Manchester Rum Festival 8th June 2019

Bythefatrumpirate

MANCHESTER RUM FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR A THIRD YEAR
‘The perfect Christmas present for rum lovers’

Rum advocate and Manchester based Dave Marsland of Drinks Enthusiast is bringing back Manchester Rum Festival for a 3rd year running, hosting it at the new event and exhibition space Brickworks, within Barton Arcade on Deansgate. Saturday 8th June 2019 will see an expansion of the previous two sold-out festivals, resulting in both an afternoon and evening session for the first time, with ticket prices frozen from the 2018 festival, staying at £20 per person.

Seminar Room Added for 2019!

The festival, created by Dave in 2017 to show that Manchester and the North of England are contributing in a major way to the growing rum category, will feature for the first time a seminar room that will house some of the world’s best rum speakers, brand owners and cocktail bartenders. It will also see the return of Revolución de Cuba as the festivals bar supporter, offering a variety of rum cocktails through their Cuban bar experience. The in-house festival shop will also be present once again, this time hosted by Marigot Bay Bar and Café, the latest venture opened by Dave in July 2018 in Altrincham. Alston Bar and Beef are also returning as one of the festival’s food vendors.

Revolucion de Cuba Return! 

Exhibitors will be announced over the coming months through the festival website and social media pages, as well as further activities around the city. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.manchesterrumfestival.com

Last year’s event was epic (as was the year before) so we’d thoroughly recommend getting yourself along this year. Tickets sell out fast. For more information I had a chat with Dave last year about the event.

Similar Posts

  • Rum of the Year 2016

    Bythefatrumpirate

    the fat rum pirate rum of the year 2016 review blogger rum awardIn a world dominated by click bait “lists” we will keep things very simple.  Each year we will award ONE rum as our Rum of the Year. 

    The rum which will be crowned as Rum of the Year must have been released that year.  It also must be commercially available to the average rum consumer.  Any rums which were available prior to 2016 are ineligible.  Likewise any bottlings that were extremely limited or are unavailable as of today are also out.

    There is little point me telling you to buy a rum you have been buying for years or advising you got get a rum that is no longer on sale!

    So what has caught our eye in 2016? 

    First up, I’ll throw out a little curveball.  After a lot of very clever promotional work one particular rum finally made its way to UK shores.  Inspired by Dickensian folklore Plantation Rum released a Pineapple flavoured rum.  Now I know a lot of you will immediately be thinking about Bacardi or Captain Morgan’s various flavoured efforts.  No doubt pulling a funny face about the prospect of a truly great flavoured rum.  Those of you fortunate enough to have tried this rum however, will know it truly was one of the years great rum releases.  Step forward Stiggins’ Fancy – a rum which really raised the bar in the flavoured/spiced segment of the market.

    Don Q Gran Anejo rum review by the fat rum pirateAnother contender for the crown this year came from the long established Don brand.  Whilst not strictly a new release the Gran Anejo was given a makeover.  In terms of the UK market it was finally given an “official” release.  The Don Q Gran Anejo is a wonderful example of a well balanced pure rum.  Highly recommended.

    So as we are talking pure rum we may as well focus on the actual winner of Rum of the Year for 2016.

    As in 2015 the award once again goes to Foursquare Distillery.  Up until a few years ago Foursquare were famous for their R L Seale’s 10 Year Old, Doorly’s XO and their Spiced Rum.  Little had really changed for some years. Whilst they were well respected in the rum world they weren’t exciting or really pushing the category.

    Over the past few years things have changed dramatically at Foursquare.  The distillery has released a couple of 12 year old rums in Doorly’s 12 and Rum Sixty Six. Experimented with two wonderful cask finish rums in their Port and Zinfandel Cask Finishes.  They have also released a great line up under the Real McCoy banner.  Velier Foursquare 2006 Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    The Zinfandel cask would have been a great follow up to 2015 Rum of the Year the Port Cask Finish, I felt that Foursquare had released a rum which was equally as good but a lot more significant in the greater scheme of things.

    2016 will be remembered by many for the Velier Foursquare 2006.  A wonderful cask strength rum which was finished in Cognac casks.  Unfortunately, this rum was too limited and was snapped too quickly for me to be able to select this as Rum of the Year.  You can’t go out and buy it today – other than at auction.

    The Rum of the Year for 2016 is instead a Foursquare vintage from 2004.  Aged for 11 years in ex Bourbon casks and coming in with a 59% full proof ABV.

    Step forward Foursquare Rum Distillery 2004 Single Blended Rum.

    This is the direction rum is heading amongst true rum fans.  It’s what many of us have been wishing for.  Richard Seale has listened and moved with the times and has  released a rum at Cask Strength.  He has also made it commercially available.  Half the price of the Velier offering and every bit as good.

    Foursquare Rum Distilery 2004 rum review by the fat rum pirateI feel this rum is a true watershed moment and it should make other rum producers sit up and take notice.  I do not believe it is a coincidence that Mount Gay have since released a limited edition Cask Strength version of their own iconic XO.

    I’ll quote the rear label on the bottle which further emphasises where rum is headed

    “A blend of rums from the artisanal pot distillation and traditional twin column continuous distillation of Foursquare, aged for a full eleven years in ex bourbon casks.

    Pure rum, no sugar or other flavour has been added”

    This rum truly is exceptional and is without doubt a game changer. 

     

     

     

     

  • An Interview with Serge Valentin – Whiskyfun.com

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Serge Valentin an interview with by the fat rum pirateSome but maybe not all of you, will be familiar with Serge Valentin.  Serge runs the extremely popular whisky website Whisky Fun.  In recent years Serge has begun seeking out “Malternatives” often in the shape of rum.

    Serge’s pocket sized reviews and commitment to the website mean that he publishes hundreds of notes every month. New reviews are published pretty much on a daily basis.  Accurate, interesting tasting notes and an almost immediate assessment has ensured the sites popularity.

    However, a reviewer is only as good as his reputation and Serge’s success reflects his knowledge of Whisky and other spirits.  Throw in some more idiosyncratic elements on such as cartoons and Jazz reviews/recommendations and Whisky Fun offers something very different to most standard whisky sites.

    Serge is the second person with more of a Whisky background (Dave Broom being the first), who I have sought out to ask some questions for the site.  I’m sure once you begin reading his responses you will understand why I was so keen to ask him about rum.  Serge is not commercially linked to anything in the industry so he offers his personal opinions.

    Like Dave Broom before him he might not be a Rum Expert in his own eyes but he certainly is in mine….

    1. Serge you are very well known in the Whisky world for your website – Whisky Fun.com.  With over 12,0000 whiskies sampled to date, what made you want to also begin sampling and reviewing rums?

    Perhaps those 12,000 whiskies! In fact I had accumulated many samples and bottles of rum over the years and thought I should do something with them. I was also getting many requests from whisky people, partly because interesting whiskies became so expensive and branding so dominant. In a way, rum was seen as more naïve and authentic quite a few years back… and cheaper. And after all, aged rums can be very similar to whisky, same with cognac, armagnac, calvados, tequila… I believe very old spirits kind of converge and should you try some of them blind, I’m not sure everyone could tell which is which.

    2. Was their any particular person or any particular experience which led you to want to experiment with “Malternatives”?

    Oh yes, some good independent bottlers who always had a few great rums and who would have given you one or two samples hidden amongst their whiskies, almost inadvertently. Gordon & MacPhail, W.M. Cadenhead, Samaroli… Some famous retailers have also been at the forefront and have influenced me, such as La Maison du Whisky. They always had flair.The classic is a blending of several dark rums from Guyana (Demerara mainly) the age is around 5-7 years old but they will use up to 10 year old for the consistency as and when needed.

    3. A slightly envious question – You get some cracking samples particularly of old and rare rums, which many of us Rum Reviewers would be over the moon to receive.  You must have some very good connections in the rum world?  Which people in the rum world are you in regular contact with?

    Collecting friends and bottlers! You know both worlds tend to overlap more and more, and most hardcore whisky people have loads of rum too. So whenever they open a rare old bottle, some like to let me taste it. Also, more and more whisky bottlers are doing rum too. The Germans, Italians, Brits, French… They know the high-end whisky market is moving towards other categories, so they may believe that a whisky taster has got a worthy audience in that respect. And I do buy some too! What’s more, we have a small group called the Rumaniacs, with several collectors, and quite some rare rum is shared within that group.

    4. You have always been clear on what styles of Whisky you enjoy such as Clynelish.  Any styles of rum you particularly fond of?

    First and foremost I remain a whisky lover, so my favourite rums are the ones that, indeed, I call ‘the malternatives’, which gather their character from the distillate rather than entirely from the casks or from flavouring.

    5. Any styles you are not so keen on?

    Yes, either the very light and thin ethanol-y ones. Not that they’re bad (they cannot be since there’s nothing inside) but I find them uninteresting, or the flavoured ones, which I just hate. Liqueurs called rum, usually pure ethanol, flavoured with sugar, vanillin, coffee and god knows what else and thickened with glycerol. From a whisky lover’s point of view, those are undrinkable and make you want to reach for your toothbrush (or a lot of crushed ice).. I’m not keen on fake ages and vintages either, or fake provenances etc but that’s another story.

    6. Richard Seale and Luca Gargano are trying to introduce a new classification system? Have you seen the proposals and what are your thoughts?

    Absolutely. I’d leave those issues to genuine rum experts, but I’m rather sure they’re right. It’s a scandal that someone making proper rum would have to compete with fraudsters (sVelier Foursquare 2006 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateome call them brand-builders) who are just cheating and are getting away with that, because the category is so badly regulated.  Or when there are regulations, those aren’t enforced.  Don’t ask me why. Perhaps because money has no smell. But educating people is a tough job, because the vast majority of the people who are commenting on those issues do benefit from the smokescreens and are actually doing their best to discretely keep the fire burning. Salesmen, industry people, brand ambassadors, retailers, commercial journalists, PR people etc.

    Many are great people but they’re everywhere and they do their best to try control the conversations. Although I wouldn’t blame them, they are friendly, they are doing their jobs and they often do them very well. But they are easy to spot, they usually use words such as ‘inquisition’, ‘instant experts’, ‘irrelevant’, ‘white-knight’ or ‘know-nothing’ when talking about you. All words that actually mean ‘ouch, touché!


    7. Do you think rum needs to shed its “Rum is Fun” moniker?

    No ideas, I’m afraid. I’ve never quite been exposed to those ambiances and ideas, and to me rum is just like whisky. Although I’d prefer “Rum is Funk”, and hope it won’t become “Rum is Junk” because of some high-selling monsters that are appealing to the sugar-hungry masses. I know I’m sounding like an elitist, and that ‘each to his own’ and that ‘everyone’s got an opinion and all opinions are equal’ etc. Sure, but opinions ought to be educated, or they sink to the bottom sooner or later.

    8. What is your position on additives, in particular sugar in the rum world?

    A swindle. The worst part is when brands tell that it’s traditional to add cartloads of sugar, while it’s not. I mean, to rum. It’s all fake, and adding the picture of a forgotten hero of the revolucion won’t make your lab ‘rum’ any more authentic.

    9. It is now being suggested that an arguably even more sinister trend is occurring in mass produced rum – 96% ABV “alcohol” and above produced by continuous column distillation being flavoured and passed of as rum when in actual fact it is little more than flavoured ethanol/vodka.  What are your thoughts on this?

    No, I think that’s even less than Vodka. In vodka, the customers knowAn Interview with Serge Valentin rum by the fat rum pirate about what they’re buying, more or less. Not so at all with these rum brands. Seriously, why would good people care so much about what’s in their deep-frozen lasagnas or tinned chickpeas, and not about what’s in their booze? That’s just insane.

    10. Have you noticed a change in attitudes to rum in the past few years?

    Hard to say, because I mainly know whisky people. Not too sure… There is some deception here and there for sure. Former whisky lovers who had turned to rum are now starting to tackle armagnac instead, but that’s still marginal. But it’s true that it’s very difficult to go from Lagavulin to Zacapa. Watch the ebb and flow.

    11. Why is rum eternily in the shadow of Whisky in particular Single Malt Scotch.  Why does the rum industry continually try to push rum producers towards promoting their rums as “Whisky drinkers” rums.  What is it with rums inferiority complex?

    Again hard to say. A theory could be that they know that sooner or later, the category will be better regulated and controlled, at least in the EU or in the US, and that they’ll have to drop their additives, so to speak, making their rums much, much drier than they are today, unless they accept to call them Spiced Rum or Rum Liqueur or something… And not in tiny letters! Rumour has it that it’s going to happen very soon.

    12. If you were to put your name to any distilleries rums which distillery would it be (You can do this for rum and whisky if you wish).  Any particular preference for what you would like to see bottled? ie production method, age etc

    Sure, in theory, pot still rum, not obligatorily ex-vesou/cane juice, with very high esters. Say at least 15g/l like at Hampden Estate. Matured in refill wood for eight or ten years. Chicken and goats in the dunder pits totally optional (lol)..

    As for the distilleries and more generally, Bielle, Neisson, Hampden, Worthy Park, Foursquare, or some of DLL’s, (provided no one added any sugar or other juices to the casks at birth) Oh and Chalong Bay in Thailand, such a shame that, by law, they cannot bottle at more than 40% vol. Superb distillate!Foursquare 2013 Pure Single rum Habitation Velier Rum review by the fat rum pirat

    13.  Back on the subject of Richard and Luca how have you found the recent Habitation Velier releases? Do you think they can ever go beyond the hardcore enthusiast or are they a step too far from many casual rum drinkers.

    I think they are totally right. They’re catching the interest of cohorts of malt whisky drinkers, and rightly so. I think they are also busy educating the public, so they definitely are on the right path, even if they are infuriating many people here and there. It’s a trend that can be seen in wine as well.

    Most rum (or whisky!) brands seem to ignore that premium-ising is not just about adding more gold to the packaging and raising the prices, it’s also about making a better, more transparent product. Remember the peated Islays? You could have wondered about that too thirty years ago.  Many whisky people, not only die-hard aficionados, just love them now and I’d say their audience increased tenfold.

    14. And finally what is Serge Valentin’s favourite rum drink (or just favourite rum)?

    At this very moment, the Jamaicans. Modern Hampden, for example, or old-style Appleton. But they’re also, I believe, the closest to old-school malt whisky. So, no wonder… As for rum drinks, I have no ideas. Perhaps a proper Canchanchara, but that’s because I really like the city of Trinidad in Cuba.

    I hope you have all enjoyed reading Serge’s answers as much I have.  A very interesting, knowedgable character who perhaps has a better nose for rum than many of the so-called experts. 

    Thanks very much for your time Serge!

  • Rum of the Year 2019 – Winner

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum of the Year 2019 by the fat rum pirate reviewRum of the Year 2019 – Winner. No doubt the brands/producers shortlisted for this most prestigious award have been waiting with baited breath for this announcement. Winning this award must truly be the pinnacle of any rum producers career. After all you get absolutely nothing other than a pat on the back from me. Not even a fancy awards ceremony to ponce around at.

    That said it doesn’t cost anything to enter this award. In fact you don’t actually get to choose whether you enter the award in the first place…….

    It’s hard to believe that this is the 5th time I have sat down to write up Rum of the Year. For the first 3 years Foursquare Rum Distillery ran away with the crown and last year a collaboration between Worthy Park and Velier was crowned Rum of the Year.

    This year the shortlist was down to 5 candidates. Not, I would say because I have had a “worse” year in terms of my rum journey. A lot of rums achieved 4.5 stars, so just missed out on possible selection for Rum of the Year. I still had a very enjoyable time reviewing all the rum and cachaca that came my way in 2019.

    When I compiled my shortlist, I knew that at least two of the entries were definite outsiders. Not in terms of quality but in terms of the criteria I have used to select previous winners.

    As a result it is unfortunate that I must discount the wonderful Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum. Not, I must add due to any issues with the quality of the rum. The issue being is that it was released a long, long time ago and is no longer available unless you are willing to splash a good few thousand pounds on the secondary market. I think to name a rum – Rum of the Year around 10 years after it was released would be a touch pointless.Rum of the Year 2019 by the fat rum pirate review

    The next rum which I discounted was for a similar reason. Whilst this rum is still available it is extremely limited and expensive. I would much prefer people who wish to take my recommendation for Rum of the Year go out and buy something affordable. Many people will baulk at a £700 price tag, regardless of how good the juice is. So I’m sorry Kill Devil/Hunter Laing but this year is not your year.  Out goes the 35 Year Old Kill Devil from Hampden Estate Jamaica.

    So we are down to the last 3 contenders. This is where things begin to get very tricky.

    All these rums are still available to buy. Admittedly they are all “limited” in one way or another. That said you should still be able to pick these up.

    Pusser’s Rum has been a long standing favourite and near constant in my rum collection for a number of years. The new blend 15 Year Old which was released last in 2018 was a great addition/replacement to the range. Way better than the previous incarnation. At the London Rumfest I noticed an almost all black stubby Pusser’s bottle. I went over eager to try this new juice and/or to find out what it was.

    Pusser's Rum 50th Anniversary Rum review by the fat rum pirateUnfortunately it was a plastic mock up bottle and no liquid was available to try. I did however learn that the bottle would be housing the Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum Blend. This is an older version of their 54.5% ABV Gunpowder Blend. It’s a fantastic rum but it perhaps doesn’t sip quite as well as the other two remaining on the list. We really are splitting hairs now.

    So we are down to the final 2 rums in the countdown. At this stage the only sure thing is that Foursquare Rum Distillery will be winning back their crown.

    I’m torn and I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. One of these rums is a sure fire favourite. The other seemed to divide opinion a lot more.

    Okay I’ll make that decision here is the final running order

    5. Velier Skeldon 1973 Old Demerara Rum

    4. Kill Devil Hampden Estate 35 Year Old

    3. Pusser’s Rum 50th Anniversary Rum Blend

    2. Foursquare Rum Distillery 2007

    1. Foursquare Rum Distillery HereditasHereditas Foursquare Rum Distillery rum review by the fat rum pirate

    In the end I opted for Hereditas because of the Sherry maturation. Which is the element which pretty much caused the split in opinion. I’ve not seen many people say Hereditas is bad but a lot would have preferred less Sherry.

    Foursquare Rum Distillery 2007, is a fantastic rum there is no doubt about that but I feel Hereditas offers something slightly different.

    I thought the Sherry element was just right and I found this to be ridiculously drinkable, even at the full ABV of 56%.

    That being said do not think that this is Sherry heavy or a one trick pony. It is a far more complex and rewarding rum, than I think many people have given credit for.

    As I said in the original review – Sweet but not Sweetened Rum and a worthy winner of Rum of the Year for 2019.

    The crown is returned.

     

  • El Dorado Rare Selection

    Bythefatrumpirate

    EL Dorado Rare SelectionOn the 14th January 2016 Demerara Distillers Limited announced their first foray into the world of Cask Strength bottlings.  Except they didn’t, well not directly anyway.

    As of today (15th January 2016) the only place you will readily find information relating to these releases in any kind of “official” capacity is on the Velier website.  Yes I know its in Italian.  So here is a translation (it’s not perfect but you should get the general message)

    “In 2016 the Demerara Distillers launches Rare Collection: a limited selection of three single rum alembic and left a full degree. The Demerara Distillers adopted the concept that Velier has created about 15 years ago and in collaboration with the distillery led worldwide, helping to create the myth of Demerara rum. The parent company now makes from s. El Dorado branded, and chose the rum of the three ‘ legendary ‘ stills in wood, wooden double pot still Port Mourant, the wooden single wooden pot Versailles and column, which they selected coffey Enmore even a 1993. We are happy and excited because the rum are truly amazing, at the level of the selections Gargano, and also at the level of value and growth over time should be considered as analogous (I presume this means they are an investment?).”

    So what do we have here? Three rums from three of the most recognisable stills at Demerara Distillers Limited.  All bottled at cask strength (or near enough) being promoted on the Velier website under the El Dorado label?

    What has this all got to do with Velier?

    Well, first of all Luca Gargano has a financial interest in DDL.  Sometime last year information began leaking out about DDL no longer allowing Velier/Gargano to release Demerara rums under the Velier banner.  Quite what the circumstances were behind this I do not know – I suspect these releases go some way to explain exactly what is going to happen going forward.

    DDL experimented a few years ago with some “Single Barrel” offerings from the EDSINGLEEnmore (EHP), Port Mourant (PM) and Savalle Still’s (ICBU).  However many connessieurs shunned them in favour of independent bottlings as they were only released at 40% ABV.  Those more familiar with El Dorado 12 or 15 were also left largely puzzled by the rums as they weren’t as “sweet” and as approachable as they were used to.  You can read all about them here The Three Amigos from Lance at The Lone Caner

    It seems that they now want a slice of the Independents pie and rather than allow Gargano to continue to release his own bottlings, they have decided to allow him (or forced him or it was his idea?) to use the El Dorado name.

    Now these releases have already garnered quite a lot of excitement.  Which if I’m being honest has left me a little curious.  It also shows just how strong a “known name” can be.

    Whilst these releases would be interesting no matter what “label” was putting them out, it seems they are getting more attention because they are under the El Dorado banner.  Which I find a little strange.  You see your average Velier customer is not keen on El Dorado’s “sugared” offerings.  And your average ED12 and ED15 drinker might not find these rums to their tastes either.  So who is going to buy these?

    Well. firstly it seems that these rums are going to be available solely in Europe.  No US distribution has been confirmed.  Which poses another question.  With the release of the various wine cask finished ED15’s focusing on the US market, do DDL see two very different rum markets?  This must be a concern for any US rum aficionado.

    So just who will be looking to buy these rums on their release?  Well despite my misgivings about Gargano “handing over” these to the El Dorado brand it is clear that most Velier customers will at least embrace one of these bottlings.  Likewise I can see some of these bottlings easily finding their way into the Christmas Boxes of loved ones uitvlugt96who like ED12 and 15.

    My main concern will be with the pricing of these products.  Talk of them being “investments” seems worrying – I drink my rum I certainly don’t collect it.  So I hope this doesn’t make the prices too prohibitive.  Velier prices (still far from cheap) will do just nicely.

    Anyway, I will in the future try my best to source and review these rums.  In the meantime I’m afraid you will have to make do with a few Demerara rum reviews from Velier – which are coming soon to the site.

     

     

     

  • An Interview with Johnny Drejer (Drecon.dk)

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Johnny Dreyer drecon interview the fat rum pirateToday’s interviewee is Johnny Drejer, who has been publishing information regarding additives in rum since 2013. Specifically sugar using a Hydrometer method.

    Johnny’s site is brief and to the point and I would strongly recommend spending time to read all the articles and information.  The site can be found at http://www.drecon.dk/

    Here at thefatrumpirate.com we were particularly happy with Johnny’s view on adding sugar to rum.  We felt that the following statement on Drecon.dk was a very fair assessment of one of rum’s biggest problems

    “Adding sugar to rum, is that bad then?
    I would say it depends. if the producers use the sugar to adjust the flavour of a premium product, that’s not a problem to me. At the end of the day, you still buy a premium product so there’s a correlation between the money you pay and the product you get. My problem arises when you pay for a premium rum and in reality you buy a cheap rum that has been flavoured and coloured so it appears to be a premium rum. My concern is that these “premium” rums will push some of the other real premium rums out of the market, leaving behind fewer of the brands that I over time have come to appreciate more and more.”

    So here we have a little Question and Answer session with Johnny.  Enjoy.

    Question 1.  You mention on your website that you originally began the “Hydrometer” experiment in order to classify rum more easily and decide where it fitted in the overall scheme of things.  Tell me at what stage in your Rum tastings did thoughts surrounding added sugar first enter your thoughts?

    The idea of classifying the sweetness of a rum based on how much sugar that’s been added to it, was part of the discussion we had before we started doing our blind tasting sessions.

    So that idea has been there from the start. Even though the idea to measure sugar was there, we had at the time no idea on how to do this in a way that was afordable (basically not involving us sending samples to a lab).

    Question 2.  Was there a specific rum which made you think “Hang on this isn’t as good as it says it is because its been “laced with sugar” (or words to that effect)?

    No, the idea of measuring the sugar in rum did not originate from an experience with a rum laced with sugar. From the start it was all about mapping the rums we enjoy into a matrix.

    It was also a way for us to actually see if the sweetness we find in many rums has a direct correlation to the amount of sugar added.

    When I taste new rums, I automatically start guessing about the sugar content. In most cases, the sweet rums has high sugar levels but I have come across rums that we perceive as sweet which has none or very little sugar added. You also starts to wonder if the rum you have in your glass, is truely as old as stated.

    Why would you add high amount of sugar to a rum that is being sold as a very old rum?

    Question 3.  How confident are you that the hydrometer test offers at least an estimate of how much sugar has been added to the rum?  Are you able to determine in anyway at what stage the sugar has been added?

    In Sweden and Finland, Rum (and other spirits) are sold by state controlled shops (Systembolaget in Sweden and Alko in Finland). Both Systembolaget & Alko has analyzed some of the rums they sell.

    One of the parameters they measure, is the amount of sugar in gram/Liter. I have compared their results with my measurements, and they are very close and in some cases identical.  Since their measurements are done in a lab with equipment that truely measures the sugar content, I know that their numbers are correct. The hydrometer test does not measure sugar, it measures the density of the rum.

    When producers add sugar (or other things?) to the rum, the density of the rum changes. When adding sugar, the rum becomes more “thick” causing the Hydrometer to measure a wrong alcohol level simply by the fact that the Hydrometer does not sink down to the same level in the rum when sugar has been added. To do my calculation, I have to assume a few things.

    1. The % abv listed on the label of the rum are correct (according to EU law, it has to be within 0,3% accurracy).

    2. The “thing” that has been added causing the density of the rum to change, is sugar (according to EU law the only thing you are allowed to add is sweetner (sugar) and caramel to adjust the colour (The caramel used is bitter in taste and does not sweeten the rum)).

    Out of more than 100 rums measured, there has been two rums where I believe my test has given me a false result. In both cases its two rums which have no sugar added, but my test gave a different result.

    The first rum was Lost Spirits Distillery Navy Style rum which I measured to 4g/L. Bryan from Lost Spirits Distillery does some amazing interesting stuff with his barrels, so the density change in the rum is most likely a result of wood extracts and not sugar added. That’s why I changed the data I list, so rums with no sugar added are listed as 0-5g/L.

    The second rum where I believe my test results are wrong, is English Harbour 1981. I expect that this is caused by an error in the actual %abv of the rum not matching the % abv listed on the label.  I will send a sample of this rum to be analyzed by someone who can measure the true % abv so I know if the % abv listed on the label is wrong (giving me a wrong sugar calculation)

    Using the Hydrometer method it is not possible to determine at what stage “something” has been added to the rum.          

    Question 4.  Have you or your website attracted any negative publicity or been the subject to any personal attacks?   If so have these been from unnamed individuals or have you had specific companies or persons involved in rum contact you with regard the work you have done?  Have you received praise from within the industry?

    I have not received any negative comments or been subjected to personal attacks. I guess that some producers out there dont like the data, but I “just” publish the facts.DREYER3

    I don’t judge if a rum is good or bad. I’m not doing this to single out the producers that add sugar to their rums.  I present the data and people can make their own conclusions. There has been a case where the data/pictures was used in a Facebook group to “Name and Shame” a particular company.

    The way this was done, crossed the line of what I find acceptable because the person was adding false accucations to each picture.  Based on that, I took the decision to change all the pictures so it was clear that his false accucations toward the company was wrong.

    After that experience I actually considered if I should continue doing these measurements. Based on inputs from Facebook friends, I decided to continue with the tests.

    And yes, people in the industry has praised my work. Both from people who has an interest in producing rum without sugar but also from people who wants the producers to tell the truth about what they add to the rum.

    Question 5.  Do you think that the rum companies still continue to try and ignore the debate around added sugar?

    I think the rum companies should realise that telling consumers that “we dont add sugar, its wood extracts” is not really working anymore.  The average consumer is not aware about sugar in rum, and this gives the producers time to rethink their strategy about what to tell the public. 

    I do however see an interest in the subject from people outside the rum community. Recently I took part in a radio interview on a Danish radio station where the topic was about sugar in rum.

    Until now, I have only met two producers that openly admits to have added sugar (Havana Club and Plantation Rum). The rest (who adds sugar) still talks about wood extracts.

    Question 6.  What is the most amusing/far-fetched reason/excuse you have seen for “added sugar” in rum?  Have any denials been so ridiculous that you have barely been able to believe them?

    The producers are pretty much in sync when it comes to excuses, all of them mentions wood extracts during aging as the reason for the density change.

    Question 7.  What role do you think Rum Writers should play in the “added sugar” discussion.  Having read your website I am very much in accord with your views on added sugar.  Do you think it is something that writers should include in their reviews?  I don’t see much evidence of this from looking around the web.  Do you think the proliferation of sites geared towards reviewing samples contributes to the ongoing myth that no sugar is ever added to rum?

    For me the rum writers role in this, is about getting information and facts out to the readers. The articles published on the subject are mostly from passionate people who love rum, so there are many feelings involved when the sugar subject is discussed. Most writers don’t touch the subject because they dont have the facts available (about how much sugar is added) and don’t want to publish undocumented information. Others might stay away from the subject because it will have an impact on the free rums the receive for review (this is just a feeling I have).

    Dave Russell from rumgallery.com is now listing his own sugar measurements when he reviews a rum.  For him (and me), its just an additional data about the rum, like the % abv. which the consumer can use to make their purchasing decisions.

    In the long run, I hope that by creating awareness about sugar in rum, the producers would start to list the amount of sugar added on the label.  Sugar in rum is allowed, so why not be honest about how much sugar is added?

    Question 8.  Do you think the premiumisation (personally I think with rums such as R L Seale’s and Appleton, already available happened years ago!) of rum will always be hampered by its reputation as a “rogue spirit”? 

    Do you think all the denials and the smoke and mirrors used in the rum world hamper its chances of every truly being taken seriously by the mainstream?

    Rum has a reputation as a “rogue spirit” for a reason. We have rum out there which lists the age of the oldest rum in the blend where others list the youngest.

    Rum which claims to be Solera but more likely a blended rum.

    Rums with so much sugar added its close to being a liqueur and we have rums where its clear from the taste profile that “something” has been added.

    If rum want to be taken seriously like Cognac and Whisky, a very clear set of guidelines must be agreed upon among the producers. And someone must control that these guidelines are followed. Someone who has the power to pull a product from the market.  Only then will the creative producers respect and follow the guidelines and only then will consu mers respect rum as much as Cognac & Whisky.  The fact that the producers keep on denying the addition of sugar even though a state controlled lab has results proving the opposite dosnt really do any good for the case.

    How can you take a product seriously if the producer is not truthful

    DREYER2Question 9.  Could you tell me a little history of how you got into rum?

    Rum & Coke was my preferred drink back in the days. In 2010 a very good friend gave me a bottle of Plantation Grenada 1986 Single Cask and I was amazed about the taste.  I went to the shop here in Denmark that imports the Plantation rums, and the guy in the shop asked if I preferred Pot still or Column still rums.

    I had no idea what he was talking about. Later that evening I was thinking, that one of the only spirits I enjoy is rum and I have no idea how its being produced.  I started to read up on the subject and from then on, I was hooked. I looked online and came across an advertisement for a rum tasting which I signed up for.  The presenter was the guy in Denmark who knows most about rum and has an amazing passion for the subject.  The tasting lasted more than 3 hours with a ton of slides from his travels around the caribbean. The person is Ingvar Thomsen (also known as Rom Thomsen) and he is now a very good friend and one of the guys in our private rum tasting club.

    Question 10.  What would be your top 5 “adultered” and “unadultered” rums?

    I don’t have a list of my top rums. People often ask which rum I consider the best and I give them the same answer. That depends….

    It depends on the situation you are in. Where you are, who you are with.  But I will mention a few rums that I really like

    El Dorado 25 1980

    Plantation Jamaica 1983 Single Cask 2nd edition

    Plantation Guadeloupe 1998 Single Cask

    Plantation St.Lucia 2003 Old Reserve

    Diplomatico Ambassador

    Havana Club 15

    Appleton 21

    English Harbour 1981

    Santiago de Cuba 20

    Rhum J.M 1997 Rhum Vieux Agricole

    Question 11.  What is your “pet hate” in the Rum World?

    I wouldn’t say that there is something I hate in the rum world. One thing annoys me and thats when a producer openly lies to my face even though the truth is obvious.

    Question 12.  Who in the rum world do you look up to?

    Producers, Ambassadors, Presenters and Blog writers who has great passion for rum and are willing to share their information.

    People who answers my questions in a truthful manner taking into account that they have trade secrets to protect.

    So people who work hard on producing and promoting rum are the type of people in the rum world I look upto.

    So there you go.  I hope you enjoyed reading Johnny’s answers as much as I did.  Some very interesting and honest opinions there.

    Thanks very much Johnny.  Great stuff

  • Rare Rums up for Sale on Whisky Auction

    Bythefatrumpirate

    whiskyauction logoOver the past few years, the demand for rum, whiskies and other fine spirits has increased considerably, with many people now choosing to buy and sell their bottles at auction as an alternative to using specialist retailers.

    www.whisky.auction is a new site that aims to simplify the auction process for many. The latest auction from Whisky Auction has many rare and old bottles of rum up for sale.

    The rum highlights include: 

    • rums dating from the 1930s and 1940s 
    • a 25-year-old bottle of Wray & Nephew bottled in 1987 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence – never released for sale and the first time this bottle has ever appeared at auction Wray and Nephew Rare Rum Whisky Auction the fat rum pirate
    • a Royal Navy flagon filled in 1953 
    • a bottle of the rare 1940s’ Extra Strong 90° Proof rum from Caroni, the Trinidad distillery that closed permanently in 2002.

    Buyers must register to participate in whisky.auction’s online auction:

    The current auction started on Sunday 24 April and will close on Tuesday 3 May at 7.30pm BST.

    Behind this site is a team of industry experts whose knowledge and expertise will bring honest guidance to sellers. What’s more, their contacts in the spirit industry bring to auction some of the rarest bottles in the world, with the aim of achieving the highest selling prices for the rarest bottles.

    Whisky Auction Ltd is a newly registered company based in London. You can deliver your bottles in person to our offices or send them in by post, and we also offer a collection service. Similarly, you can collect your winning bottles from our offices or take advantage of our delivery service with some of the best shipping rates for both UK and international customers. We also offer FREE insurance on all UK deliveries.

    Wray and Nephew Rare Rum Whisky Auction the fat rum pirate

    If you have whiskies or other fine spirits to sell, or even an entire collection, please get in touch by emailing info@whisky.auction or by calling +44 (0)20 8838 9381.