FYI, there was a Canadian recall of the 750 ml. Old Monk produced in mid-2007. I recently (Feb., 2009) requested and received this email from a manager of quality control for the Canadian LCBO:
The issue was "minute glass particles" in the rum. Now of course the question now in early 2009 (1-1/2 years later) is not that this problem still exists, but whether such bottles were sold or distributed in the US, and accordingly, whether they may still be found on the shelves.Per the attached public notice, LCBO initiated a Class I Product Recall for 750 mL bottles of Old Monk 7 Year Old rum on November 27, 2007 after we confirmed the presence of minute glass particles in some bottles. All affected inventory was from production dates July 18 and July 19, 2007. The U.P.C bar code on the bottle was 89000557. I hope this information is of some assistance to you.
This is of particular concern as Old Monk rum is very, very hard-to-find, and may not have sold well. And I have seen and purchased other rums (some discontinued), some years after their original distribution! For example I purchased a Cruzan Rum Cream that was at least 3 years old and spoiled (which Cruzan graciously replaced!).
Turns out my half finished Old Monk carries the same UPC number (89000557)! And I could find no indication of the production date.
Bottom line:
I decided to filter this rum - twice - through some coffee filters, rinsed the bottle well and refilled it. I examined the filters and bottle, could find no particles, and decided that anything glass particles minute enough to pass through a double filtration were not a risk.
Does this mean I should raise my rating to 7? You have been warned...
