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(The self-designated "Global Ambassador of Rum")
This post is based on the Bermudez/Regionalization story, and you'll soon see why. Now it's not news that the Badassitor of Rum is not one of my favorite people. This began when this self-appointed Intergalactic "Ambassador" bullied his way into an otherwise fine thread noting WIRSPA's efforts to redefine Caribbean rums as only those countries who bent over and joined their rat pack. Under their scheme Caribbean rums from Venezuela and Columbia would not longer be able to use the term "Caribbean" in Canada.
WIRSPA sold out, and it was NOT a pretty picture. Whence the good Badassitor jumped in and actually denied that these two countries were Caribbean!? Of course that was and is ridiculous and he was made to look rather wanting in that exchange:
http://www.rumproject.com/caribbean.html
When he later engaged in a blatant "borrow" of Luis Ayala's work, again we crossed bottles, no lost love here. Throughout all it always amazed me that a guy whose claim to fame was in the world of singing and sports could come to actually run a rum fest and purport to represent "rum" as its Intergalactic Overlord/Ambassador. I guess it's all about disposable income and a share of the public's awareness. If you can be paid enough to kick a ball, why what better qualification?
Then came Burmudez and what appears to be the gross regionalization of sugaring (26g American, 0g British)
Almost by accident in my research of Bermudez, I checked the Wiki to learn that the newest CEO of this old company was a guy named "CEO Founder Juan OsWaldo Cayetano Jr". And here my friends, is our CEO:
. . . . . . .
("King Tiger", the CEO of Bermudez - Barcelo, Brugal and Bermudez, the "3 B's)
Yup, Bermudez is managed by a rap star, King Tiger (aka Juan OsWaldo Cayetano, Jr.), what better choice? And if Diageo has anything to say about it, perhaps the next CEO of Laphroig. And as for Tiger's/Bermudez' "brand ambassador?
. . . . . . .
(Jay Evans, freestyle rapper)
Yup, no less than Jay Evans, yup, a "freestyle" rapper. Perfect. After all, we all know that rum is really a lifestyle choice, and who knows more about rum than a rapper, right. You know, all those parties and groupies down on South Beach...
*******
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berm%C3%BAdez_%28rum%29 (Bermudez at Wiki)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Tige ... _Artist%29 (King Tiger, CEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ubQ7ICaxA (Jay Evans performing)
https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/ian-a-v-burrell/8/930/227 (Burrell's Linked Partial History)
http://www.examiner.com/article/uk-rum- ... um-bottles (Burrell bids and wins)
Note: Seriously folks, this is what "rum" has come to, when its "Global Ambassador", a major distillers CEO and chosen "Brand Ambassador" all come from the world of singing and rap. And perhaps not surprisingly, they are successful. Yup, and to the point that the Badassitor actually bid and won two of the "oldest bottles of Barbadian rum" (estimated $21,000) to add to his collection, no doubt to be displayed alongside his earlier acquisition of the fabled Wray & Nephews 17 Year of Tiki fame.
