What About the Barrel?

This is a "Maker's Mark" Barrel aging "Drum Circle Rum"

   The flavor that makes a rum so special has a direct relationship to the barrel that it is aged in.    Many of these barrels come from whiskey and bourbon makers that are brokered all over the world.    The barrels are first used to lay up bourbon, but because of the rules for bourbon production, they can only be used once.   This provides a great source for barrels to fill the needs of the rum producers around the world.    There are also barrels that are secured from producers of Cognac, Sherry, Scotch, and other varieties of wines to give the rum a flavor that the blender is looking for.

Barrels and Parts at Cruzan Distillery

     The barrels are a large investment for the distilleries, because they will be in use for many years in the case of the better premium rums.   This is why it is so important that the barrels are cared for and kept in good condition.   It is just as important to have a good "cooperage" at the distillery as it is to have a good still.    Barrel parts are as valuable as the barrels themselves.

Cooperage at St. Lucia Distillers

Standard Stacking at West Indies Rum
Distilleries in Barbados

The cooperage (barrel making shop) not only repairs barrels, but will replace a single stave to change the way a specific barrel of rum is aging when there is not enough tannin being released in a specific barrel.    They can repair the barrels and make new one from old ones when different pieces are required for the desired results.   This is an important shop in the distillery and has a huge effect on the final flavor of the product.

Solera System at Abuelo Distillery in Panama



    Once the barrels are filled they are stored in warehouse areas until resting of the rums is complete.   There are two ways that the rums are aged in the barrels.  The first is the most common and really the standard method for rum barrel placement.   They stack the barrels in an upright position in a warehouse and keeping them there for the duration of the aging.     The other method is the solera  method where the barrels are laid on their side and the rum is moved between the barrels during the aging process. ( See my March 11, 2011 article "What is this Solera Aging Process?," to further understand how the whole the system works.)


    The aging of the rums is the most costly of all of the processes.   It requires the asset to sit in a bodega or warehouse of many years before you can realize the profits of your labors.   These warehouses and bodegas take up a lot of acreage and require regular monitoring to protect the investment of the distillery.   It is the sometimes overlooked part of the process of producing fine rum, but it is one of the most important ones.  ;o)

Aging Bodegas of Ron Abuelo in Panama

   

Barbados Day Dreaming

     It is on these Sunday mornings when my mind takes me back to so many beautiful places that I have seen in the past.    Today it is the back roads of the beautiful island of Barbados where my mind wandered for my morning vacation.   ;o)

Bacardi and the Cuban Revolution

     There is a huge amount information about the role of the Bacardi family and the Cuban Revolutionaries I discovered as I researched this article.  This is becoming very interesting in light of the court battles going on between Cuba and Bacardi over the "Havana Club" trademark and theis being the 150th annaversary of the company.     It seems that at least initially, the  Bacardi family supported the Cuban revolutionaries including Fidel Castro and the broader "M-26-7 movement".   This support came from the family members, employees, and facilities that could be put to use my the movement.   The company supported the revolution with parties and in the rum advertisements as well.

     Their support soon turned to opposition as pro-soviet Che Guevara wing of the movement began to dominate and Castro turned against the American interests.    The family and the company maintained a strong opposition to Fidel Castro's revolution all during the 60's.     Bacardi and the family left Cuba after the Castro's regime began confiscating family assets as part of the nationalization plan and the banning of all private property and bank accounts.    Fortunately for the Bacardi's they had already started moving many of their ownership of trademarks,assets, and proprietary formulas out of Cuba because of a distrust of then leader, Fulgenico Batista.    The company had started new branches in the Bahamas, Mexico and Puerto Rico to protect itself.


     Embittered Bacardi helmsman, Jose Pepin Bosch is said to have bought a surplus Douglas B-26 bomber in hopes of bombing Cuban oil refineries, and had allegedly was involved in a CIA plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, his brother Raul, and Che Guevara.   This was reveled during the congressional investigations into John F. Kennedy's death.

     This whole story is really covered well in a book by Tom Gjelten titled "Bacardi and The Long Fight for Cuba.    You can find a great review of the book at this blog by Greg Weeks.  http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2011/06/tom-gjeltens-bacardi-and-long-fight-for.html    

Tom Gjelten's Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba

There are really two parts to Tom Gjelten's Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba (2008).  The first is a history of Cuba from the 1860s to the 1960s, centered on Bacardi and the city of Santiago.  The second is a narrative of how Bacardi became global and also obsessed with fighting Fidel Castro.  The Bacardi company went from being an icon of Cuba to a conglomerate struggling to maintain a Cuban identity.    
You can read the rest of the story on his blog.

      The subject is one of interest and need some further exploring, as it is like a great novel, but all of this really happened.   ;o)

   

Here is the Sunshine for All of Us in the Keys

    
     After 5 days of overcast and rain here in the Florida Keys, most of us are suffering from "cabin fever", without the cabin.   I just felt that the picture of a great and beautiful sunrise might bring a bit of happiness for a moment anyway.      I guess that the grey sky for 5 days when you are use to sunshine gets rather depressing.    I hope that it will go away soon, but weather antagonizers say that relief from the grey skys is still several days away.    They are still saying that there is no end in sight for the next few days, with the possible deepening of the storm by Saturday evening or Sunday.



They say that this low has a high chance of development into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, but they don't realize that the Florida Keys have been put into one by all the rain and the overcast skys.   They are telling us that Sunday evening should be the end of this slow moving drenching storm here in the Florida Keys.    This is a huge low pressure area that has drenched Cuba, the Yucatan, and the Florida Keys for a week now and is finally moving north into the Gulf of Mexico.
     Sunday night will be a party for all of us if the rain finally moves away as predicted by the evening.    Look out Key West, we've been either inside or  to quote a friend outside "overcast tanning" for the past week and we are ready to get out and rock.   I'm looking forward to the weather change anyway, you really need the sunshine to keep you alive.    It may mean it is back to sweating in the high 80's heat and humidity, but it really beats these overcast days  any time.   ;o)

Where do Americans Spend Their Booze Money?

   It seems that American consumers are spending about 1 % of the money they are spending on booze.   This is an amount that hasn't changed very much in the past 30 or so years.   What is interesting about the report is where the money is being spent.  

    In a report by Lam Thuy Vo, http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/06/19/155366716/what-america-spends-on-booze, it shows that in 1982, 24% of the money spent on alcohol was being spent at bars and restaurants, and 76% being bought at stores for home use.     By the 2011 report is shows that we are spending 40% of the booze money in bars and 60% in the stores.   This is a major shift, but what does it really mean.   Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the cost of booze in Bars and Restaurants has risen 79% since 1982 and the cost of booze in the stores has dropped 39%.   It would appear that we are not really going out more, it has just gotten more expensive to drink in the bars and restaurants that is shifting the percentages..   

    The report also showed that of the alcohol money being spent for home consumption, wine purchases have more that doubled and hard liquor has been cut by more than half.   Beer is also on the decline, though not nearly as significantly.   These are interesting trends, but what really seems significant to me is that Americans haven't really changed their spending for alcohol all that much, they have only shifted where they are spending it.   Buying wine for home instead of hard liquor is a significant savings that allows them to go out and enjoy cocktails at the bars and restaurants though it has become more expensive to do so, in addition to the fact that the beer purchases for home changing only a minor amount, would tend to make me think this is the case.   ;o)

Tropically Depressed: They are Trying to Drown Us

     There is a huge low that has been trying to drown us here for the past couple of days and promises to hang out with us for a few more. These are rare here in the keys and I hate it when rain just hangs over the island for days on end like this.   Alan Jackson's song about being in in a "Tropical Depression" fits weather like this here in paradise.    The black clouds that are hanging over us are filled with rain and it just keeps dropping huge amounts of rain on us.   Then it stops for a few minutes giving us false hopes of clearing up and then dumps on us again.    

     The rain isn't the real problem, it's the grey sky and the lack of sunshine to a fun loving bunch of inhabitants that live for the sunshine.  Unable to get out on the water or play at the beach, but rather are stuck indoors.    Our world is one of bicycles, boats, and motor scooters that don't do well in the rain.   Wet streets with deep puddles that cars drive through and drench you even more than you already were don't help the mood either.   This is phone killing time for us, it isn't the phone falling into the sea that kills our phones it is being soaked by the rain water getting into your pockets and drowning the phones where they live.

     The really good news is that this is only for a few days and will be gone again and it will be back to sunshine and the warmth of the surrounding waters that keep us smiling and washes the depression away.   I hat  e all of this self pity that I get when the least little bit of bad weather comes around brings over me, but that is why I live down here in paradise where this is not suppose to be happening.    Poor me!!!   No really it is funny how when you are use to the rain just breezing in and out of here in an hour or so, when it stays it does kill your mood and leaves you feeling blue until it goes away, and we are back out the beaches basking in the sunshine again.   ;o) 

White Rum vs Spiced Rum: Who will be Number 1

   There seems to be a trend toward spiced rum going on right now according to Diageo's Russell Jones Captain Morgan global brand manager, who said the consumer is trending away from white rums and moving towards spiced ones.
Jones says that the US is a major market for Captain Morgan , as is being used as a testing ground for some of the new innovative products.    In April, Diageo launched "Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum in the United States, where  Jones says"what happens in the US tends to set the trend".     There are 16 spiced rums that have been added to the market in the past three years here in the United States.   This is going to force the hand of all of the older traditional spiced rums to improve their game or be out of the game.

     One of the new additions to the game was Oakheart from Bacardi, this is one of the better spiced rums to be placed on the market by a mass producer is many years.    The blend of good rum and a spice package that doesn't over power the rum has made it a quick riser and the sales are doing well.  This is also an indication of what the market is doing also.  For a giant like Bacardi to spend a lot of time developing a quality spiced rum really shows that there is an emerging market for the spiced rums.

     It the real world of the rum sales battle, the white rum is still the number one seller and Bacardi is the number one seller of white rum.    In 2011 , worldwide  Bacardi sold nearly 20 million cases of white rum last year compared to Captain Morgan's Spiced sold  nearly 10 million cases.    Russell Jones believes that the "more holistic trend is that the market is going away from white rums to spiced rums".    This is something that we will follow and see if what he feels comes to fruition.    No matter which way it goes, the sales of rum is growing every year, and it is on the back of companies like Diageo and Bacardi that it is growing on.   ;o)

Bootleg Rum Raises it Ugly Head in Jamaica Again

     A story in the Jamaica Gleaner reveals that bootleg rum carrying  J. Wray & Nephew White  Overproof labels was making it's way into several bars, stores, wholesalers, as well as other places throughout Kingston.     The Sunday Gleaner has found the bootleg rum widely available especially in bars and shops during it's investigation over the past three months.     This has been a problem before in Jamaica, and has come to the surface again.   There are several parts for concern over this latest outbreak.   Health concerns over  this rum that is being distilled in less than sanitary conditions, the financial impact of the bootlegging.

     From a sanitation standpoint, the bottles are used bottles that have not been properly sanitized and being resealed with glue.  The stills themselves are not inspected as well as the rest of the facilities to see if they meet the required standards.    All of these things can be a source of problems for anyone that is using these bootleg versions of the rum.    There have been some reports of diarrhoea and other symptoms reported from the drinking of the bootleg rum, but the full effects from the ingestion of these rums is unclear at the is time.      

     The financial losses not only effect the J. Wray & Nephew Company, but the taxes are not being collected on these bottles costing the Jamaican Government millions each year.   It is conservatively estimated the bootleg rum sales at $100 million annually, and the legitimate industry leaders are feeling the they are becoming more organized and sophisticated in their methods and distribution.

      Most of the current confiscated bottles are bearing the J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Label, and the company says that most of the customers who are purchasing this bootleg rum won't be able to tell the difference.   This is because even some of the new security additions to the label are found on the counterfeit ones.    The trail back to the people that are making the rum is very unclear, there have been several arrests of store owners that are selling the bootleg rum but getting back to the source has been sketchy.     Major Hugh Blake , corporate risk manager of Lascelles Group who makes Wray & Nephew says the counterfeit trade has been dented in recent years leading to nearly 90% of the rum on the market being rum from legitimate producers.  

     I guess it is not that different from the bootleggers in the South here in the United States during the 40's and 50's, it is hard to find the stills and even harder to catch the delivery people.    I think that the real concern for the Jamaican Government is one of revenue loss and some small health concern.   It needs to be nipped off, before the organizations become too deeply rooted and they become nearly impossible to get rid of.   ;o)   

    

The Sky Puts on the Show

All the colors and shadow of the clouds at sunset just leave me in aah of mother natures artistic skills as she paints with light.

Pango after the Rum Lab

     Since doing the Rum Lab with Barbancourt's Pango Rum, I have been working with this wonderful mango and pineapple flavored rum.    We are making a cocktail based on the painkiller using the Pango that is absolutely fabulous, and a few other ideas have worked out very well.   I am finding that the more I work with this blend, the more places I find that I can use it.    The versatility of the flavors blend well with so many other tropical flavors making it perfect for most any tiki or tropical cocktail.





Pango Punch

• 1 1/2 oz. Barbancourt Pango
• 1 oz. Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve
• 3/4 oz. Taylor's Falernum
• 1/2 oz. Pomegranate Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. White Grapefruit Juice
• Splash of Sprite

Place all ingredients except the Sprite in a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.  Strain into a pint glass filled with ice and top up with the Sprite.  Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime wheel.   This can also be floated with a nice overproof rum like Plantation Trinidad Overproof or Lemon Hart 151.   

This is just one idea that really worked for me, you can experiment and come up with so many really flavorful cocktail using Barbancourt's Pango in your back yard Tiki of in the kitchen if the summer hasn't reached you yet.   ;o)

Fish Hawk Key: Revisited

    Fish Hawk Key is one of the magical little mangrove keys off of Key West that keeps drawing me back again and again.    It is the combination of the beauty of the Key, the sky, and the water as they come together around this little spot just northeast of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico.

     This little key is absolutely loaded with life though, in the air on the "land" and under the water.   The bird live is plentiful and varied, from Cormorants and Gulls to Ospreys and Herons, there are just hundreds of birds that in habit this little spot of land and mangroves.     The bird life also changes with the seasons like the leaves in the Appellation Mountains.     There are Pelicans and other migratory birds that show up here in the winter and the "locals" that remain here all year round like the Cormorants and the Herons.

     When you look down into the water, this is another complete world to explore as well.    Like the sky's, the inhabitants of the key change with the seasons as well.    Summer is getting started and the water is starting to warm up and the appearance of the sharks will begin very soon in this area.   Right now you can see Southern Stingrays, Barracuda, an a hole host of Mangrove Snapper in the shallows among the mangrove keys in this area.   I love to turn the motor off and raise it up allowing the dinghy to drift with the current.   This allows me to see many things in the water, plus some time to enjoy and photograph them.

     No matter when you visit the small shallow water mangrove keys in the gulf just north of Key West, you sill find a pilferer of life, large and small that will call you to return again and again to enjoy the new show being performed for you with all the encores that your time will allow you to sit for.    If you can get your hands on a shallow draft boat, take the time to visit these marvelous little keys it will be well worth your time.   ;o)

Wray & Nephew offers a 50 Year Old Jamaican Independence Reserve Rum

     This is an idea that started when 24 oak barrels of Appleton Rum began aging in 1962 under the watchful eye of then master blender Owen Tuller.     The "angel's share reduced the finished product to only 14 barrels remaining for bottling.      This is the first part of a two part project that also includes the continuing of the aging process of part of the rum to an age of 100 years for the Jamaican Independence Centennial.

    Joy Spence the current master blender for Appleton describes the rum as having a "dark mahogany color with rich coppery reflections".   There is a powerful oak aroma infused with vanilla, cinnamon, maple, and orange peel.  The flavor is  smooth with a honey oak  finish.

     Appleton is looking to gross some $4 million from this part of the project.  There will only be 800 bottles available world wide and they will be retailing at approximately $5,000 per bottle.   This is described as the oldest rum in the world by Wray & Nephew's managing director Paul Henriques.    This is one very special event in Jamaica and a very special rum is proper and fitting to celebrate the 50 Years of Independence for Jamaica.   This is a project that took a lot of advanced planing and very special execution by very talented people to have it happen in such a spectacular way.  

     Congratulations to Jamaica for 50 years of Independence and to Appleton for such forethought and bring to fruition the huge undertaking.   ;o)

Pride Parade: Zany Key West is at it Again

     Key West is known for many many things and last weekend was the culmination of Pridefest, the gathering of the gay community for some fun and frolic.   The culmination of the event is the parade on Sunday, and this year it was just as crazy as it is every year.    The guys and gals all if full regalia for  the event brought out a good crowd to witness the parade as it proceeded down Duval Street.  

     The carrying of the rainbow flag to the motorcycles, floats and the local politicians were all present to make this years event another fun parade.   I guess it is the fine people of Key West and their acceptance of all who reside here that makes me so happy about living here.    It takes me back to my younger years and puts a smile on my face.   ;o)

     

    

Key West Bacchanalia was a Fun Time for All Attending

     The 2012 Key West Bacchanalia was a success and a really fun time for those attending last weekend.   I enjoyed my visits to the events on Friday and Saturday.     The Ron Zacapa and the Rums of Puerto Rico were of particular interest to me, being the rum guy that I am, but the cooking and mixology events were interesting also.

     Eric Morles Snyder, Rum Ambassador from Rums of Puerto Rico and his crew did a wonderful job of showcasing their line of fine rums.   Both the events on Friday evening at the Hurricane Hole and at Rick's on Saturday evening were a lot of fun and I enjoyed sampling some of the fine rums and cocktails.

      Robert Pallone, Florida Rum Ambassador for Ron Zacapa and his lovely assistants were on had to make sure we enjoyed the fine rums of Ron Zacapa as well.   I particularly enjoyed the Ron Zacapa XO that was offered on Friday night.   This is one of the fine rums of Guatemala, and always a popular rum among rum aficionados.  

     There was a good crowd around for all of the events and it would be my guess that a nice sum was raised to benefit  the Darrell Gwynn Foundation to be able to carry on their fine work with the paralyzed.   This was a great event that supported an even greater cause and I look forward to next years event as well.   ;o)

Good Sunday Morning Everyone

Mornings just don't bet any better than they do here in Key West.   Happiness to everyone this morning.

Bacchanalia Goes to the Hurricane Hole

    Key West Bacchanalia took over the Hurricane Hole for the Celebrity Cook-Off Friday evening.    The crowd was a good one to support The Darrell Gwynn Foundation who's mission is to provide SUPPORT for people with paralysis and PREVENT spinal cord injuries.     You can see all that Darrell Gwynn and his foundation have accomplished at http://www.darrellgwynn.com/biography.htm or join them at http://darrellgwynnfoundation.org/blog/ .   I have to say that it was a pleasure to spend a few minutes talking with Darrell last night, talking about the pas5t and the present with a man that is so determined and strong in a very special way.     Key West Bacchanalia is a drive to benefit the Darrel Gwynn Foundation and half of the ticket sales will be donated so Darrell's fine work can continue. 

Darrell Gwynn Foundation Founded in 2002 by champion NHRA drag racer Darrell Gwynn and his wife Lisa, the Darrell Gwynn Foundation works to provided awareness, prevention, support and ultimately a cure for paralysis. Since its founding, DGF has donated over $1M in wheelchairs. On average, the Foundation donates two to three high-tech, customized, wheelchairs every month. On the right is wheelchair recipient, 15 year old Erasmo Portilla with his old chair (right) and new chair (left) which will enable him to live with more independence and as well as properly support his posture, significantly decreasing his back pain and risk of further spine dama

      The food and rum were a big part of the night last night, with the Cook-off and the presents of Robert Pallone, Florida Rum Ambassador from Ron Zacapa and  Eric Morales Snyder Rum Ambassador for the Rums of Puerto Rico.   It was an exciting evening of visiting with some old friends and meeting some new ones.  

     The events continue today with the Grand Tasting at Rick's beginning at 3:00 pm and running until 7:00pm.    I'm going to try to stop by between 6 and 7 tonight and will hopefully see you there as well.   ;o)

  

Looking at the Little Things

     As I roam and wander through the little keys, I find myself looking at the macro instead of the micro, but sometimes it is fun to look a little closer and you will be amazed what you see.   I find myself like so many others looking for the grand and spectacular and missing an entire small world right around me.    Even in the rum world if you spend all of your time with the mega names in rums, you miss some of the wonderful little artisan brands that can provide you with some very special experiences that you won't find any where else.

     As I scanned around with my camera I found a very beautifully colored wasp, something if you don't look closely at you would just swat or try to get away from.   This is one of the more colorful insects I have seen out there.

     There are some interesting little flowers and plants that seem only to appear when you look at a place through a microscope instead of a telescope.    Sometimes I like to pick a 20 foot by 20 foot area and look to see all of the things I can see there that I hadn't noticed before.   This is a lot of fun and can be amazing to see what all you can find.   Many of the little things are camouflaged and have their own way of hiding from your sight, but if you look closely you see more than you can believe could possibly be there.

      The weather was overcast last Tuesday when I went out into the mangroves to search for some new and interesting things to photograph and watch, but found that there was very little happening, until looked down and started to notice the little things that can be just as interesting as the large things that are very easy to spot.   Some time you should try looking a little closer, you'll be amazed what you can see it you look small.  ;o)