It's all about geography stupid!
No, I don't mean you, my faithful readers. I do mean WIRSPA and our erstwhile rap star, basketball bouncing, rum fest promoting uber promoter, The Rum Ambassador and self-appointed rum "expert". Now, now I know you're thinking "but aren't you self-appointed as well"?
Absolutely.
But I make it clear that I am a Compleat Idiot - but a reliably honest one. But occasionally even a blind squirrel finds a nut - in this case the Ambassador. And boy did he and I get into it over the notion of just what constitutes the "Caribbean" and "Caribbean Rum".
Very embarassing for the poor fellow.
Especially when a Compleat Idiot makes a Sunday roast of his meatless, WIRSPA-based fawning and foolish notions. Enough already. Here's two great links, the first to a major new article over at the main site and second to my showdown with the Ambassador over at the Counts.
Enjoy.
Link to "Authentic" Caribbean Rum: Unplugged
Link to The Great Encounter - the Capn meets the Ambassador
Definition: Defining (authentic) Caribbean Rum
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Capn Jimbo
- Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
- Posts: 3550
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
- Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
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Definition: Defining (authentic) Caribbean Rum
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
I think we should define "True Rum" (Or "Pure Rum") first, and I have made a suggestion of this on another website.
1. Sugar cane is the raw material used - be it in the form of cane juice, cane syrup, molasses of any degree or grade.
2. For fermentation, I would allow use of fruits (and dunder) - so nothing much to add here..as long as the resulting brew is mainly based on that cane juice/syrup/molasses, and not anything else.
3. Distillation can take place in any kind of a still.
4. After the distillation is complete, NO ACTUAL ADDITIVES ARE ALLOWED to be mixed in the new make spirit. By these additives I mean fruits, spices, nuts, honey etc used, as well as any kind of synthetic flavourings which may also be used.
5. Aging can take place in most any kind of a wooden barrel or cask, as long as information of the cask used in published. The cask can be ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, madeira - whatever. The barrel may contain some of its original content (that liquid which is soaked in the wood, not more).
6. Age statement states the youngest distillate used in a blend.
7. Sugar and caramel colouring IS allowed as additives before bottling - because this is quite customary for other spirits also (should be mentioned though, in EU region demanded by law).
8. Any rum which does not conform to this standard should be called spiced rum and sold as such.
That would be a good start I think?
1. Sugar cane is the raw material used - be it in the form of cane juice, cane syrup, molasses of any degree or grade.
2. For fermentation, I would allow use of fruits (and dunder) - so nothing much to add here..as long as the resulting brew is mainly based on that cane juice/syrup/molasses, and not anything else.
3. Distillation can take place in any kind of a still.
4. After the distillation is complete, NO ACTUAL ADDITIVES ARE ALLOWED to be mixed in the new make spirit. By these additives I mean fruits, spices, nuts, honey etc used, as well as any kind of synthetic flavourings which may also be used.
5. Aging can take place in most any kind of a wooden barrel or cask, as long as information of the cask used in published. The cask can be ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, madeira - whatever. The barrel may contain some of its original content (that liquid which is soaked in the wood, not more).
6. Age statement states the youngest distillate used in a blend.
7. Sugar and caramel colouring IS allowed as additives before bottling - because this is quite customary for other spirits also (should be mentioned though, in EU region demanded by law).
8. Any rum which does not conform to this standard should be called spiced rum and sold as such.
That would be a good start I think?
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Capn Jimbo
- Rum Evangelisti and Compleat Idiot
- Posts: 3550
- Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 3:53 pm
- Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
- Contact:
Most excellent!
Most excellent!
Great post for its sensibility and simplicity. Only in this way can rum become more than the spirit of rogues and rebels and truly become the "noble spirit" promoted over at the Shillery.
I have one addition and one possible correction.
1. "Solera" rums should, at the least, state the average age of the final product, as well as any blending that goes on. It would be nice if they'd describe the solera as well: tiers, original charging, frequency and amount of withdrawals.
2. I have some concern about fruits being allowed in the fermentation, as I believe this would add fermentable fruit sugars (think cognac) and the product would no longer appear to be pure rum.
I have no problem with dunder, as this is simply the result of previous fermentations.
Great post for its sensibility and simplicity. Only in this way can rum become more than the spirit of rogues and rebels and truly become the "noble spirit" promoted over at the Shillery.
I have one addition and one possible correction.
1. "Solera" rums should, at the least, state the average age of the final product, as well as any blending that goes on. It would be nice if they'd describe the solera as well: tiers, original charging, frequency and amount of withdrawals.
2. I have some concern about fruits being allowed in the fermentation, as I believe this would add fermentable fruit sugars (think cognac) and the product would no longer appear to be pure rum.
I have no problem with dunder, as this is simply the result of previous fermentations.
I was again thinking of rules for "PURE RUM" as I see it - please do comment and add rules that you think would guarantee to the purity!
1. Sugar cane is the raw material used - be it in the form of cane juice, cane syrup, molasses of any degree or grade.
1.1 Cane can be imported from elsewhere (would be nice if this is stated also) as raw material.
1.2 Molasses from elsewhere can be used, but it would again be nice to see the country of origin mentioned (e.g. Guyanese molasses).
2. For fermentation, I would allow use of fruits (and dunder) - so nothing much to add here..as long as the resulting brew is mainly based on that cane juice/syrup/molasses, and not anything else.
3. Distillation can take place in any kind of a still (pot or column), would be nice if this is mentioned.
4. After the distillation is complete, NO ACTUAL ADDITIVES ARE ALLOWED to be mixed in the new make spirit. By these additives I mean fruits, spices, nuts, honey etc used, as well as any kind of synthetic flavourings which may also be used.
5. Aging can take place in most any kind of a wooden barrel or cask, as long as information of the cask used in published. The cask can be ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, madeira - whatever. The barrel may contain some of its original content (that liquid which is soaked in the wood, not more).
6. Age statement states the youngest distillate used in a blend.
7. Sugar and caramel colouring IS allowed as additives before bottling - because this is quite customary for other spirits also (should be mentioned).
7.1 Amount of added sugar must be reported.
8. Any rum which does not conform to this standard should be called spiced rum and sold as such.
9. Single distillery rums would say so, i.e. no added bulk rum from other distilleries - a new category perhaps?
10. If the rum is not a single distillery rum, it should be sold as a "Blended rum".
10.1 If the bulk rums used for the blend are not all from one country, but are a mixture of bulk rums from here & there, the label should either
a) state countries of origin for the rums blended into the mix (e.g. Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana rum blend), or
b) state that the rum is a blend from a particular region (e.g. caribbean blend), or
c) State that the product is a blend of bulk rums of various origins.
10.2 If used bulk rum comes from manufacturers or countries which are not part of the pure rum regulations, or the origin is not known, the product must again be labelled as spiced rum (sorry, otherwise this provides a loophole to adding altered rum from destilleria X into the mix).
11. "Solera" rums should, at the least, state the average age of the final product, as well as any blending that goes on. It would be nice if they'd describe the solera as well: tiers, original charging, frequency and amount of withdrawals.
1. Sugar cane is the raw material used - be it in the form of cane juice, cane syrup, molasses of any degree or grade.
1.1 Cane can be imported from elsewhere (would be nice if this is stated also) as raw material.
1.2 Molasses from elsewhere can be used, but it would again be nice to see the country of origin mentioned (e.g. Guyanese molasses).
2. For fermentation, I would allow use of fruits (and dunder) - so nothing much to add here..as long as the resulting brew is mainly based on that cane juice/syrup/molasses, and not anything else.
3. Distillation can take place in any kind of a still (pot or column), would be nice if this is mentioned.
4. After the distillation is complete, NO ACTUAL ADDITIVES ARE ALLOWED to be mixed in the new make spirit. By these additives I mean fruits, spices, nuts, honey etc used, as well as any kind of synthetic flavourings which may also be used.
5. Aging can take place in most any kind of a wooden barrel or cask, as long as information of the cask used in published. The cask can be ex-sherry, ex-bourbon, madeira - whatever. The barrel may contain some of its original content (that liquid which is soaked in the wood, not more).
6. Age statement states the youngest distillate used in a blend.
7. Sugar and caramel colouring IS allowed as additives before bottling - because this is quite customary for other spirits also (should be mentioned).
7.1 Amount of added sugar must be reported.
8. Any rum which does not conform to this standard should be called spiced rum and sold as such.
9. Single distillery rums would say so, i.e. no added bulk rum from other distilleries - a new category perhaps?
10. If the rum is not a single distillery rum, it should be sold as a "Blended rum".
10.1 If the bulk rums used for the blend are not all from one country, but are a mixture of bulk rums from here & there, the label should either
a) state countries of origin for the rums blended into the mix (e.g. Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana rum blend), or
b) state that the rum is a blend from a particular region (e.g. caribbean blend), or
c) State that the product is a blend of bulk rums of various origins.
10.2 If used bulk rum comes from manufacturers or countries which are not part of the pure rum regulations, or the origin is not known, the product must again be labelled as spiced rum (sorry, otherwise this provides a loophole to adding altered rum from destilleria X into the mix).
11. "Solera" rums should, at the least, state the average age of the final product, as well as any blending that goes on. It would be nice if they'd describe the solera as well: tiers, original charging, frequency and amount of withdrawals.
I actually do believe the biggest "problem area" when it comes to rum purity is in the ex-colonies of Spain. I do not make this statement because of any prejudice, but base it on the fact that for most of those nations, their laws are based on very old spanish legislation (from the 19th century). Even if and when updated, this might well be the reason why their laws seem the loosest when it comes to making rum, and putting in additives. Look at Venezuela for example.
In the ex-UK colonies, the rum manufacturing laws are probably still based on the around-WWII 20th century legislation, which is already much more strict in its nature.
I really wish to get my hands on the rum manufacturing and certification laws from Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados etc. just to satisfy my curiosity. Then again, I suspect that even if making rum with additives would be banned, one could go around this rule simply by purchasing bulk rums from any international source, and simply blending them into the final product blend..
I have to say, regardless of not being the biggest fan of Martinique rums, at least their system makes sure that the rums do not contain any additives, I believe.
In the ex-UK colonies, the rum manufacturing laws are probably still based on the around-WWII 20th century legislation, which is already much more strict in its nature.
I really wish to get my hands on the rum manufacturing and certification laws from Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados etc. just to satisfy my curiosity. Then again, I suspect that even if making rum with additives would be banned, one could go around this rule simply by purchasing bulk rums from any international source, and simply blending them into the final product blend..
I have to say, regardless of not being the biggest fan of Martinique rums, at least their system makes sure that the rums do not contain any additives, I believe.