Curiouser and Curiouser Dept: Hamilton's Calendar...

[Capn Jimbo]

It goes something like this...


1. Hamilton claims that his "Project" (his Freudian slip), is of roughly three years duration.

2. Finally in late 2011, he teases the idea of a high quality, very limited edition of 1000 bottles. He teases the notion that he will provide more information than any other distiller ever has. He includes:

Raw Material
Fermentation ABV
Date Distilled
Distillation ABV
Barrel Number
Date Barrel Filled
Barrel Volume
Barrel ABV
Date Barrel Emptied
Barrel ABV

For a name for his private selection he claims to like "Captain Hamilton" (more Freud?).

3. Not a peep but in late 2012, just months ago, he files for and obtains label approval for pick one: Edward Hamilton Signature Series or Ministry of Rum Collection for Worthy Park Jamaican Pot Still Rum, at 45%, and stating "no flavor or color agents". Terrific.

Specific and recent.

4. Then about three weeks ago Hamilton states that he's arranging shipping for 5000 liters or about 6700 bottles - of a rum that he is now calling "Hamilton Jamaican Pot Stilled Black", with no mention of the Worthy Park labels. Still no details beyond the name, and now the rum is colored and called "Black". This is usually applied to very young rums with heavy, heavy coloring. A downgrade? Sounds like it.

5. About two days later one monkey posts a link to the Worthy Park labels, and another notes that it's not colored. Hamilton let's them stew over a week, then finally states he just paid for shipment and posts his laundry list of "to-do's". this implies that he's up to about 13,000 "closures" (a screw top), and that he's ordered 5 gallons of caramel.

6. Within a day the Artic Wolf and Mikey spar over the meaning of what is a LOT of coloring caramel, 20 times more than needed. Wolf actually challenges Hamilton as to whether more than color is intended and wants to know if he has flavoring in mind.

7. Hamilton responds in another day, states the caramel coloring will be provided from a large local company called Sethness Caramel Color, but doesn't confirm the exact product, and states that the minimum order is 5 gallons (but that he does not intend to use it all). Last, he posts a link to a video dated 4/15 on You Tube, in which he interviews the company spokesman, and states he found Sethness by "googling"!? After three years of "planning"? Oh well.

Most important he notably avoids answering Wolf's question about any flavoring intent or effects of the unspecified "caramel". He claims making his own is too expensive, even though less than a liter of coloring would be sufficient.



My observations and questions:

This seems to be a product that changed in the last month from a long planned exclusive, high quality, very limited run to a proposal thirteen times larger, and what seems to now be a young and heavily colored "black rum" - a rapidly changing mosaic that is truly entertaining! Flavoring remains to be seen. Seeing the Wolf actually challenge his master on Hamilton's true intentions vis a vis caramel - color and/or flavor? - was a thrill, goosebumps right up my leg. Honest (I'm easily aroused).

Then watching Hamilton completely avoid Wolfie's direct questions re caramel flavoring really hit the spot. And wondering whether the Wolf will meekly accept the paw slap, or cleverly respond like the "1%" of old and press it a bit is truly worth sticking is worth your time to...

Stay tuned.