I'm sure a number of you idiots belong to some of the same mailing list as me. Even some of the monkeys have it read to them. Here goes, folkers...
This national spirits blogger then goes on to point out some of the issues:Olly Wehring:" In announcing the launch of an ad campaign for Captain Morgan, the drinks giant described the brand as being a “rum-based spirit drink”. This was news to me: I mean, I know Pernod Ricard's Malibu is not, strictly speaking, a rum. But, Captain Morgan?"
1. "Captain Morgan Jamaican Black"' is a rum – everywhere in the world.
2. "Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum"' is sold primarily in the US and Canada, and under US law, and rest of world, it is a rum.
Now here's where it gets tricky...
3. "Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold"' is the name given to "Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum" in Europe. Under European law, it cannot be described as a rum due to the composition of the liquid – primarily the spices added to it and the ABV (35%). Therefore, in Europe, it must be described legally as “a rum-based spirit drink”.
I think the European Union has it right. Take a cheap continuously stilled rum, then fudge it up with "spices" - probably artificial, and not to mention all manner of other smoothers, sugar, and other additives - and you have?
A Rum-based Spirit Drink. Or a Flavored Rum. But not "rum", right? Not in North America, where the mega-lobbies wine and dine our legislators and alleged regulators who find ways to misinterpret our otherwise adequate regulations to allow altered, but tasty swill to be passed off as "rum", and to push the ever fewer real, pure and unadulterated rums off to the side (really).
Such is the "noble spirit" of our rum promoting shills. Stand up against this deception and fight for pure rum...
