TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Rhum shortage

After talking to many store owners in P'burg today. Due to the new import duty on alcohol there seem to be a rhum shortage on island now. Go figure.

SXM Wendell

Has the rescue squad been notified? Why in the world would there be a shortage? Sounds like a cost factor, but not a factor for shortage.

The store owner said that they had a lawyer fighting the validity of the new duty but who knows what she can do.

SXM Wendell

Rhum or Rum

Rhum shortage would be an issue!

J&B

Just buy Topper's Rhum! It's made on Island.

Is this one of the flavored rums made using rum that is imported the island? I wasn't aware that any rum was actually "produced" on St. Maarten....

Topper & his wife manufacture it on Island. You can tour the "distillery". Is that what a Rhum manufacturing place is called? lol. Anyway, it's in Simpson Bay. Contact Dave Herbert at Toppers. He sets up the tours. I haven't been on the tour, but I hear the "tasting" is fun. You can buy the Rhum at Toppers Restaurant, all different flavers.

Good reason to buy the island rum that we love. Ma Doudou. I usually bring home 6 or 7 bottles. It does not fall under USA liquor laws. Passion Fruit is the best.

This is my favorite Rhum! (For a while I was able to buy it at my local package store.) The Rhum tasting events are a lot of fun! This is a very smooth Rhum that can be served over ice and sipped all by itself. Dave and Adrianna got us started with trying it!! Now we are hooked!!

Is it Agricole Rhum?

Rhum, while the Fr sp of rum, is really the short form for rhum agricole – meaning made from pressed cane, it has a distinctive aroma and is largely a product of the Fr Caribbean islands [though Sammy’s beach bar rum – made from pressed cane - comes from Hawaii – Sammy Hagar, one time lead for Van Halen]

Rum normally means industrial rum and is made from molasses.

My understanding is Toppers rhum is made from molasses and they use the term rhum based on it being Fr for rum [but made on the Dutch side?! – I know – it’s marketing] I don’t want to get into a war of words re Toppers and quality taste etc.

My original comment was to the initial post about a shortage of rhum, possibly due to a duty issue

So is there a proposed duty on Rhum and is there a current shortage?
J&B

Im leaving the Island tomorrow and have several full bottles of rhum which we never got to. If anyone is in the simpson resort area contact me and you can have one. [email]billff1@aol.com.[/email]

Why not pack them in your checked baggage and take them home?

Does this mean that St. Maarten can no longer call itself a "Duty Free Port"?

Don't the U.S. customs allow only so many ounces of alcohol duty free? I know we in Canada are limited & we are usually asked how much.

I suppose this is picking nits and somewhat off-topic (I know, the first time ever on TTOL :>) but I must beg to differ.
"Rhum" means "Rum" in english, whether it's made from sugar cane juice or molasses (a by-product of sugar production). It can only be called rhum/rum if the source plant is sugar cane. "Rhum Agricole" is a sub-category of rhum, meaning rhum made from sugar cane juice (instead of molasses). You can find bottles of "Rhum" everywhere in France and legally they can be made either from cane juice or molasses, although in most cases you will find that they are made from molasses, because if the maker is using fresh sugar cane juice, he will want to label it "rhum agricole" and receive (in general) the higher price people are willing to pay for "rhum agricole," compared to plain-old rhum. This, of course, is excluding the effects of aging, which can indeed make a "vieux rhum" made from molasses cost more than a white "rhum agricole."

Was that as clear as... molasses? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

There's a limit, but if it's the local artisinal rums, like Toppers and MaDouDou, the limit doesn't apply. And even if you go over, the worst that will happen is that they'll charge you duty on the overage. Usually, however, they don't bother to charge.

Topper's Rhum is mixed on the island, not "made" or distilled there. But if you like it . . . . then great!

OK, I’ll bite and nit back – for the record I’m taking Joyfully’s comments as partially in jest and will respond equally.
In some ways we do not disagree, but looking at the same coin from a different side

I did state rhum is the Fr sp for rum. I’m also sure that rum labeled for the Fr market is written rhum as the Fr sp for rum is rhum. However Fr bottled ‘rhum’ labeled for export to English countries is labelled ‘Rum’ – ie Captain Flint rum, bottled in France made from molasses and Fair rum also bottled in France, but made with cane sugar juice from Belize [aged in Kentucky used bourbon barrels] is labeled Rum for export markets. Rhum from Fr islands is a specifically labelled product and almost always means rhum agricole.

Oh, as for aged rum from molasses costing more than white rhum – any good aged rum / rhum is going to cost more than white rum / rhum – just a matter of the aging math – no different from any aged liquor.

Back to the post at hand. The OP stated a Rhum shortage. On SXM, Dutch or Fr side Rhum generally means agricole not molasses rum [Toppers branding not withstanding]– hence my original response to the OP – rhum or rum shortage?. I wasn’t sure if SXMWendell was being playful in his title or trying to be more specific and targeting a shortage of Fr island rhum.

Regardless the question remains, what is this alcohol duty being discussed and what does it affect? In a duty free country? how does this play out.

J&B

Gasoline and tabacco also have an import duty in to st maarten, so this alcohol import duty is not the first.

I am wondering the same thing. Where can we learn more about this "new import duty on alcohol"??

I may have cancel our trip.

LOL - was wondering when this would get posted. If I couldn't get ti punch on the island, that would be a HUGE bummer.

French Side, Charlie, French Side. There should be no import duty on Rhum Agricole there, as it is shipped from another French island, not imported from another country.

There was plenty of Rum at the Peli Deli this afternoon... :-)