Duppy Share Aged

George Frost - the founder of Duppy Share - captivated me with the following observation: “When you listen to podcasts on success in business, the one thing people won’t say is the main reason they got there was luck”.

It is indeed a commonly overlooked factor and often denied, likely because it undermines the endorsed meritocratic social order. The concept of 'fortune' seems to extend beyond mere chance occurrences to rather reflect structural inequalities.

Not everyone agrees with the thesis stated above; instead, many will provide success stories from their own environment or reference media coverage. However and as far as I know such messages attract attention not due to their common occurrence, but rather because they represent exceptions to the norm.

The prevailing cultural narrative ties success to individual efforts, enticing individuals with a seductive sense of agency. However, the broad masses are chained to daily routines and possess somewhat limited capabilities. Could the interpretation vary based on one's social standing? I said what I said, even if I am aware of paramount qualities like predisposition, hard work, perseverance, self-improvement, and optimism.

As an aside, is there a harmonious balance; some perfect ratio of champions to the defeated? The intelligence among the population exhibits a Gaussian distribution, while the distribution of wealth - often seen as a measure of success - more closely resembles a Pareto distribution.

No more tales, let's get back to Duppy Share. The brand launched in 2014 and quickly gained its first listing at Selfridges (which is the fortunate break mentioned at the very beginning). Sales are experiencing exponential growth, catapulting it to the forefront as the leading premium rum choice in the UK. By the way, it's noteworthy that the UK ranks third globally as a rum market and even surpassed whisky sales (2022). ❤️‍🔥

The success is indeed spectacular, though anything but coincidental. George realised “that rum is not only a delicious spirit, but one that is largely underrated” as well as recognized the market situation “there were the cheap and tacky ones, the sort of bats and the pirates, and then there are the really old, boring, expensive ones”.

Duppy Share has adopted a carefree holiday vibe in marketing communication. B&B Studio took care of visual identity and the outcome is stunning: the tranquil essence of the sunny Caribbean beautifully contrasts with the allure of captivating nights. I appreciate that the folklore hinted in the name wasn't depicted on the label. Anyway, the captivating design grabs attention and definitely makes the bottle stand out on the shelf.

The technical aspects were entrusted to E&A Scheer, renowned Amsterdam blending experts. To achieve the intended goal - nice and oaky - a lighter (WPL 60-119g/laa) pot still component from Jamaican Worthy Park and a column still from Barbadian Foursquare were selected. Both aged in bourbon barrels: the first for three years, and the second for five.