Hello from Seattle

Yes, the obligatory introductions section, but serves a good purpose - like a good, soft toilet paper - used only once but truly wonderful! "Here's to you and here's to me, may we never disagree - if perchance we ever do, here's to me and to hell with you!"
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arbeck
Landlubber
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Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 3:19 pm

Hello from Seattle

Post by arbeck »

Or more specifically the Miami airport as I'm traveling home from Barbados (and yes there's rum in my luggage).

I was a pretty devoted Bourbon drinker who is married to a lover of Tiki. For a long time there wasn't a real Tiki bar in Seattle, but we did have a rum bar (Rumba) that did a Tiki night. They also had a program where you could finish a rum map of 60 different rums. That sounded like a challenge, so over the past few months I got it completed. What I found is that the variations in rum are so vast that they make all Bourbon taste basically the same.

I'm not 100% opposed to things being added to rum. I think caramel color is basically harmless and wouldn't be opposed to sugar as long as the dosage amount is stated. That being said I do prefer Agricoles, Bajan's, unadulterated Demerara's, and pot still examples from Jamaica and St. Lucia. I usually like them neat and from 45-50% ABV. But you'll sometimes see me with a punch, daquiri, old fashioned, or even a Tiki cocktail.
four bells
Oscar
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Location: LONDON

Welcome...........

Post by four bells »

Hi arbeck,

I'm a landlubber too, I am drinking a bottle of ''Cadenhead's classic rum'' coming in at 50% with no additives that I think you would like.

I will review it soon in scuttlebutt which is in the crews quarters, enjoy the trip.
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Capn Jimbo
Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Welcome!


I should probably also say that although The Project was an early critic of sugar - we were not alone - that was based not on the idea that adding sugar was bad - but only if done openly and honestly.

When a so-called "world class rum" like Z-23 had 45 grams of sugar - per bottle, around 12 teaspoons - but refused to admit it, well that is a problem. The truth of the matter is that many distillers used hidden additives and adulterants like glycerol, flavorings and even cheap wine - all to trick up a cheap, industrially produced "rum" to seem older and more complex than it really was.

This is probably why bourbon seems much more uniform. It is! That's because there are no additives or trickery whatever, not even caramel color. Bourbon is honest - if you like it, it's because of honest and artistic fermentation, distilling and proper and honest aging.

Last - keep in mind that the Master Sugar List identifies nearly 400 rums that are produced and marketed honestly...
arbeck
Landlubber
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Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 3:19 pm

Post by arbeck »

The lack of additives helps with Bourbon to be sure, but if the fiasco with Templeton Rye taught us anything, it's that we really can't be that sure what smaller producers are going to do to their products.

The main thing that I feel makes Bourbon so much more uniform is that the requirements on proof off the still, proof into the barrel, and the use of only new barrels tend to make everything very similar in taste. Add into the that the fact that almost everyone is using very similar stills, and you get a lot of similar products.

The fact that rum has variations in source material (cane juice, cane syrup, molasses), still types, still proof, barrel proof, barrel type, etc; means that even without putting anything in, you can make rum taste very different.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Agreed, but with all that available by far most rum is aged in used bourbon barrels. Relatively little rum sees anything else.

Take away the hidden adulterants and flavorings and much rum can also be accused of blandness. To me the real artists are the Scotch and some Irish whiskies - where the differences are much more apparent and wonderful from region to region, and like bourbon, achieved without any funny business at all. Many are also free of even coloring.
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