Open Fraud Dept: Blackwater "Picaroon" 'Rum'?

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Capn Jimbo
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Open Fraud Dept: Blackwater "Picaroon" 'Rum'?

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Blackwater "Picaroon" (rogue) Rum...


...seems openly and brazenly altered, at least if this report is true:
"For Picaroon Gold, we handcraft our own house caramel from evaporated cane juice and blend a small amount in with the original rum for an irresistible golden color and a toasted caramel sweetness that perfectly complements the vanilla and cream notes of the underlying spirit. Picaroon Gold is bottled at a slightly higher proof than Picaroon White.."
http://picaroonrum.com/#the-rum

Made with raw sugar (not molasses or cane juice), a strain of natural cane yeasts, column stills (with plates AND copper "packing" (a mesh, like a crude scrubbing pad). Personally I'm quite amazed (or maybe not) that distillation has deteriorated to the extent that gross alteration with food caramel (not E150a burnt caramel coloring) to both sweeten and color the rum (a practice long suspected, but now openly admitted).

With this in mind it's no surprise that this distiller even named this altered rum "Picaroon", which - I kid you not - actually means "Rogue". How appropriate - and brazen! It is simply amazing how many invented and tricked out spirits are being put forward as "rum", when we realize that every bottle sold hurts the wonderful pure and real rums produced...

Sickening.
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Fri Aug 14, 2015 6:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

And yet another...


Busted Barrel "Artisan" Rum.

Artisan? Really? Check this out:
"Busted Barrel Dark Rum is aged in charred, white American oak barrels for approximately three months with a handful of vanilla beans."
http://www.jerseyartisandistilling.com/

Yup, we're back to fast aging, supplanted by a handful of vanilla beans. And THAT is artisan? To be fair, most of us had great hopes for craft distilling to lead the way back to pure and real rums. Instead we get a bunch of hopheads who think they are making beer rather than rum, and where addtives and alteration is expected.

They not only admit it, but celebrate it. It's just plain mooseshite...
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Speaking of the craft beer connection (tons of additives and alterations)...


Catch this quote from the "Just Drinks" e-newsletter:
"There's also an intuitive sense that, because craft beer has made serious inroads into multi-national brewers' market share (in the US, it could be as much as 20% by value), then craft spirits will surely do likewise.

In an interview with just-drinks to be published this month, Brooklyn Brewery CEO Eric Ottaway said the craft segment is making its presence felt across all consumer sectors, not just beer. "People are consuming less but consuming better," Ottaway says. "Consumers have fundamentally changed."

However, according to a note from Bernstein analyst Trevor Stirling, it might not be that simple. Asking whether craft spirits will one day be as big as craft beer, Stirling replies: "We think not."
In other words, Stirling is assuming that (a) the mega-corporations are already making great spirits at good profit margins, and (b) that the craft distillers will not be able, like beer, to distinguish their products. However, as the above two examples demonstrate, craft spirits - desperate for distinction (and lacking the ability to properly age their products) - do have a way to distinguish themselves. It's simple.

Cheat openly, add shite, and brag about it.
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sad information

Post by mamajuana »

Capn Jimbo wrote:Blackwater "Picaroon" (rogue) Rum...

With this in mind it's no surprise that this distiller even named this altered rum "Picaroon", which - I kid you not - actually means "Rogue". How appropriate - and brazen! It is simply amazing how many invented and tricked out spirits are being put forward as "rum", when we realize that every bottle sold hurts the wonderful pure and real rums produced...

Sickening.
After reviewing this information it is pretty outrageous actually. After scanning the pages the information presented contradicts itself. Early on the page it reads :
From Maryland's oldest distillery, Blackwater Distilling, comes a rum unlike any other. Made from pressed sugar cane juice rather than molasses, Picaroon Maryland Rum layers bright notes of vanilla and cream over a sweet, lingering finish.
Later on the page...

we begin with pure, unadulterated cane sugar
Seems like they started out with an honest idea here that went down a dark path into the likes of Picaroon gold... one of the worst American offenders I've seen not even claiming to age for 6 long months just sweet dye.


As to the Busted barrel I find it upsetting they ruin a rum by adding vanilla beans into the barrels. What rum lover wants to buy a rum not labeled a vanilla bomb and get one. At least charbay labels their added vanilla which of course has caused me to avoid such bottle as I don't prefer rums that add vanilla.

Being white rum lover I may not be against sampling their white rums especially the Busted barrel white as it is a copper pot still rum with American made molasses but with these secretive/open additives if their "higher end" products its a toss up as to whether or not they have doctored up the white rum as well.


Vermont rum?

I have been looking up Vermont rums at after finding a few of their bottles in NY recently these are the 3 I ran across.


Smugglers' Notch Distillery 36.99 per bottle

The first is Smugglers' Notch Vermont liquor authority states 3+ years in white oak and 6+ months in 4 year used bourbon casks. Interesting process described on the website much much info missing. Thoughts Cap'n?


http://www.smugglersnotchdistillery.com/rum.html



Dunc's mill Backwoods Reserve 33.00 per bottle

Very little information about well anything really of their process but claims to be a pure rum. With Hungarian oak?
We age the Backwoods in specially selected small barrels of Hungarian oak in order to obtain a complex but surprisingly smooth flavor profile. Notes of sweet spice and vanilla round out this unique spirit.

http://www.duncsmill.com/our-rum/backwoods-reserve-rum/


Mad River First run rum 29.99 per bottle

Well another premium rum aged in charred oak for an unspecified time frame made with cane sugar. Then placed into numbered bottles. No other information to be had on this rum. They do have a gallery though which shows their stills and operation.

http://www.madriverdistillers.com/
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Post by GregS »

Well that's disappointing. I bought a bottle of this to support a fairly local distiller.

If I ever tour their distillery, maybe I'll get the nerve up to confront them with it.
Rum newbie interested in experiencing what the world of rum has to offer.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

I myself try hard to avoid confrontations, lol... give em hell. Distillers NEED to be confronted and rebuked if necessary.
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