is available here.
To keep this brief, I won’t review all the nuances of geographical indications (GIs.) If you’re unfamiliar with them, I suggest first reading Geographical Indication Fast Facts.
What follows is a translated summary of Venezuela’s key rum regulations, including its GI. Passages related to administrative details are omitted for brevity.
Despite extensive searching and numerous inquiries, I have been unable to obtain a copy of the 2019 DOC updates, only summaries. What appears below is based on the 2003 version. Should someone have the actual 2019 text, and not a summary, please let me know.
Venezuela’s Key Regulations
Venezuela’s rum regulations are primarily enshrined in two documents:
- COVENIN-RON standard (3040-93): the definition of rum sold in Venezuela or exported.
- Denomination of Controlled Origin (DOC) Ron de Venezuela. This first version was ratified in 2003 and subsequently updated in 2019. In 2020, Venezuela applied for EU recognition of Ron de Venezuela.
Rum Standard (COVENIN 3040-93)
3 Definitions
3.1 Rum is made via the distillation of fermented sugarcane or its derivatives and aged in oak containers.
4 Materials, Design, and Manufacture
4.1 The use of natural sweeteners such as fructose, sucrose, glucose, and others approved by the health authority is allowed.
4.2 Only caramel may be used as a colorant.
4.3 To improve the aroma, color, and taste, the addition of caramel, fresh or dry fruit macerations, bark, maceration of oak chips, and other approved substances is allowed.
5 Requirements
5.4 Rum must be matured in oak vessels for the time specified in the tax laws.
5.5 The following practices are not permitted:
5.5.1 Physical or chemical processes substituting or imitating the process of oak maturation.
5.5.2 Chemical processes for accelerating natural aging in oak.
5.8 Rum must comply with the following limits:
| Characteristic | Limits |
| Alcoholic strength at 15°C | Between 40 and 50% ABV |
| Methanol | 10 gr/hlAA max |
| Furfural | 6 gr/hlAA max |
| Esters (as ethyl acetate) | 200 gr/hlAA max |
| Aldehydes (as aldehyde) | 40 gr/hlAA max |
Denomination of Controlled Origin Ron de Venezuela
Article 1 Rum meeting the defined criteria may use Ron de Venezuela’s protected wording.
Article 4 Ron de Venezuela must be produced within twelve designated states:
- Aragua
- Barinas
- Carabobo
- Cojedes
- Lara
- Miranda
- Monagas
- Portuguese
- Sucre
- Táchira
- Trujillo
- Yaracuy
The production area is defined as where sugarcane cultivation and processing, fermentation, distillation, aging, and packaging occurs.
Article 5 Rum meeting the Ron de Venezuela requirements must be made from sugarcane and its derivatives, sourced from authorized growing areas (Article 4). If there is a molasses shortage, the regulatory council may grant authorization to use up to 40 percent imported sugarcane byproducts, i.e., molasses.
Articles 6 The cultivation of sugar cane must be carried out within the geographical areas declared as “production areas”
Article 7 Distillation can only occur in distilleries registered within the allowed production area.
If there is a shortage of distilled alcohol from authorized distilleries, the regulatory council may allow the use of up to 40 percent imported raw alcohols or imported finished alcohols.
Note: Imported raw alcohols is presumably flema.
Article 9 Rum must be aged in white oak barrels in the aging warehouses of a registered rum producer. Note: A separate regulation (LISAEA) specifies that the barrels must hold at least 150 liters.
Article 10 The blending of rums must be done in the facilities of a registered rum producer. In case of shortages, the regulatory council may allow using imported aged rum, up to 40 percent of the total.
Article 12 Rums must meet the requirements defined in COVENIN 3040-93.
The following companies are listed in the DOC as having rum meeting the Ron de Venezuela requirements:
- Rones del Caribe, C.A
- C.A. Ron Santa Teresa
- Destilería Carúpano
- Destilería Veroes, C.A.
- Central de Licores Unidos de Venezuela, C.A. Celiveca
- Destilerías Unidas Diplomático
- Industrias Bravo & Cia, S.A.
- Alcoholes Y añejos Monagas
- Diageo Venezuela, C.A
- Complejo Industrial Licorero del Centro, C.A. (CILCCA)
- Corporación Alcoholes del Caribe, S.A. (CACSA)
- Alnova, C.A.
- Destilerías Unidas, S.A. (DUSA)
Your articles are amazing and I really appreciate the information you provide, but you need to stop chasing this “rum has no rules” windmill. You’re turning a mountain into a molehill.
Of course rum has rules. You know what people mean when they say that rum has no rules. They are comparing it to the relatively restrictive principles that govern and define other spirits. They are commenting (positively I might add) on the diversity that exists within the rum industry and the greater creativity afforded producers.
You know all this but, for some reason, a small group of you are triggered at the suggestion. Rather than try to understand what people mean when they say “rum has no rules”, you bristle and make “an ongoing quest” out of proving them wrong or, more accurately, proving yourselves right.
Why not accept that the less restrictive environment of the rum industry is what makes it great? Accept that the lack of a single set of overriding rules is what allows us to consider Goslings Black Seal, Clément VSOP and Charley’s JB all the same spirit? It’s what makes rum great!
I don’t comment here to start a fight, but to try to bring some context to the “rum has no rules” debate. It’s not even a debate, because both sides are right.
I appreciate your comment and respect your perspective. I understand that folks like you who see most/all of my writing can see it as tilting at windmills.
In reply, I constantly see the rum category denigrated in the mainstream press. Two weeks ago, I spoke with a reporter for a globally known newspaper who wanted to ask me if rum’s lack of rules was holding back premiumization of the category.
For whatever reason, rum is held to an unfair standard that other spirits are. Nobody states, “whiskey has no rules.” They understand that each whiskey-making country has its own traditions and codifies them in its regulations. Yet when it comes to rum, the category doesn’t get that pass. If you want rum made almost exactly the way bourbon is, there are countries where you can find that. Look at the rules and pick appropriately. Don’t simply dismiss rum as a whole because you don’t know about its various regions. I see that – a lot.
Beyond that, I see time and time again that each article I write is only seen by a tiny fraction of people who might find it worthwhile. Education across a wide, constantly changing audience is a matter of repetition. I may have (hypothetically) written the definitive treatise on some subject in 2017. It doesn’t mean new people coming into the rum fold will ever see it in 2022. Again, I understand that it might “get old” to people who follow me, but I’m trying to reach a broader audience. Whether it’s fair or not, new content gets more attention than something written five years ago. Hell, that bias is baked into Google’s search algorithm.
Thanks for the response.
I see where you’re coming from and feel your frustration. Perhaps a different approach would have more success.
I’m not sure you’ll ever convince the fly-by “non-rum people” of anything, but you may also be turning off some of the newbies looking to enter the space.
I’d love to discuss it with you in a different forum where more people might get to see/hear it.
Sure! Happy to take this to FB or Reddit. Perhaps r/RumSerious
My thought was to do a joint Instagram live. People are more likely to watch a video than read a comment section.
Hi Matt, do you know the difference between DUSA and Destilerías Unidas Diplomático?
They are the same distillery. Diplomatico was one of many brands owned by DUSA.