I like Lance of Liquorature. Although we've had our disagreements, we manage to maintain a dialogue, he still accepts posts (most of the time) and has demonstrated a willingness to change and grow. He even buys his own rums, and recognized the need for a normal distritubution of scores.
At the Shillery regarding the threat to Caribbean rum, he reluctantly agreed, but like the Preacher, has not spoken out on his own website (Liquorature.com). Not a strong commitment. So I took the opportunity to legitimately congratulate him on another successful year of rum reviewing and raised the subject on his own site...
Now - as common on most blogs - this comment "awaits moderation". Does Lance have the cajones to approve what is really a very kind and gentle post? Stay tuned or check (here)...
Moi to Lance at Liquorature: "Hello rum mate, it’s actually Capn Jimbo here and it’s been a year or so since I congratulated you on your first 100 reviews – a major accomplishment in anyone’s book, including mine. Except for the few who actually run significant blogs or websites, few know or appreciate the tremendous amount of work and time involved."
"I do, and you deserve congratulations once again.
And yes – again true for all of us web writers – we all have learned, grown and changed, You certainly have. While it’s true that we have what in retrospect are the usual, sometime overspiced and unlabeled differences of opinion, in general the dialogue goes on. As for your own changes of heart, may I be the first to say “I told you so!”, lol.
Again, sincere congrats and keep it up. But before I disappear again into the chasm of curmudgeonry, all of us remaining and active webmasters need to face a new and serious threat to all Caribban rums outside of the USVI and Puerto Rico. Subsidies to the latter have become so massive that our favorite rums from Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, the DR and others may soon cease to exist and then what will we review? All that history and tradition destroyed by billion dollar subsidies to huge conglomerates.
As you know the MOR and our own website are engaged in this crisis. Adding support too are Tiare, Scotte’s and the Rum Club Italiano, as well as Phil Prichard (Prichard's Fine Rums) and others. I don’t mean to end on this note, but 2012 was a significant and negative turning point for Caribbean rums as we knew them. A link to a petition to Save Caribbean rum is above (or below).
After all, we don’t want to have to buy expensive single malts, do we? But again – cheers and best wishes for an interesting 2013. We all look forward to your new commitment to hard to find and special rums…"
