Best in Class – The World Rum Awards

Bythefatrumpirate

Ron de Jeremy XO Rum review by the fat rum pirateI’m sure we have all seen the gold medals before, either on the actual bottle or for more premium offerings, on the box.

Indicating success at numerous competitions and award ceremonies.  Proof beyond all proof that what you have just shelled all that money out for is the crème de la crème of the rum world.

After all there is little more to say about a rum or any other product for that matter if it is an “award winning” product.  The very phrase suggests a quality product which is far better than others in its class.

However, with so many competitions and award ceremonies there are a number of rums claiming to be the best in the world and hundreds more claiming to be best in class.

Add to this ever growing number – the runners up, the silver medalists and the bronze medalists.  Thrown in the odd “honourable” mention and before you know it just about every rum on the planet has some kind of gong to be shouting about!

So here at thefatrumpirate.com we have decided to take a closer look into all these competitions and award ceremonies.  Scratch below the surface to reveal the true meaning of “Best in Class” or even more worrying “The Worlds Best”.

“Best in Class” will offer an insight into those shiny gold medals that glimmer at you from the bottles and boxes in the liquor store.

First up in the series is the aptly titled


World Rum Awards

 

 

 

(Click on the logo to be taken to the site)

I’ve been sitting on this article for quite some time waiting for the right time to publish. With the news (and its not an April fool) that Ron de Jeremy XO had won World’s Best Dark Rum Aged 13+ years, I felt it was about the right time.

The World Rum Awards are in conjunction with The Drinks Report (your first area of concern should be the companies tag line).

The World Rum Awards have been running since 2007 according to the website, yet they only show the winners for 2014 to 2016.  In 2014 Captain Bligh XO was the overall top choice, in 2015 Pusser’s 15 Year Old walked away with the title and this year the overall winner was the very handsomely title Bundaberg Rum Master Distillers’ Collection – Blenders Edition 2015.  Which must be a hell of a lot better than standard Bundy!

The first thing that strikes me as a little odd is the presence of Pusser’s.  No not in that they have won an award, as the World’s Best Rum (far worse rums have been given such accolades over the years) but more their presence as Best Overproof rum in 2014 and 2015.  The 15 Year Old has also won two awards in 2015 – Best Rum In the World and Best Dark Rum in the World.

The thing is the award winning Overproof Pusser’s is the “Super Overproof” 75% version not the 54.5% “Gunpowder” (old blue label in the UK).  Why is this odd? Well for a kick off its only available in Germany………Pussers Super Overproof rum review by the fat rum pirate

So what about this years awards? Well like previous years it seems that the same companies are winning big in multiple categories.  This years line up sees Bundaberg win the “Best” titles with two different rums.  Winning both the dark and gold title with the same rum!

Bayou rum walk away with gongs for both their Spiced and White variants.  I’ve little doubt further digging would probably reveal closer ties between some of these rums (producers, distributors, marketing teams etc)

Something also troubles me about Bundaberg winning the World’s Best Overall,  World’s Best Dark and World’s Best Gold.  How exactly are these rum’s being chosen and by whom?

Now this is the part where I must give the World Rum Awards some credit.  They are very transparent with regard how rums are selected and come to be in the competition.

The awards are split into two headings Taste and Design.

Taste

TASTE judging is conducted blind and held in three stages:

Round 1
Each rum is tasted in its relevant sub-category to identify and select the sub-category winners and award any medals. Judges making up the World Rum Awards panel include leading journalists, specialist drinks retailers, bartenders/mixologists and hoteliers.

Rounds 2 & 3
Sub-category winners are tasted against each other to identify the ‘Best’ rum in each category and the ‘Best’ rums in each category are then tasted against each other one last time to select the World’s Best Rum. Judges at this stage include those in Round 1 to whom are added a panel of leading distillers and experts from the international rum industry.

The Judging Criteria

Each entry is tasted blind and marked to an agreed and strictly enforced marking system. As well as nose, palate and finish the judges will look for:

  • Balance
  • Character
  • Complexity
  • Quality
  • Functionality

Design

All DESIGN judging is conducted by a panel of leading international design experts.

Round 1
Each product is reviewed in its relevant category to identify and select the category winners and award any medals.

Round 2
Category winners from Round 1 are assessed against one other to identify the ‘World’s Best Rum Design’ and the highest scoring products are then added together to select the ‘World’s Best Rum Design Agency’.

Design Awards

Judges will assess entries purely on the quality of the design and innovative use of materials and production techniques. All entries in each category are judged together by all judges and are scored against clearly defined criteria:

  • Breakthrough in category
  • Confidence
  • Craft skills
  • Insight
  • Inspiration

Now this is all well and good.  Okay I’m not too stuck on the whole “Design Awards” but hey each to their own.

If you enter the World Rum Awards they promise logo packs and inclusion in the World Rum Awards Boxed Set.  Basically the World Rum Awards will give your brand a real push in the marketing world.  Coverage in the press and a strong presence at trade fairs etc.

Except all this advertising and help from the World Rum Awards isn’t free.  To enter your rum into the World Rum Awards it will set you back as follows

1 entry £192

2 entries £186 each

3 entries £180 each

4 entries £174 each

Now for many distillers and brands this doesn’t represent much of an outlay.  Pusser’s and Bundaberg clearly saw this as an ideal opportunity to put more than one entry into the Competition.

It also seems that for the 2016 awards more categories have been added. This link takes you into all the categories and winners.  There were certainly more opportunities to “win” an award this year.

If you analyse each category more closely you will notice that most categories do not have the promised Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.  More often than not there is just the overall winner.  So why might this be?

imageWell from looking right through all the entries it appears only a few companies have even taken part.

The Design Category is even worse with El Ron Prohibido getting best Design in 2015.  Clearly the almost photocopy standard of the label had little effect on the judges……..

Now I appreciate the transparency of the information provided to us by the World Rum Awards – even if you do have to do a little digging to find it all.  The idea that the rum is blind tasted is a good one.  However, there seems little value to running a serious 2 stage competition when you have only one entry for a particular category.

There is also little information on who the judges actually are…….

This competition hasn’t really caught the imagination.  If I was however in charge of a smaller distillery or brand trying to get recognised I would certainly pay the entry fee – and hope the number of entrants remains low.Captain Bligh XO Reserve Rum

I bought a bottle of Captain Bligh XO (not on the basis of winning this award I must add) and it had all the stickers and logos on the box concerning its “victory”.  Captain Bligh XO and Pussers aren’t bad rums by any stretch of the imagination, that’s not what this is about.

However, being the Best Rum in the World based on being the only entrant isn’t really helping consumers make wise choices.

If Ron de Jeremy XO is the best Gold rum aged 13+ years then I have no idea what I am talking about and my review is complete b*llocks.

Just for clarity this isn’t an attack on any of the rum brands involved in the competition or the organisers.  I’ve merely used the information freely available to try and capture exactly how this competition is ran.  If anyone involved in the competition wishes to clarify any of the points I have raised please feel free to contact us.

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    Bythefatrumpirate

    kill devil cuba santci spiritus rum review by the fat rum pirateKill Devil are and ever increasing range of Independently bottled rums from Whisky bottler Hunter Laing.  Unsurprisingly perhaps Whisky based online retailers such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt have been stocking their rums from the outset.

    As a curious rum consumer and a lover of Independent bottlers I’ve found myself with a good few bottles and samples.

    Today we have a 17 Year Old Cuban rum from the Sancti Spiritus distillery.  I have tried in vain to find any meaningful information on this distiilery.  It has been in operation since 1946.  It also produced a short lived rum called Paraiso which was intended for the UK market.  As far as I can see it never really caught on.  Other than seeing the name on other Independent bottlers such as WM Cadenheads and Bristol Classic Rum I have drawn a blank.  The name of the distillery doesn’t help much as its the name for a province in Central Cuba.

    Kill Devil have released two different casks from the Sancti Spiritus Distillery – both aged 17 years.  This particular rum was distilled in January 1999 (the other was July 1998).  It is one of only 362 bottles from a single cask.  It is bottled at 46% ABV.  It will set you back around £60 in the UK.  For those interested in Kill Devil rums but put off by the ABV i.e. not Cask Strength – they will shortly be releasing some Cask Strength rum as well.

    My experience with Cuban rum has increased recently with a visit to Spain.  Where it is very popular and inexpensive.  I also have past experience of a 10 Year Old Sancti Spiritus rum from Bristol Classic Rum.

    Kill-Devil-Cuba-Sancti-Spiritus-17-Jahre-Single-Cask-Rum-tube-510x767

    The presentation of the rum I like.  It’s consistent with their others offerings and its always nice to get a good quality cylinder to store your rum.  Information regarding the bottling is also a bonus.  Something which should be done a lot more in my opinion.

    In the glass the rum is a very light straw like colour.  As with most “ron” the rum is produced on multi column stills.

    It doesn’t appear to have been coloured in anyway though it may have been lightly filtered.

    The nose is the first surprise for me.  It’s quite aggressive.  It is not as sweet as most Cuban rum I have tried.  It is not as clean and grassy as the Bristol 10 Year Old I reviewed earlier this year.

    Predominantly it has a tarry note.  There is a little sweetness – almost citrus like.  It is quite an oaked rum.  Unlike many Cuban rums this oak isn’t charred though. It’s quite clean and very woody.  Vanilla wafts in and out of the mix.

    Sipped it is very spicy.  Quite heated initially.  This fades quite quickly though.  There is a decent amount of flavour in the mid palate – it’s a pretty dry oaked rum.  It leaves behind a good hit of oak and smoky notes.  The finish isn’t long but it is pleasant.

    It is not a rum that I would pick out as being a Cuban rum.  It is not representative of the that style.  At least not the style which is commercially popular.  Much like the Kill Devil Guatemala – it offers a very different perspective on what can come out of certain countries.

    Being single cask it hasn’t benefitted from any blending.  As a result it does have a few rough edges.  It comes close to having the balance of a Bajan but it has an extra bite to it.  The tar or spice puts it a little of balance.  It is perhaps just a touch too dry for my palate.  Maybe it strays to close to whisky for my liking.

    What shouldn’t be ignored though is how good the spirit is.  It’s punchy.  It’s certainly not a light Cuban style “ron”.  Maybe an almost Caroni like note to it -slightly industrial.

    Another positive addition to the Kill Devil range.  If you want to try a Cuban rum stripped bare (rumour has it wine and vermouth is often added to the aguardientes) this is certainly a good place to start.

    3.5 stars

     

     

     

     

  • Mount Gay Silver

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Mount Gay Silver Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMount Gay Silver.  The term “silver” when referring to white rum is not commonly used in releases in the UK and Europe. It seems to be a US thing.  I suppose calling it silver rum makes as much sense as calling it white.  It’s neither after all – clear rum if anything.

    This rum from Mount Gay has proved quite difficult to find.  For some (likely political/territorial) reason whilst Mount Gay’s other entry level rum – the gold Eclipse is widely available in the UK, no white (or silver) bottling is easily found.

    Occasionally a store such as the Whisky Exchange may import a limited amount but it is very infrequent.  In the end I decided to add this bottling onto an order from Excellence Rhum in France.

    It worked out fairly pricey. Just under £30 for a 70cl bottle.  The ABV is 40%.  If it were commercially available here in the UK I would expect it to retail at the same price as the Eclipse. It was previously called Eclipse Silver after all.

    Mount Gay Silver is blend of pot and column distilled spirit.  The Mount Gay website is, sadly lacking any real details. Which is a disappointment.  I presume this has been briefly aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being filtered to make it clear, sorry silver.

    We’ve covered most of Mount Gay’s releases to date – some are to difficult to find like the Origins Series Volume 1 or the old style 100 Eclipse Black.  They have, in my opinion been left behind in terms of innovation and creativity by Foursquare recently.  They still though I suspect shift more units than Foursquare globally. Recent figures show that to be the case.

    With a distinct lack of information or anything of real interest to say about Mount Gay beyond what I’ve said before I may as well get on with it and let you know how I found this white, sorry silver rum.

    In the glass the rum is completely transparent. The nose gives familiar notes of Mount Gay rum – dessicated coconut, hints of banana and wafts of vanilla. It’s light and very approachable. The alcohol is notable by its absence. As is any sense of any real ageing in terms of oaky-ness and spice in the mix. It’s all very light and reminiscent of the central American white rums. Which are often distilled and filtered to within a millimetre of being vodka, some perhaps are.Mount Gay Silver Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Having said that, there is enough in the profile left to reassure me we are dealing with a white rum.

    Sipping the rum is also a very surprisingly easy going experience. I expect a lot more burn and bite from white rums especially at entry level. This is really easy going. Perhaps to easy going, as it doesn’t really produce a great deal of flavour. Vanilla is perhaps most prominent backed up with some of that coconut.

    Mixing it with my usual diet cola it does very little really. It kind of disappears into the cola and doesn’t really offer much flavour. Botran Reserva Blanca and the Real McCoy 3 did a lot more than this. Strangely the alcohol notes seem more prominent giving a bit of a kick but not really anything to get to excited about.

    It works a little better with less demanding mixers such as soda and even lemonade. It probably works nicely in cocktails – the way a more neutral tasting white rum or vodka might.

    I’m not hugely surprised with this one to be honest. It’s rarely spoken of. I’ve never been a big fan of the normal Eclipse. No matter how many times I re-try it. I certainly wouldn’t rush to pay £30 plus for another bottle. £15 it might do okay as a weekend mixer if I was stuck for such a thing. Having said that I could get 1 litre of Supermarket white albeit with a slightly lower ABV for around the same price. In terms of level the rums are strikingly similar.

    Mount Gay Silver Rum Review by the fat rum pirateOverall as a producer I really enjoy their aged line up – Black Barrel and the Extra Old but their entry level stuff leaves me cold. I’m hoping they start innovating with their aged rums in the way Richard Seale has over at Foursquare. Whilst volume wise they are winning they are getting talked about less and less in the more serious rum circles.

    Which is a shame for such a producer but unfortunately they have rather stood still for a bit too long now. Black Barrel was a replacement and whilst the Distillery Collection rums are a nice addition they aren’t pushing things the way other producers are. With Maison Ferrand now having a controlling stake in WIRD Mount Gay might have to adapt and innovate.

    Having said that as long as people buy enough Eclipse maybe they are happy with that? I’m not but hey I’m one person after all, with a very different view of the rum world to most.

    Even still this white rum is all a little bit flat sadly.

     

     

  • Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum – Release #1

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum - Release #1Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum – Release #1. This is the first aged rum release from Scotland’s Ninefold Rum Distillery. It follows on from last years unaged  release of Pot Still Pure Single Rum.

    The distillery is situated in the South of Scotland at Dormont Home Farm, near Dalton in Dumfries and Galloway. The distillery is house in a converted stone farm building. Their rums are produced on a Scottish made Copper Pot Still. Should you wish to learn more about Ninefold Distillery then their website is a good start. I also interviewed Kit Carruthers Head Distiller/Owner here.

    So, lets move on and see exactly what the make up of this rum is. First up the rum is a blend of the four “experimental” rums produced at the distillery in 2019. There are 4 barrels of this rum available and this is barrel #1. I am assuming the remaining barrels will be aged for longer periods and released at a later date. Quite an easy assumption to make I would think, unless Dr Carruthers has a time machine…….I wouldn’t put it past him.

    The rum is produced from imported molasses and distilled in small batches on a purpose built Copper Pot Still. This release has been aged for 12 months in a Virgin American Small White Oak Barrel. A fresh bourbon barrel if you want to think of it that way.

    There were 246 70cl bottles of Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum – Release #1 available upon release. The rum has been individually bottled and hand signed by Kit. I have bottle number 78 as this was the year of my birth (and 13 had already been sold).

    It has been bottled at Cask Strength so comes in at a hefty 59.6% ABV. It is available direct from Ninefold and retails at £45.

    Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum - Release #1 Rum review by the fat rum piratePresentation wise Ninefold have a very strong branding throughout their website and bottlings. Once again they have produced a very premium and very modern looking product. To be honest if I ever do a bottling I’ll be asking Kit who his graphic designer is, as I think the presentation is top notch. I love the 3/4 sized bottle and the chunky wooden topped synthetic cork stopper gives a very satisfying “pop” when opened.

    Which is exactly what I have just done.

    I’m not one for directing people to music videos (I find it a bit pretentious) but if you click on the following link and go to around 00:50 you will get my general impression of the nose on this…….

    Thick, indulgent, treacly, sweet, golden, syrupy goodness. Caramac bars, you might have to look those up (and probably everything that is about to follow), Highland Toffee, Tunnocks Caramel Wafers, Red Kola, Macaroni Pie, Haggis, Neeps, Tatties, Kilts, Russ Abbot Wigs (okay I may be making a few of those up)

    Seriously though the nose on this is a full on molasses assault. A bit of time in the glass to breathe is needed to see if anything else comes through on the nose. Which it does some super glue and pencil shavings kick in. Black Pepper and some menthol cough sweets. It’s medicinal with a nice back drop of some oak and freshly chopped wood.

    It’s fiery, boozy and menacing – the molasses notes are dark and rich. Thick and gloopy.

    Sipped at the full 59.6% ABV it is hot. Boozy and full of flavour. The woody notes of oak are warm and very intense. Lots of wood, ginger and fiery chilli pepper heat. It takes a glass or two to get used to this wee beastie.

    It’s worth sitting with though and giving time. Once your senses have recovered (and maybe you’ve added a drop or two of water) the rum really opens up.

    The initial entry is sweet with all the molasses notes promised on the nose. The mid palate is full of spicy green jalapeno’s and rich warming oak spice. The absence of vanilla is probably due to the Virgin Oak – I’d be keen to try this in an ex-bourbon barrel as it might give it a slightly softer, more approachable aura.

    That said I’m enjoying this. It’s finish is quite savoury with yet more spice and a slightly malty note. It’s long and it becomes very “minty” with lots of menthol and cough mixture like elements kicking in.

    Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum - Release #1 Rum review by the fat rum pirateIn many ways this rum is a bit of a a funny one. It’s big, bold and brash but at the same time has a sweetness and a “more-ish” factor to it which really draws you in.

    Beyond sipping I think this will also work really well in any cocktail that demands a bit of “oomph”. Both in terms of ABV and full on flavour this really delivers. I dare say this would work well in a Mai Tai or as a very boozy Daiquiri. My signature serve a Rum and Coke has went down very nicely and I dare say this is very definitely fally down juice……..

    Hoots Mon! There’s joose, loose aboot Kit’s hoose………….

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Kill Devil Barbados Aged 14 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Kill Devil Barbados Aged 14 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateKill Devil Barbados Aged 14 Years. Another Kill Devil rum from Hunter Laing and another Single Blended rum from the Foursquare Distillery, Barbados.

    As with all the Kill Devil rums (aside from a couple of blends) this is a single cask rum. Kill Devil have coloured coded their rums. All the rums in the range come in the familiar black cylinder and opaque bottle. However those issued at Cask Strength have a black and purple/pink colour scheme. Those that are diluted to 46% ABV maintain the black and gold colour scheme.

    As already mentioned this single cask rum was distilled at the famous Foursquare distillery in Barbados, home to many high-quality brands. Foursquare are growing an incredible reputation for producing some of the best rums on the market with their Exceptional Cask Series and bottlings such as Fousquare 2006, Triptych and Principia.

    Distilled in August 2001 and aged for 14 years in a single cask, this is limited to 353 bottles. It is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rum. The exact make up of I am unsure of. When it was available (you will find bottles on Whisky Auction sites) it would have set you back around £50. It was released back in 2016. To be honest the delay has occurred with me forgetting about a box of samples I had put away.

    Kill Devil Barbados Aged 14 Years is straw coloured in the glass.  This suggests mostly continental ageing in Europe. The nose is welcoming – nice oak and spice notes mingle alongside some banana and coconut. A touch of lime zest on the nose and a pinch of nutmeg. It is typical Foursquare in that it has a wonderful balance and the intergration of each note is so well done it is almost as if it is planned with military precision to turn out like this.Kill Devil Barbados Aged 14 Years Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Sipped you can tell it is aged in Europe despite its relatively “old” age. It’s quite spicy and a little heated. Notes of ginger and all spice on the palate especially on the entry. It is not as “smooth” as other rums of similar age which have had the benefit of tropical ageing. It reminds me a little of Foursquare 2004 ECS in its spiciness and bourbon-esque zesty qualitites. At 46% ABV though its fairly easy going and reltively well balanced. The coconut comes through unfortunately a lot of the banana is left behind. You do get quite a lot of oak though particularly on the finish.

    There is a touch of a medicinal herbal note as the sip progresses into caramel and brown sugar, with notes ot toffee.

    Its easy to sip and goes down very nicely. The finish is a reasonable length though nothing exceptional. It has a nice woodiness to it and a touch of zest and just the tiniest note of turmeric makes a little appearance.

    Another great offering from both Kill Devil and Foursquare. Due to sheer volume of Independent bottlings of Foursquare rum coupled with the amount of official releases coming out of the distillery I wouldn’t break the bank to get this on the secondary market. Unless of course you are some kind of rabid Foursquare collector. It’s very good, of course but I personally wouldn’t pay more than £60 for a bottle if I saw one for sale. There are simply so many other options out there and in all honesty you’ll never try every cask of Foursquare rum even if you set out to try and do so.

     

  • Rum Nation Panama 18 Year Old – 2014

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum Nation Panama 18 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateRum Nation are an Italian Independent bottler headed up by Fabio Rossi.  It was formed in 1999 and has the tagline Single Domaine Rum.

    In keeping with many Independent bottlers Rum Nation do not give specific information on the distillery and or still.  In most instances you just get the country of origin.

    This rum was released in 2014, unlike the 2015 and 2016 release it is not marked as an solera rum.  So this is a rum which should be wholly at least 18 years old………

    It is likely that this rum hails from the Don Jose Distillery in Panama – home of Ron Abuelo.  As far as I am aware all rum made in Panama is produced on a column still.  My previous experience of an aged Panama Rum was also a Independent bottling by Mezan.  I’ll be very happy with this if it matches that rum!

    A bottle will set you back around £55 (it is still available online) and it comes in a very nice cut out card sleeve with the Rum Nation logo and a little information on the brand.  The bottle is a nice stubby style bottle with a nice cork enclosure.  The distinctive thing about the Rum Nation bottlings is that each has a picture of a stamp from the country of origin.  A kind of homage to Fabio’s stamp collecting grandfather.  It is bottled at 40% ABV.

    When poured the rum is rich golden brown (almost suspiciously so). The nose is very gentle and there is little by way of any alcohol burn.  It is very wine/cognac like and reminiscent equally of Ron Abuelo and Barbancourt rums.

    It is however, notably sweeter than Barbancourt and you quickly get past the wine like notes into rich raisins and prunes.  There are some notes of oak ageing and a slightly spicy note, but not a great deal.

    Rum Nation Panama 18 Year Old 2014 review by the fat rum pirate

    Sipping the rum you get an initial rush of sweetness.  Strong sugary notes, a little toffee and hints of liquorice.  These quickly give way to what can only be described as a slightly peculiar almost red wine like note mixed with oak chips.  There is even an almost soapy note. Which is actually slightly more pleasant than it sounds.

    The finish is quite long and overall quite pleasant and warming.  It’s very light,  buttery and easy to drink.

    The rum has a couple of off notes. It is almost vinegary at times and the soapiness is a little odd.  It has 23 g/L of “additives” – which may not all be entirely down to Rum Nation as Don Jose Distillery are noted as adding sugar (or something) to their rums.

    The additives certainly do smooth out this rum.  A little too much for me.  I would much rather taste the distillate as is – even with the rougher edges.  I don’t expect when sipping rum to get Bailey’s after all!

    I’ve read the notes on the Rum Nation website and to be honest I agree with very little of them.  It is nowhere as near as complex as they are trying to make out.

    The rum sadly has a little bit of the Ron Millonario feel to it.  Admittedly it is much better, buts its still disappointing.  For £55-60, which is how much this retails for I could be well on the way to owning a bottle of both Barbancourt 5 Star and a Mezan Panama.

    Whilst this doesn’t hit the depths of the atrocious Ron Millonario XO it is still pretty disappointing for an 18 year old rum of any origin.  It’s a direction I think Rum Nation do themselves a dis-service by heading in.

    Bang average and vastly overrated.

    2 stars

     

     

  • National Rum Day

    Bythefatrumpirate

    National Rum DayToday 16th August 2015 is National Rum Day.  In quite what nation it is intended to be celebrated I’m not sure.  Some people have also called it International Rum Day.  The website for this event is also lacking any real information on who is behind this event.

    A little more digging and a look on the events Twitter feed indicates that the National Rum Day is a US based event.  Still it doesn’t seem anyone is that bothered about who celebrates it! Tweets and photo’s should be tagged #NationalRumDay..

    Whilst I’m all for getting involved in events with a historical nature such as Black Tot Day I’m not really sure what National (or International) Rum Day is hoping to achive.  First up this years event is a Sunday, which really isn’t the best day for an event which involves booze!

    The event doesn’t seem to have really caught many peoples interest or notice.  It seems in many ways little more than a slightly cynical marketing exercise.  It just seems to have been chosen at random, I have no idea who is behind it but it doesn’t seem to have any real backing from the Rum World.  It all just looks and feels a little bit half arsed.

    Other than getting a few more people in the bars on a Sunday I can’t really see what else it is achieving.  I’m not against this event in anyway but it certainly needs to up its game.  At the moment it really is very much a non-event.  If this is going to gain any momentum then it needs to get the industry and key players more involved.  In some ways it seems little more than a marketing ploy for someone to make a bob or two.

    Overall disappointingly done.

2 Comments

  1. Ron De Jeremy is a brand that a Finnish advertising agency made up. They got bulk rum blended at least supposedly by Don Pancho (who has been pushed to the audience as a gran ronero in last 5 years). The rum is sweetened, no doubt with glycerines and some simple essences – or at least the taste reeks of this to my palate. A fun idea – but not a rum that I’d be excited about, to be honest. Now how to make an XO out of it? Add MORE sugar…for that smooth, sweetttt taste. Nuff said…

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