Honor: Preacher recognizes the Compleat Idiot!

[Capn Jimbo]

I'm both honored and humbled...

Over the past few years I've noted more and more qualified commentators leave, or minimize their participation at the Shillery. These include the Burr Brothers, the Count, the Dood, JaRiMi, MJL and many others. These tend to be free thinking and speaking individuals who either took a position contrary to the Prophet's "...it's all good" or "...the noble spirit, RUM" mantras, or got tired of pussyfooting around The Authority. Some were unceremoniously "liberated" by him, while others retreated on their own nickel.

I was the only one subject to both.

After posting a great number of posts at the Shillery - for which I was privately recognized and thanked for by the Preacher hisself(!) - he even offered to buy me a drink. But like many others I later experienced the Preacher's dark and nasty side. Upon this realization I thought it best to gracefully - but firmly - extract myself.

So I simply resigned, deleted my posts and left, and respectfully requested that the Preacher kindly delete my account. Not only did he attempt to restore my posts, but he refused to do so. He preferred to keep my now frozen account tethered in the public square and labeled "liberated". The hilarious story is (here).

But lately it appears that some of my favorite observations, particularly those regarding the use of unlabeled flavorings in rum, and those regarding the highly political nature of WIRSPA have become widely enough read that they have found their way back to the Shillery.

Today's example:

Brynjolfr: "I'm a complete newcomer in the world rum. I've been reading up on it for some days now, and it sure is an interesting world. However, while doing research I came across a site called rumproject.com. The owner of the site has written lengthy, negative articles about WIRSPA and their ACR-project. Are they really as evil and greedy as he depicts them? Should I feel bad for buying products from their associates?"

Let's face it, having just been faced with my position on unlabeled flavorings (in a thread concerning the unlabeled use of orange flavor and sweeteners in Pyrat XO), the last thing the Prophet wanted to see was a direct reference to moi and my site address in the front row of his cathedral.

Whew! His response was instantaneous, long and expectedly vile:

Preacher: "Welcome to the forums. As you should know by now, much of the information on the internet is written by compleat idiots, some even identify themselves as such on their forums.

The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association is an industry organization for the Caribbean spirits industry, which is primarily a rum export industry. As with any organization that spans more than a dozen independent businesses and countries it is hard to reach a consensus on many things, but over the years they have been instrumental in working with a number of foreign governments to maintain and improve the business conditions for their industry. I haven't read all of the Compleat Idiot's rants about WIRSPA, but judging from his participation in this forum before he was banned and his comments about me, I am confident that what you have read is more of his uninformed mumblings to himself.

As an internet user, I'm sure you have noticed that the lowest common denominator is pretty low among internet authors, especially those who maintain lengthy conversations with themselves on their own forums.

Surely, there are things that I would like to see WIRSPA adopt that I feel would improve the credibility of the rum industry, but like most of the people reading this forum, I'm not a member of that organization and have no say whatsoever in what they do. I do have, however, a good relationship with many WIRSPA members and I am proud of the mutual respect we have acquired through direct conversation and many email over the years."

If you have specific questions or concerns about WIRSPA I am confident that they will be read by WIRSPA members here.

This is perfect! Not only is this humble site named, but also my hard promoted position as The Compleat Idiot of Rum. Huzzah! Coming from the Prophet, and at great length to boot - and despite his usual errors and misrepresentations - this is a huge compliment. For this...

I am deeply moved and honored. I kiss his ring. Twice!


*******
Next: My response. Accurate and well-cited, as usual...

[Capn Jimbo]

Bluster, fluster, flim and flam...


Again, I must express my sincere thanks to the Preacher - it is well said that you can judge a man by his enemies. I am truly humbled by the ministrations of the Prophet and his recognition - finally!! - that I am truly the Compleat Idiot of Rum. At last!! He even spelled it right. But as usual, the Preacher is all flair and drool. As for facts?

Not so much. Here goes...

1. Once again the Preacher claims he "banned me" from the Shillery. Not true.

After about hundred or two of my usual thoughtful posts there, I actually got a lovely private email sincerely thanking me for my contributions to rum and to his forum, and even offering to buy me a drink. But soon after I defended Barbancourt as a cane juice rum the Preacher's dark side erupted in a vicious counterattack (background: the Preacher repped for competitive cane juice rums).

Turncoat. I was both blindsided and shocked, and took my only honest option.

I respectfully resigned, deleted my posts and in true Groucho Marx style, requested that he delete my profile. He refused, actually restored some of my posts, and kept my name up so he could then label it as "banned" (later changed to "liberated"). After I'd already left.

The true, complete and hilarious story is (here).


2. WIRSPA is hardly a benign - or effective - organization.

This despite the Preacher's claim that he hasn't even read our many detailed posts about WIRSPA politics. Actually he reads every word, but it's much easier to avoid facing the facts. In truth...

WIRSPA has actually attempted to coopt the terms "true rum" and "authentic Caribbean rum" for their own few members! What's funny about this is that some of their members are not even in the Caribbean, and - are you sitting down - they allow the members to import molasses from outside of the Caribbean!

Authentic, eh?

They successfully lobbied the Canadian legislature by offering to protect "Canadian whisky" in their WIRSPA member countries, in return for Canada allowing only the WIRSPA members to call their rum "Caribbean" in Canada. Can you believe that? You'd better.

What's upsetting are those fine rum producing non-member countries who may be excluded, including: Argentina, Brazil, French West Indies, Columbia, Costa Rica, Curacao, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Marie Galante, Martinique, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Reunion, St. Martin, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Venezuela.

The complete details of this travesty are (here).


3. WIRSPA's scheme included failed labeling and sourcing.

They proposed three labeling stickers: The first tag, "Authentic Carribean Rum" was black and white, and indicated that the rum was made from molasses or sugar cane juice from the Carribean, Africa and Pacific regions. Strange. The second label "Matured Authentic Carribean Rum" was black and silver and indicated that the rums were aged for at least one year. The last, "Deluxe Authentic Carribean Rum", was gold and black and indicated aging for a minimum of five years.

Seen any of these labels lately? Only in the Preacher's dreams, as WIRSPA's scheme failed. Not to mention that the only component that would actually define a "true Caribbean rum" - namely the molasses - could be imported from all over the world! Ask yourself...

Does this sound like a benign and consumer protecting organization? Or more like a small group of rum producers that worked to exclude their Caribbean competitors, and even to prevent their use of term "Caribbean rum" on their labels? You decide.

Read all about it (here) and (here).


4. As always, the very best defense against the ranting Preacher is, uh, the consistently inconsistent Preacher.

All you really have to do is search his own website droppings. It won't take long to find him contradicting himself, I assure you. And so it is with WIRSPA.

When the WIRSPA labels were first proposed he was actually quite skeptical; he wondered who was financing the new label, who was allowed in the club and seemed concerned that this might, just might be an attempt by the producers of that nasty industrial rum to do a little marketing of their own.

But now that the AOC-challenging WIRSPA scheme has failed, why, he's become a good friend and supporter. It really does make sense.

The whole, revealing story is (here).


Summary

It's gotta be hard being the Preacher, a rum rep and promoter who managed to paint himself into the expert's corner. His "...it's all good" rum website is nothing more or less than a commercial venture, designed to keep the spotlight shining and the clients coming. The site is tightly run by its tightly wound webmaster who daily whips the Shillery monkeys into fearful obedience. Critics are, uh, banned - before or after they leave, lol.

Rome burnt long ago.

Today, we are blessed with a growing number of less commercial, even independent commentators who do quite well, thank you, without the Prophet's blessing and commercial leadership. Many of these new voices are unwilling to accept the "...it's all good" mantra, and are working hard to promote purity and honesty in rum.

The many altered rums are more being recognized and challenged by these ever more sophisticated new voices. The days of Pyrat XO as a "gateway rum" are over. The days of Z-23 as "the world's greatest rum" are long over, and Zaphra is being discounted. The fasting growing sector today are whiskies - not rums - and especially the single malts, where real quality, purity and honesty prevails.

Take the hint rogue rum.

Still, there remain challenges. Take Ron de Jeremy for example...

[Capn Jimbo]

Late breaking news and the final word...

It appears this brief challenge to the Preacher has come to an halt, but ending - terrific! - with a senior member actually rising to my defense...

jrl915 (answering another poster): "So his claims about WIRSPA wanting monopoly on rum were just nonsense?"

I believe a more thorough review of his online writings will answer your question as to whether this position has much credibility.

Quite a smart post, indirectly slapping the Preacher's hand for criticising without reading, and urging his fellow poster to spend more time being educated by moi. Thank you. Jrl, you've got cojones and smarts enough to criticize indirectly - but trust me - the Preacher can spot sacrilege at sixty paces.

Proceed with caution...


*******

Capn's Log: I was kidding - sort of - but guess what? Jrl (who had been a regular poster for some years) disappeared from the Shillery less than two weeks after his unfortunate post supporting me. Coincidence?