Repeal Day 2015

     We bring this day up every year, and how many of us really know what happened.  I know that I was surprised when I found out what the amendments really said and that initially there was no change until the states made the use, sale or transportation of "intoxicating" beverages legal.

     First of all lets look at the "origin of prohibition", the 18th Amendment, then the 21st Amendment that "ended Prohibition".es is hereby repealed.

THE 18TH AMENDMENT

RATIFIED JANUARY 16, 1919

SECTION 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

SECTION 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

THE 21ST AMENDMENT

RATIFIED DECEMBER 5, 1933

SECTION 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use there in of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

The Signs Come Down on December 3, 1933

     On February 20, 1933 Congress proposed the 21st Amendment.  Then on April 10th, 1933 Michigan became the first to ratify the amendment and on December 5, 1933 Ohio,Pennsylvania and Utah were the last three to ratify the amendment giving it the 36 states necessary to complete the ratification and making it a part of the Constitution of the United States.

     Freedom to use, manufacture, sell or transport intoxicating beverages wasn't here yet. The second section bans the importation of alcohol in violation of state or territorial law. This has been interpreted to give states essentially absolute control over intoxicating beverages.   Many of the states still remained "dry" long after its ratification. The state of Mississippi was the last to allow the sale of intoxicating beverages.  Even today the states delegate the authority over alcohol granted to them by the 21st Amendment to their municipalities or counties (or both), which has led to many lawsuits over First Amendment rights when local governments have tried to revoke liquor licences and permits.  

The Party Began on this day in 1933

     Many of the Post-Prohibition laws and distribution system are still in effect today in most states and making it difficult for brands of liquor to reach the entire market here in the United States and even harder for spirits that are produced outside of the United States and her Territories. 

     Today is definitily a day of celebration for Americans that enjoy a cocktail or 15 in the case of Ernest Hemingway and others I'm sure.   Enjoy your day and celebrate in an appropriate and responsible way, Cheers!!!!  ;o)

Diageo Importing Offshoot Of Foreign Rum, Mapp Confirms, DOJ Investigation is Underway

Governor Kenneth Mapp

     Diageo USVI has been importing "what appears to be some offshoot of rum from some foreign source," Governor Kenneth Mapp confirmed while speaking on talk radio AM 1000 with Liston Davis yesterday morning. Mr. Mapp had begun to say that the rum was coming from Guatemala, but he immediately rephrased his statement.   The Consortium first reported on what has now turned into a major investigation into Diageo, which sources within the Department of Justice told the publication could have far-reaching implications, and that "all hell could break loose."

     Between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 9, Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, along with DOJ officials descended on the Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier located on the south shore of this island and west of Tropical Shipping, to take samples from 12 tanks of what was supposed to be molasses used to produce rum at Diageo USVI's Captain Morgan Rum Distillery. DOJ and DLCA officials also took samples from two separate shipments at Diageo's rum distillery, located at the Renaissance Park development here.

     

Diageo's St. Croix Facility

In 2008 the GVI subsidized Diageo's move to the island, totaling an estimated $2.7 billion over 30 years. Some of the subsidies include: a new $165 million distillery, "market support payments" to keep prices low for molasses, 35 percent of what Diageo spends on advertising, a 90 percent income tax break, exemption from property taxes, environmental mitigation supports, and 47.5 percent of all tax revenue collected on Captain Morgan rum. By one estimate, Diageo's net cost to produce rum is zero, according to Tax Foundation, a leading independent tax policy research organization. The 30-year agreement received Senate ratification on July 9, 2008, with a 10-5 vote.    However, the rum-cover over funds are supposed to be for rum produced in the territory; not imported from elsewhere and reshipped out as if the products were made here.

On the talk show yesterday, Mr. Mapp said he sees nothing in the Diageo contract that allows it to receive subsidies on anything else but molasses.   "I don't see anything in the Diageo contract that permits the government to subsidize the import of foreign rum as a mixing source to rum that are to be made on the island of St. Croix for export to the U.S. market," the governor said. "The government has agreed to subsidize molasses."   Mr. Mapp said he read Diageo's response that said that the rum producer had spoken about a new distilling process using sugar cane intermediate with the governor, and that Mr. Mapp had given Diageo clearance. The governor, however, disputed those claims.   

"The good thing about operating and communicating with a government is running down the hill by my house, but you can't do that" when dealing with the government, Mr. Mapp said.

The  governor said Diageo sent a letter advising him that it had acquired some customers who were interested in buying bulk rum. And in its quest to meet its contractual obligations of selling 9 million proof gallons of rum on the U.S. mainland - Diageo is roughly 2 million gallons shy of that amount - the company sought the governor's assurance that the tax of the bulk rum would remain equivalent to that of the bottled product, which currently stands at $13.25 per gallon. Mr. Mapp said he agreed to that; but fixed tax prices and bulk rum have nothing to do with subsidies being paid by the government on a product that is not molasses.

"Diageo did not advise me, nor did it seek my permission, to bring in any deviation of foreign rum into the Virgin Islands and then attempt to mix it and call it some deviation of the natural rum of the Virgin Islands, and sell it under some label," Mr. Mapp said. "And so that issue is under investigation by the appropriate authorities and we will get to the bottom of that."

Read More at http://viconsortium.com/?s=Diageo+Importing+Offshoot+Of+Foreign+Rum%2C+Mapp+Confirms%2C+DOJ+Investigation+Underway 

Rum Punch for the Winter Time

     Winter time is perfect for a different kind of Rum Punch.  It is the time when the punch warms you like a shot of brandy.   The Winter Punch has a warmth of the liquor and the flavor of a fruity punch with a little bit of sweetness that lets you know that you have a punch and not a just a dry cocktail.

Bahama Bob Winter Punch

Ingredients

·         2 oz.  Siesta Key Spiced Rum

·         1/2  oz.  Agave Nectar

·         1  oz.  Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

·         1/2  lime, squeezed

·         1/2 lemon, squeezed

·         Splash of Club Soda

Method

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a tumbler filled with fresh ice , garnish with a cherry and lime wheel, and enjoy.

How Important is the Water in Rum and Cocktail Making?

     It is interesting how much attention we put on the ingredients that go into your favorite rum, but none of my friends talk very often about the preparation of the water that is added to the spirit to bring it down to 80 proof.   I hear conversations that tell of the great work of the blenders , distillers, all about the barrels and the special ingredients that go into a bottle of rum.  How often have you heard about the process that the water is put through before it is added to your rum?

     "Water sources, and their unique and distinctive attributes, have a huge impact on the specific flavors and qualities of rums from around the world."

Osmosis Water Purifying Equipment

     In the Caribbean, a large portion of the water is gotten from the oceans and purified through an osmosis process.    Most of the flavor of aged rums comes from the barrels that they are aged in, but clear expressions get their flavor from the still.   When you add water to a clear expression the attributes of the water become a very important factor in the final product's flavor.  Water quality and purity is even more important, clear and unaged rums, for instance, doesn’t these helpers through the process to produce a desirable flavor profile.


     How about the quality of the water around the bar?    Water quality in everything from the ice to the water that flows from the spigot can affect the quality of your cocktails.  Ice is the real "biggy" in this area, if the water used to make the ice is tainted the cocktail flavor will also be tainted.    This "ice program" is a critical part of the bar.  Filtering the water that is fed into the ice maker is only the beginning.    Anybody who has ever had an at-home batch of ice go bad because, who knows what was put along side the ice in the freezer.  Controlling the flavor of ice itself is important,  what is stored in or around the ice bin can make or break a cocktail.

     Water may rarely talked about, but it is one of the make you or break you elements of the rum and cocktail industry.  Don't ever overlook the water it could be your downfall.  ;o)

Another Fun Rat Key Taster's Association Get Together.

     It just seems to bet better and better, The quality of the rums and friends that we share it with.   This week was no different.   With 10 of us out there, we had a great selection of rum and people that really enjoy it.   We had two friends from Houston join us this week, Brian and Karen Yates are serious rum enthusiast and were thrilled to be invited to the island.  They were joined by the rest of the regulars, Carl, Don, Patty, Randy, Bob, Mike and Sam, all got to enjoy sharing the rum event with us.

     We were treated to a great group of rums
from Columbia, Bahamas, Japan, Trinidad, and Venezuela.   We all enjoyed the variety of rums that  were presented this week at the tasting and were really surprised at the differences in the rums from all of these different places.

     It was a pleasure to have guests from Houston to come and enjoy the rums with us.  We are receiving guests from all over the country each week and rums from all over the world.  This is what makes the Rat Key Tasting Association such a fun thing to be involved in.   Producers are sending their products from all over the world for us to enjoy on Mondays and to give our feedback as to their qualities and  how the expressions are perceived by the group.


     If you have a rum expression that you would like for the group of ru specialists to taste and tell the world about, you can send it to:




Bahama Bob Leonard
5555 College Road
Key West, FL 33040

     We will be happy to share it with out rum people and let you know how we enjoyed it.   We can also send you an evaluation by the four of the International Rum Judges that attend each week.  This is a great platform to have your rum tasted and presented to our following of rum lovers.  ;o)

Along With US - Cuba Detente Comes a Battle Over Trademarks

     The long standing battle over the Havana Club trademark is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are cigar, restaurant and American coffee just to name a few that are close of the same names. Despite the United States' 53-year-old trade embargo against Cuba, companies from both countries have continued registering trademarks and patents in the other.   Since 1966 about 1,500 U.S. businesses have filed nearly 6,000 trademarks in Cuba, including renewals, according to data from Saegis, the online trademark database from Thomson Reuters.   I found this article to be quite enlightening as to how the 50 plus year gap in communication has caused some very serious issues that need to be resolved.

     When Julio Manzini decided two years ago to name his small restaurant McDonald's after the famous fast-food chain (MCD.N), he had no idea it could cause any trouble. He has since been frightened into removing the name.   "I don't even know what McDonald's tastes like, I just thought the name was striking, like Shakira or something," he said at the lunch counter of what used to be "Cafeteria La McDonald's Camagueyana" in the Cuban city of Camaguey, about 300 miles (500 km) east of Havana.This month, Manzini stripped "McDonald's" and the famous golden arches from his handcrafted sign as a precaution after he claimed his establishment was visited by a lawyer sent by the company.   The place is now simply called "Cafeteria La Camagueyana."

     His counterfeit McDonald's illustrates a potential battlefront between Cuba and the United States over trademark and intellectual property rights as Cuba's economy opens up to more private enterprise and closer ties with the United States.   The two countries restored diplomatic relations this year after half a century of Cold War hostility and are now working to improve ties. Trademark and intellectual property issues will be on the negotiating table, both sides have said.

     Both have grievances. The United States has denied Cuban companies the same trademark protection enjoyed by brands from everywhere else, forcing marquee names such as Havana Club rum and Cohiba cigars into long, expensive court battles.

Read More at http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/26/us-cuba-usa-trademarks-idUSKBN0TE2EJ20151126#IhYDAsDXsLQRZTeF.97

The Day the Sky Caught Fire

     The day the sky caught fire,  the late afternoons looking west from the dock.  Life on the boat brings you views that a lot of people never get the opportunity to enjoy.  This is one of the late afternoons when the clouds and the sun worked together for an incredible view to come home to.

Westerhall 10XO Premium Rum

     One of the highlights of the Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival in St. Maartens was the Westerhall Distillery booth.   Westerhall is a legendary distillery from Grenada that has been producing top quality rums since the 1700's.  They have a long history of making fine rums at their historic distillery.

     Westerhall's 10XO is a ten year old premium rum that has already earned it status with a Gold Medal at the Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival  earlier this month.   This beautiful mahogany colored rum catches your eye immediately and when you open the bottle and the aromas start to catch you nose, you know that you are going to be in love with it once.

     Westerhall 10XO greets you with a taste of  caramel and smoky oak initially with a sweetness of honey, vanilla later joined by a combination of spices that you would expect from a rum that originates in the spice islands.   This is a rum slowly that finishes dry with a lingering flavor mocha and spice that fades at the end.

     Keep your eyes open in your favorite liquor store or cocktail lounge for this one.  Don't let it get away from you without tasting it.   ;o)

Black Friday: Great Day to Change it Around to a Black Rum Friday

     If you are as tired of the mega merchandising media blitz bombarding you with their get something for nothing rantings.  I've got a better idea, lets all stay home and create a great new "Black Rum Day" concoction.

     Why don't you follow suit with me and head into the special place where you create your cocktails and put on that thinking cap and make something new using a black rum.  This should be very fun and the rewards are consumed for a real fun afternoon.

     There are a lot of choices from the very sweet like Cruzan Black Strap abd Gossling Black Seal; the spiced Blacks from Captain Morgan and Kraken; British Navy Rums like Pusser's and Smith and Cross.   Many are available at your local liquor store and perfect for making you "Black Friday" a whole lot more enjoyable rather that banging heads with millions of shoppers in over crowded stores.

     You might want to give this idea try if you are not getting any inspirations standing infront of the bar.

Black Friday Relief

• 1 1/2 oz. Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
• 1 oz. Siesta Key Toasted Coconut Rum
• 2 oz. Half and Half
• 2 dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashion Bitters

Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake until chilled and strain into an Old Fashion glass or a twelve oz. tumbler filled with fresh ice.  Garnish with a lemon wedge.

    Avoid the Black Friday mess if you can, but if you can't, enjoy the relief when you get home.  ;o)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

     This is a day that is as American as American can be.  It is a day to share with your friends and your family.  It is a day of reflection and giving thanks for all that your have been able to accomplish.   Traditionally a day of feasts and sharing of your bounty with your friends, family and neighbors.  The first Thanksgiving took place in Massachucetts in the 1620's, a day of giving thanks and sharing.



     Today the principles are the same, but how we celebrate it has changed.   It is a morning of preparation of the first and getting the tables and chairs in place for everyone to be able to join in at the table for our feast.   We also spend a lot of time in front of the television watching the Macy's Parade and then the football game as soon as the table is cleared.

    How are you going to spend the day this year?  No matter how you do, I just hope that you get to spend the time with the people nearest to you and a lot of fun getting together and sharing with everyone.  ;o)

Celebrating a Friend and Sharing Fine Rum

     Windy and blustery, but one of the best tastings yet. So many fabulous rums and so little time. With only seven of us it was a chance to sit and ponder the taste and qualities of all of the fine rums that were present.

     Yesterday we took a little time to raise our glasses to a friend that was lost on November 12th. Patrick Shank, you are really missed around here, and I think you would have enjoyed sitting with us and enjoying a fine rum.

     It is going to be hard to keep up bringing so many quality rums for the enlightenment of everyone. It is such a fun time to sit on the key looking out over the Gulf of Mexico and sip really great rums. This week was no exception with rums that span the range of 2 years to 25 years old and all were just wonderful.

     The cool weather and the warmth of the rum, a really great concept and on that should be repeated throughout the winter.

Winter has Actually Arrived in Key West

     Rainy day in Key West.  So many things planed and now I'm here in the marina.   I've got a number of projects that need doing, but a dreary day with all the clouds and rain make it a bit hard to get motivated.  This is the price you sometimes pay for living where the sun shines most of the times and the rain only lasts for about 20 minutes of so,   I guess that I have to accept the winter happens even in Key West.

     I go out of the aft deck and watch the gray clouds as I look through the rain spattered glass.   I thought about creating a new cocktail, but the inspiration just wasn't their.   Sat and watched the water as the rain drops mad interesting splashes in the smooth, clam water.    I decided to go outside anyway,I'm not made of "butter", I won't melt.   After all the temperature is still 77 degrees and there is no wind to chill you.  It really felt good having the raindrops fall on my head and sounds of the rain splashing off of my foul weather gear.

     Not many people out and around on the docks, so I guess that I'll just wander back to the boat and
see how long this is going to linger.   By 5 o'clock, rain or shine it is into the dinghy and head off to the Hurricane hole and enjoy a couple of cocktails with some of the braver locals that will ignore the rain and come down to the dockside bar for the usual conversations and cocktails.  Who knows it might be nicer by then and we can go out and stay dry.  If not it will be a fun outing anyway.  ;o)

Papa’s Pilar Introduces a Limited Edition Dark Rum

     Papa’s Pilar Rum has put together a very special new expression.  This is a limited production rum that takes the previously finished dark rum and placing it into used bourbon barrels for between 90 and 120 days of additional aging.   This method deepens the flavors of the whole blend and not just some of the components.  It also gives the blend a more intense and spicier flavor.    The special edition is bottled at 43% ABV giving it a bolder flavor, and the additional aging makes it even smoother and more congruent than the original expression.    

Patrick Hemingway and Bahama Bob Leonard

     The idea for this special edition according to Carlton Grooms, Pilar is looking to introduce a “cool special edition” that would not compete with their staple dark rum.   The initial expression was already sold out before it even reached the bottles.   Carlton Grooms tells me they are going to have two more releases next year of 200 barrels each.     These are expressions that you need to keep your eyes open for, because to miss them would be very disappointing.  

     I was around for the initial introduction of Papa’s Pilar and had a chance to talk with Patrick Hemingway about the Papa’s Pilar line of rums.   They have been great rums from their introduction and the new special edition is just an extension of the of the brands commitment to offering fine rums.  ;o)

Old Havana From the Bacardi Building

     There is a awe inspiring 360 degree view from the top of the Bacardi Building in Havana.  You can see from the harbor to the hills of the city on the opposite side of the building.   No matter which way you look there are eye popping view.    This one shows you the Jose Marti Memorial out toward Revolution Square.  

The Battles Over Cocktail Names Continues

     It seems that the spectrum of where you must not use names that are"confusing" to the public anywhere.  Even blogs are receiving some of the "cease and desist" notices for tagging cocktails with names similar to the trademarked ones.

     “A Dark 'N Stormy®, like a Painkiller®, or a Sazerac™, is one of a handful of trademarked cocktails.   On September 15, 2015, Gosling sued Pernod Ricard USA, LLC alleging that Pernod's use of "Dark N' Stormy" and "Black Stormy" in recipes and advertising containing Pernod's Malibu line of rums infringed several of Gosling's DARK 'N STORMY registered trademarks. The case-Gosling Brothers Ltd. et. al. v. Pernod Ricard USA, LLC.-was filed in federal district court in Massachusetts.   The alleged trademark infringement stemmed from Pernod including cocktail recipes on its website for a "Dark N' Stormy" containing Malibu Island Spiced Rum, and a "Black Stormy" containing Malibu Black Rum. Further, Pernod released a YouTube video demonstrating how to make a "Dark N' Stormy" using Malibu Island Spiced Rum. (A lot of the links seem to be now removed.)”

     In the past there have been cases where owners of trademarked cocktails have sent out cease and desist orders and the problem usually went away, but Gosling Brothers Ltd. is taking this one much more seriously.   it's not just brand names that can cause so many intellectual property disputes in the crowded spirits field.    It is also every part of  websites and advertising .     It even applies to those quirky cocktail names you apply to your creations might come under these intellectual property controls.   ;)

Proposed California Initiative Would Lower Drinking Age to 18

“But group says 21 minimum drinking age has saved thousands of lives.”

     You've heard it before, "Why can you join the military at 18 but not drink?"   Well, one proposed California ballot initiative is looking to change the drinking age. According to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the initiative has been cleared to begin collecting signatures.   If it gets enough signatures to qualify for the November 2016 ballot, voters will have the opportunity to decide whether 18-year-olds will be able to legally purchase and drink alcohol in the state. The legal drinking age is 21, which was established by the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984.

     The proponent of the measure is business owner Terrance Lynn, who must collect the signatures of 365,880 registered voters to qualify, Padilla's office said in a statement.   "The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials by April 26, 2016," the statement reads.

     The Secretary of State's office said if the ballot passed, California would lose $200 million in federal highway funds. But it would also lead to an increase in state and local tax revenues from the sales of alcohol beverages, the office said.  Mothers Against Drunk Driving opposes lowering the drinking age below 21. The organization says that more than 25,000 lives have been saved across the United States since the minimum drinking age was raised to 21.        "When states had lower legal drinking ages in the U.S., the underage drinking problem was worse.   For example, before the 21 minimum legal drinking age was implemented by all states, underage drunk drivers were involved in over twice as many fatal traffic crashes as today," MADD's website says.   It said the law continues to decrease the number of crashes  by an estimated 16 percent each year.

"I think it's fine at 21. I think if it was younger, maybe young adults may not make the best choices," 20-year-old Michael Villagomez told KABC in Los Angeles.    "I think if we're able to send people to war at 18, they should be able to determine if they can handle alcohol," Burbank resident Lisa Neglia added.   "I think 21 is a great age for drinking because I feel like nowadays people think that just because they're older as in 16, 17 that they feel free to do whatever they want," 17-year-old Rakkell Villagomez also told the station.

Read More at http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/11/10/initiative-to-lower-drinking-age-in-california-faces-big-obstacles

Don Q Wants to Make Rum Responsibly

Sixth generation rum maker and Ph.D. candidate, Roberto Serralles talking about the intersection of distilling and the Environment.

     Although they had to “take a little break during Prohibition,” Don Q has always been run by the same family in the same place.    His family owns Don Q, supporter of Puerto Rico Meets NYC and one of the largest distilleries on the island.  

     “Don Q has always been in the same family in the same place, though we had to take a little break during Prohibition. When I actually went to college, I wasn’t thinking I would join the family business — in fact, I wanted to be a professor, so I started on my Ph.D. in environmental studies. It was a funny thing. I’d literally done all but my dissertation when I started having conversations with my father about a wastewater issue. I was living in Seattle and I started consulting back in Puerto Rico — I was flying back and forth all the time. Eventually I moved home and joined the business.”

     “For anybody in the distilling industry, wastewater is an issue. When you think about the way you make spirits, you’re essentially concentrating the alcohol into something that’s fermented and turning it into a spirit. What’s left over is wastewater.    If you’re making whiskey, for example, you’re essentially making an eight to ten percent alcohol beer and then making whiskey from that — the other 90 percent is wasted. It’s not talked about very much.”

     “The issue for us was that back in the old days we had sugar cane fields and could put our wastewater back into the field — it had nutrients, it provided irrigation and it worked perfectly fine. But now that we no longer have sugar cane growing in the area, we were spreading it in the fields, and the sewage (it’s nothing toxic, but there’s a lot of organic content) was starting to degrade. The distillery was upwind from town, and the smell started creating community relation issues.”   “Our solution was to implement an anaerobic digestion process.   This process exhaled methane, which we could then feed back into the boiler to reduce the amount of oil it consumed.   Then, similar to a municipal wastewater treatment plant, we essentially pump the water with a lot of air to convert it to irrigation-grade effluent.”  It has a lot of ancillary benefits, including the usable methane gas, but it’s very tricky. The digester creates a very corrosive environment. We’re working on additional systems — eleven years later, a lot of technology has changed. We’re looking for a more efficient alternative.

     The definition of rum is that it has to come from sugar cane — it can’t be made from wheat or corn. The sugar cane molasses content is a critical component of the process.   When we started, my great great grandfather came from Spain and opened a small sugar cane operation. His first Puerto Rican-born son bought a small still and used leftover molasses to make rum. It was really always a sideline business — the main business was sugar cane. He started making in rum in 1865, and the sugar cane industry has changed dramatically over time. The golden age of sugar in Puerto Rico was between 1900 and the 1920s — Puerto Rico was one of the top exporters of sugar, and it was a significant piece of the socioeconomic fabric of the landscape. That obviously had tons of issues; the monocrops were problematic, sugar cane is very labor-intensive, there were huge seasonal booms and busts in terms of labor force. There’s no rosy history about these extractive agricultural economies. By the 1960s and 1970s, we were having a really hard time competing — the price of sugar dropped globally, introduction of corn syrups and corn sweeteners from the US and other places meant that the price of sugar was less than a cent per pound. The costs in Puerto Rico were very high. For example, labor force unions didn’t want to allow mechanization while other countries were mechanizing rapidly. We shifted to rum, but to this day, sourcing quality molasses for distillers is a really tricky thing.  When you’re in the sugar industry, molasses is just a byproduct. Molasses is what’s left over when it’s not economically viable to extract more sugar.    When the energy cost to make another sugar extraction is more than the price of sugar you can extract, you stop that process.   As you can imagine, when the price of sugar is 7-8 cents, there’s a lot more leftover sugar than when the price goes up to 30 cents.    The quality of molasses is inverse to the price.    There’s a particular point in which the molasses is so poor you can’t ferment it — the trick is finding good sources of molasses.    In this day and age, that means finding inefficient mills.

Read More at http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/drink/don-q-wants-to-make-rum-responsibly/

Diageo Says It's Testing New Methods Of Distilling Aimed At Improving Productivity And Efficiency

     This is the second part of the story that I ran yesterday.   This is the response from Diageo  in relation to the allegations made by the Department of Justice and the investigation that was launched.  You can read more about this VI Consortium story at http://viconsortium.com/business/diageo-says-its-testing-new-methods-of-distilling-aimed-at-improving-productivity-and-efficiency/

     Diageo USVI issued a statement late Monday in hopes of bringing clarity to confusion over what it says is a new method of distilling that it's testing, following a VI Consortium exclusive story revealing that the territory's Department of Justice had launched an investigation to determine whether the liquid substance from 14 Diageo tankers that it sampled was molasses, which is subsidized by the Government of the Virgin Islands as part of a 30-year agreement between Diageo and the GVI.

      A well-placed source within the Department of Justice revealed to The Consortium that if the substance was found not to be molasses, then "all hell could break lose," adding that the DOJ could extend its probe to include past shipments in an effort to determine the length of breach.

     But in a statement issued to The Consortium, Diageo says it has been testing a sugar cane intermediate as it continues to innovate and try new distilling techniques.

"Now in our fifth year of rum distillation on St. Croix, Diageo USVI is proud to have achieved a number of milestones in our production. From record water recovery and conservation, to the creation of new rum products, we continue to innovate and test distilling processes and techniques.  Some of these distilling techniques are used throughout the Caribbean, and may help improve plant efficiency, our environmental footprint, and productivity," wrote Erica J. Johnson, communications and corporate relations head at Diageo USVI.

     "As part of this, we have been testing a new distilling process using sugar cane intermediate, in which a minority amount of this ingredient, which we would be bringing from outside the territory, would be added into our distilling process along with molasses.  Some tankers of this ingredient are now being questioned by the VI Department of Justice officials.  As with all our distilling methods, the use of sugar cane intermediate is not only legal and meets federal and local standards, it is also within the boundaries of our agreement with the Government of the Virgin Islands," she added.

St. James Hors D`Age Rhum Vieux Agricole

     Rhum St. James is one of a group of rhums that are known as "agricoles".   This is a French style of rhum making that like other rums, has very strict rules by which it must be produced.  I think that my friend Dave Russell probably put it best in one of his agricole reviews.

     "For your appreciation, and out of due respect, Agricole rhums must be considered within their own context.  Agricoles are distinguished by their unique taste and aromas.  There is more to their story than is commonly known.   Distillation techniques, the proof of the spirit exiting the still, aging requirements and required minimum quantities of residual particulate matter also contribute to the difference. 

What’s important to us is that rhums agricole generally exhibit distinctly different aromas and flavors from their cousins industrielle. Often, people prefer one style over the other, and there’s nothing wrong with that.   It’s a matter of taste anyway.  If you prefer a sweeter style typical of molasses-based multi-column distilled rums, the Saint James isn’t for you. But if you are looking for a dry, elegant sipping rum made in the agricole style, mellowed in oak to a mature age, then Rhum Agricoles might be for you."

     That being said today I am tasting and sharing this rhum with some friends as part of The Rat Key Rum Tasting Association  tasting and looking forward to the response to it that my friends have to this member of this very unique group of rhums.  This is an 86 proof (43% ABV) rhum and it has been aged for between 6 and 10 years.  It has a stunning Mahogany color and the aroma of  dried fruit, and a very slight note of vanilla and wood.   

     This is a very dry rhum, one that has a lightly sweet with the faint taste of dried fruit on the palate that rapidly fades to a growing warmth related to the higher proof, with a relatively dry and short lived finish.

This is an agricole that is available herein the states.  It also lacks the harshness and grassyness that man of the younger agricoles have.  I feel like this is a really good way to introduce yourself to the world of agricole rhums.   

Department Of Justice Investigating Whether Diageo USVI Breached Contract

     A story has broken in St. Croix that there is an issue with Diageo and what is transpiring at the plant in St. Croix.  This is an article published by the VI Consortium on November 10, 2015.   This is a portion of the article and the rest can be read at http://viconsortium.com/featured/exclusive-department-of-justice-investigating-whether-diageo-usvi-breached-contract/   I will publish the Diageo response tomorrow. 

     Between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Monday, Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, along with Department of Justice officials descended on the Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier located on the south shore of this island and west of Tropical Shipping, to take samples from 12 tanks of what's supposed to be molasses used to produce rum at Diageo USVI's Captain Morgan Rum Distillery, a DOJ source with direct knowledge of the matter revealed to The Consortium, after the publication questioned officials on a tip it received from another source with inside knowledge of the probe.

     DOJ and DLCA officials also took samples from two separate shipments at Diageo's rum distillery, located at the Renaissance Park development here. According to the DOJ source, who requested anonymity because of the nascent nature of the investigation, part of Diageo USVI's agreement with the Government of the Virgin Islands is that the GVI subsidizes the molasses imported to make the rum here. But the samples collected on all 14 containers did not appear to be molasses, which is dark in color and has a strong, distinct smell.

     

"It looks and smells like rum," the DOJ source said, adding that DOJ must first test the samples before accusing Diageo USVI of any wrongdoing or breach of contract. But if the firm were to be found in breach, the consequences could be far-reaching; and the DOJ would extend its investigation and try to determine how long the breach has existed.

molasses pier entrance

In 2008 the GVI subsidized Diageo's move to the island, totaling an estimated $2.7 billion over 30 years. Some of the subsidies include: a new $165 million distillery, "market support payments" to keep prices low for molasses, 35 percent of what Diageo spends on advertising, a 90 percent income tax break, exemption from property taxes, environmental mitigation supports, and 47.5 percent of all tax revenue collected on Captain Morgan rum. By one estimate, Diageo's net cost to produce rum is zero, according to Tax Foundation, a leading independent tax policy research organization. The 30-year agreement received Senate ratification on July 9, 2008, with a 10-5 vote.

November, Sunshine, Umbrellas and a Palm Tree

     Fall in the Keys can be so wonderful, 80 degree days, lazy clouds, blue skies.  Just give me an umbrella under a palm tree and let me lay in the sand and sip my favorite rum and relax.  

     I knew that there was a reason that I chose to live in the Keys,   I can't think of a better place to live.  I may be prone to traveling further south on occasions, but for living, it is really hard to beat life in the Keys.

     Just give me a sunny November day in the 80 degree range with a beautiful blue sky scattered with fluffy clouds add a beach and an umbrella lo lie under with a cocktaile and you might be awfully close to heaven right here on earth.   ;o)