Bacardi said that, once chilled, new packaging (pictured) would display visual effects: namely a red claw mark for the Wolf Berry variety and an enlarged red berry logo for Black Razz.
Euromonitor International US research analyst Jared Koerten said last September that the race was on among brandowners to reach the "next frontier in terms of flavour", given widespread consumer interest in flavoured spirits (notably within new demographics) in recent years.
This is fuelling growth across the US rum category, with collective volume sales of dark and white rums up steadily since 2008 (222,666 litres) with the latest Euromonitor data sent to BeverageDaily.com today forecasting growth to 246,367 litres in 2014.
Throughout this period the research firm expects white rums (130,513 litres in 2014) to exceed dark rums (115,854 litres) in volume sales terms, within an overall world rum category predicted to grow from 1.367bn litres in 2008 to 1.638bn in 2014.
Mixing well-known and exotic flavours
Toby Whitmoyer, vice president and brand marketing director, rum category, at Bacardi USA, said: “As the world’s most popular rum, Bacardi holds a leadership position when it comes to creating new innovative flavour combinations that blend the very popular, well-known flavours with more exotic ones that are gaining momentum like wolfberry and black sapote.”
The Wolfberry variety infused blueberry and wolfberry to create a “vibrant spirit, with a robust aroma and compelling taste,” the company said.
Second newcomer Bacardi Black Razz is a raspberry-flavoured with the addition of black sapote (a type of persimmon), with the brand claiming a “rich, chocolate-like taste that is both refreshing and sweet with a deep and bold flavour profile”.
Bacardi recommends that the new flavours be chilled and served as shots or mixed with lemon-lime soda, and 750ml bottles will be sold for $14.99 (€11.90); 50ml, 200ml, 375ml, 750ml, 1l and 1.75l sizes will also be available.
New flavour frontiers
Commenting on the flavoured spirits trend last autumn, Euromonitor International US research analyst, Jared Koerten, said: “We are seeing flavoured spirits having tremendous success in a number of categories.”
Flavoured varieties were relatively new to bourbon, he said, and products such as cherry-flavoured product Jim Beam Red Stag were attracting young consumers, women and non-traditional bourbon drinkers into the category.
Koerten added: “In other categories, flavours are a bit more established. They’ve been out for a while, have already been successful. In these categories it’s about pushing new flavours – what’s the next frontier in terms of flavours.”
For instance, Pinnacle’s dessert-flavoured vodkas, with cake, gummy, chocolate whipped cream varieties, were pulling new consumers (women in particular) into that category, he added.
Ciroc and Three Olives also saw significant US volume increases with flavoured variants between 2009 and 2011, he added, while such products were growing their overall vodka market share.
