...when I heard a wolf howl. Could it be? It was. The Frozen Regurgitator was right there, staring at me on my 17 inch screen and regurgitating yet another PR release from a marketing department - this time from the amazing elixir called "Dictador".
Our frozen friend then spewed his story of how the local distributor dropped by one of Wolfie's drinking club meetings.
Yup, another freebie. He goes on...The Great Regurgitator: "I also sampled this rum in Miami... Fortunately... I was promised sample bottles of each..."
Here's the funny thing. You can search all day long and somehow, the only mentions of Severo Arango y Ferro are on commercial websites promoting Dictador rum. Here's what Dictador and commercial shills want you to believe...Wolfie: "According to the Dictador website, their rum is produced in Colombia... named for Arango Y (sp) Ferro who was nicknamed ‘Dictador’ by the local population... in early Colombia (sometime after 1751... he rose to prominence in... trade and commerce... fell in love with the local cane spirit and became an important producer of rum... In 1913, his descendant Don Julia Arango Y Ferro established the Distileria Colombiana."
1. In 1751 Severo arrives in Cartagena, Columbia to promote trade and is nicknamed the "Dictador" (dictator in English) because of his power. You know, a dictator. How romantic. Perhaps the rum should be named "Senor Dictador" or "Dictator, Sir!".
2. Anyway dictator Severo is alleged to have fallen in love with "the sweetness... of the tropical elixir rum" and decided to produce different, high quality rums. Sure.
3. Skip forward 180 years, and now his descendent, Don Julio Arango y Ferro decides to establish Destelria Columbiana in 1913. And yet another gentleman named Don Angel is so taken with the Dictador, that he investigates the Dictador's life, and then dedicates himself to producing rum in honor of the dear Dictador and his dictatorial legacy.
Whew!
4. And that why, in 2010 (long after young Don Angel and Don Julio have long since joined the Dictador himself in heaven, or perhaps hell) we now have the absolutely amazing and fantastic Dictador 12, 20 and XO's.
What a story!
And what continuity!! From 1751 to the current, high tech, marketing driven black bottle described as a melding of "...European marketing style and a Japanese designed bottle presentation of Colombian rum." by the Destileria ball-licking and fawning Artic Wonder. Just one problem...
I'm not buying any of it. Here's why...
1. Except for the current Dictador Rum promotion, neither Arango y Ferro really shows up much. And the little rum of the day in 1751 was crap, particularly in Columbia, certainly not a tropical elixir.
The historical truth: except for Cuba, the Spanish colonies really didn't produce much rum at all, and what they did produce was horrible. Until 1760 rum was actually prohibited. It was not until the Six Years War, when trade opened up, and then modern stills and rum making knowledge were introduced. Still, most rum was imported from Cuba and the French and British colonies.
2. The notion that the Dictador's descendent dedicated Destileria Columbiana and their "quality rums" to the old man doesn't fly either, as no rum was named for the dictator until just recently in 2010.
3. Other resources show that Destileria Colombiana was established in 1913 alright, but not by the Dictador's descendent Don Julio, but rather by Don Angel Nunez (whose last name was somehow omitted - that would ruin the family angle).
4. Last but not least, despite this fantastic dedication to the Dictador, Destileria Colombiana didn't actually name a rum for him until 2010. Until then their rums were called Ron Baluarte, available in a 4yo, 8yo, an Extra Dry and an XO.
Compare to Dictador 12, 20, and their two XO's (one described as "pale"). The Ron Baluarte website was closed about the time the Dictador rums were released and distributed in 2010 (mostly to Poland).
Bottom Line
There's only one Mount Gay, followed closely by Wray & Nephews and Barbancourt - all demonstrating legitimate continuity and honest histories. The Dictador story is make believe, with shreds of history being assembled at will to construct a lovely, marketable story of an alleged elixir that appeared in 1751 and is now delivered in a melding of Euro style, Japanese collector bottles and Columbian rum.
Another issue is the claim of a solera process, completely without description, and which may or may not exist. It is curious that their Ron Baluarte 4, 8, Extra Dry and XO disappeared about the time the Dictador 12, 20 and two XO's appeared - with the 12 and 20 years referring to the oldest rum in the alleged solera. Wanta bet the Baluarte stocks ended up the alleged soleras? In closing...
Do I believe this? Do you?
