Global rum ignores Caribbean roots

KINGSTON, Jamaica - When you're talking about rum, how much does the Caribbean really matter? For the rum world, it's a more serious question than it sounds, and the answer exposes a schism in the industry, a divide between massive producers who value uniformity in a global market and smaller players and connoisseurs who prefer nuanced production that reflects the time and place a rum is made. A walk down the rum aisle of a liquor store sees this played out. While major companies like Pernod Ricard might acknowledge that its Malibu is a 'Caribbean rum' and has notes of coconut flavour, you won't find specifics beyond that.