By now you should be quite aware that rogue Rum is just chock full of completely bogus backstories about rum. The concept is to take a bit of distant and romantic history, or invent it, then somehow tie it to your modern and unrelated product.
Think Screech and Panama Red.
In truth there are only a few rums that really do have a relatively true and honest history. First and foremost, of course, is Mount Gay, dating from 1703. But there's also Bacardi, Appleton, Barbancourt and indirectly, even the El Dorados. And now there's yet another...
Privateer Rum of Ipswich, Massachusetts.
And their story is actually pretty authentic, at least in part. The modern co-partner, Andrew Cabot is actually a descendent of an Andrew Cabot (1750-1791), a successful entreprenuer and American patriot. The original Cabot was alleged to have co-owned a distillery producing rum, but according to young Cabot, then amassed a fleet of Privateers, mostly based in Beverly, Massachusetts. These privateers were licensed to seek and capture British ships and their cargos. Adding to the romance is young Cabot's noting that three of the ships were named Pilgrim, Revolution, and True American.
The tie to the present lies soley with the 6th generation Andrew Cabot, obviously of the same name. Young Cabot claims he was researching his geneology when he discovered this allegedly rich history and - lightbulb! - felt driven to express his heritage and open a craft distillery to make a rum named after his ancestor.
Based on this Cabot, his partner and his good man Watson, the master distiller then make claims like these:
1. “We’re not producing it the simple way, we’re producing it the hard way,” Clark said. “We believe in an artisanal and handcrafted (product).”
2. Privateer’s award-winning master distiller Eric Watson said, "Privateer Rum will be like no other rum available in America today. Our proprietary approach combines the best of old and new world practices, resulting in levels of character and complexity that often are not found in ultra premium rums today.”
3. "We're trying to re-create something that's extinct," Watson said. "In the 1700s, America was the biggest producer of rum (in the world)."
A Marketing Summary
In so many words, Cabot and his partner want you to buy a story of American patriotism, historically great American rum, to now be recaptured and improved by the historical imperative of his driven descendent.
How romantic!
But then truth intervenes...
Mind you, the story is actually true but, uh, not quite the way Privateer would have you imagine. Try these on for size...
1. If old man Cabot was a distiller of rum, he wasn't much of one and certainly wasn't known for it. Further, he was only a partner and found his true fortune in early shipping.
2. Privateers were not particularly patriotic, but often quite piratical in (a) for the money and (b) licensed to avoid hanging. They often treated the crews they captured quite poorly, unlike the British Royal Navy. In truth they were little more than licensed pirates.
3. New England rum was made mostly for the slave trade and was reported to be godawful nasty. Despite references to "great American rum", the most valued rums were those from Barbados and especially, Jamaica. These latter were imported for all important events, and commanded at least double the price of the New England swill.
4. The promo material would have you believe that Old Man Cabot owned 25 or 30 ships - privateers busy acting as patriotic Americans. Truth: a very lengthy report from the University of Massachusetts at Boston makes clear that fewer ships were owned, but that many were sponsored by long lists of co-owners/sponsors, which changed constantly.
5. It is certainly romantic to read that three of the ships were named "Pilgrim", "Revolution" and "True American" - but how about some of these:
Young Cabot could have just as easily and accurately reported the names Sturdy Beggar, Terrible Creature and Chance, perhaps more apropos for a start-up, lol. And as far as "...these were fast and maneuverable vessels that hunted British merchant ships across the North Atlantic...", the truth is that Cabot had interests in very different ships, from slow, large and voluminous to small, fast and undergunned.Essex (lost to the British), Defense (lost), Rambler (captured), Junius Brutus (captured), Active (captured), Buccanier (named after pirates), Shaker, Union, Sally (three boats), Three Friends, Starks, Saratoga (lost), Experiment, Beverly (lost), Commerce (captured), Cicero, Lyon, Snow Calo, Chance, Fly, Franklin, Hector, Neptune, Oliver Cromwell, Reprisal, Rover, Sebastion, Sturdy Beggar, Success, Terrible Creature, Two Friends, Black Prince, Snow Diana, Fortune, Starks, Hampton, Hope,
6. Seems that Old Man Cabot and his fellow investors were more like gambler/investors taking advantage of a war. Think Dick Cheney and Halliburton. Furthermore the ships had long lists of owners, or more typically "sponsors". To say that Cabot owned "25 or 30 privateers" is like saying he owned 30 different stocks in a mutual fund with high turnover.
7. As far as young Cabot chasing his destiny, it's fair to say he had a hard time finding it. From selling stocks, working in business, researching genomics, to employment in education - he just couldn't find his place. I wonder too that if his heritage was so important, why did it take a geneology to learn of it?University of Mass: "Shares in vessels were reckoned in eighths and multiples of that fraction and, in absence of other kinds of investment, the inhabitants of the seaport towns bought and sold them as stocks are bought and sold to-day.
Men used their shares in ships as collateral, bought and sold futures; hedged against possible losses; sold short and played the game for all it was worth, and a fascinating game it was: a hundred pounds invested might within thirty days pay back a thousand... one successful cruise might win a fortune."
The last word!
I actually like this backstory, for at least it has an element or two of truth to it. The tie between young and old Cabot is real and certainly interesting. But that's where it ends, and marketing begins.
1. New England rum was awful and tied to the slave trade. Not pretty, and not particularly admirable. Old Man Cabot didn't do well and sold out.
2. Old Man Cabot's interests in ships changed about as often as Young Cabot changed his underwear - 25 or 30 pairs.
3. Young Cabot's man Watson may have a hard time forging new ground. They appear to be using the same German Carl made modified pot still that many craft distillers use, and for the same reason. Classic rum was made in pure pot stills - adding a handy column to a Carl-like pot still allows distillers to produce other lighter spirits. A kinda insurance policy.
When Watson claims ""We're trying to re-create something that's extinct," Watson said. "In the 1700s, America was the biggest producer of rum (in the world).", he's not serious. America was not the biggest producer, then or now. And in the opinion of many, one and only one rum truly captures the real rum of the times, British Navy Rum - Pusser's Blue Label.
4. The claim that "Privateer Rum is like no other rum available" and that their Carl-like still will create "..levels of character and complexity that often are not found in ultra premium rums today" is what? Hype? All the craft guys say that. Still there's an element of truth in that.
No two fermentations, distillations, or bottlings are ever the same in batch distilling. BFD.
5. Privateer Rum is sold locally in bulk, and - interestingly - in barrels that are kept at the distillery. That's right - you buy a barrel, leave it at the distillery and can withdraw from it in small, micro-barrels (or even bottles). You can thus follow the development/aging of the spirit.
This also allows the distiller some variation in product, and perhaps even a degree of customization. An interesting concept, but how many of you are prepared to buy a barrel and take your chances with non-bonded storage? Still, a clever idea - though a list of outlets shows this rum will remain a sale to local, history oriented bars and restaurants.
Bottom Line:
All in all, I've got to clap hands for young Andrew Cabot. It takes cajones to engage a start-up in a very tough business. And I support especially the small craft distiller and their movement to produce new, handmade products.
Perhaps I'm wrong - Privateer Rum may indeed prove to live up to their inflated backstory and bold claims. It wouldn't be the first time...
