Jawan Rum Sales Halted After Impurities Detected in Bottles

(Photo: Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Limited)

The Kerala Excise Department stopped sales of 17 batches of Jawan rum after a customer noticed impurities in a bottle purchased from a local beverage outlet in Vaniyakkad. The department took action after receiving the complaint and uncovered eight batches of poor-quality rum. 

Jawan is a state-manufactured rum produced by Kerala State Beverages Corporation Ltd (Bevco) at Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Limited distillery in Thiruvalla. Last year Kerala increased its production due to the extreme demand for rum in the region. 

In 2020, the sale of Jawan had to be stopped because the ABV of the rum was tested at 62.51 percent when normally it has proof of 42.18 percent. 

The impurities noticed in the bottles of Jawan are believed to have been a result of a manufacturing fault. It has not been stated what the impurities consist of. In many cases, congeners are often the culprit when looking for other substances in liquor. Congeners are alcohols, other than ethanol, that are present in wines and spirits which include methanol, acetaldehyde, propanol, butanol, isobutanol and methylbutanol.

All of these congeners are dangerous substances when ingested in higher quantities. In regions of India where alcohol is prohibited, a black market for bootleg liquor, which is continually found to have these impurities, continues to take lives. 

After the complaint, the excise department instructed officials to inspect the rum in other outlets. This is a better outcome and will hopefully see that no one is harmed by potentially dangerous impurities in the rum.  

Read Next:

Rum Made From Pure Indian Cane Juice Makes US Debut

Allegedly Drunk Elephant Goes on Rampage After Stealing Locals’ Booze

Here at The Daily Pour, we do more than write about current events in spirit. We are the only media property reviewing spirits and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the spirit world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of spirit in your morning email, sign up for our Whiskey Deal of the Day Newsletter