New Member: Nekkandor

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 2:59 pm

Today you may have noted a new registration...

"Nekkandor", from Germany.

I review all registrations, but to be fair most of them are rejected. There's a tendency for travelling monkeys who - for a split second - have an actual thought but which is usually of the smart-ass variety, and whose goal is simply to register and hopefully to make a wonderfully pithy but negative post. As some of you know, I write each registrant and ask them briefly why they registered, what they hope to learn and what they'd like to offer. That is usually the end of things and The Project is spared another loser.

When I reviewed "Nekkandor's" registration however, I noted he is a rum webmaster from Germany. His site (translated):

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... ogspot.de/

Untranlated: http://barrel-aged-thoughts.blogspot.de/

Now I don't know if he intends to participate but judged on his review of a hard to obtain Port Mourant 50% rum, he would be welcome here, and I told him so. We'll see. The simple truth is that Sue Sea and I are quite happy and honored to be associated with the present crew of highly intelligent and worthwhile fellow lovers of rum who have shared amazing and thorough posts that benefit the 250,000 monthly readers we get here.

As for the monkeys? It's a quick "Havabanana" and back to the Shillery...

Junsas · Post by **Junsas** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 7:28 am

Nekkandor/Marco is also the author of the fantastic Demerara Rum History paper on Barrel Aged Thoughts

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 7:53 am

FWIW...

This history was noted quite some time ago here, but here is the current link:

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... ogspot.de/

History and tradition is very important around these parts, and of course that includes the Demerara, which became one of Dave Broom's rum styles. The problem now is the recent discovery that the once vaunted El Dorados have been found to secretly add large amounts of sugar - up to 45g/liter - as reported in their 12 and 15 year versions. This information is publicly available and I'd assume not very hard to find. This was first published by the good Count, expanded here and is currently the subject of the upcoming People's Sugar Test project.

The author needs to spend more time in the present. With that much data I'm surprised the notion of sugar in Demeraran rums and/or as a general subject seems sadly missing.

Let's hear from Nekkandor... did he miss the obvious? Or is hidden sugar in rummaking of no consequence to him?

Hassouni · Post by **Hassouni** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:44 am

Maybe since he's in Europe he has easier access to the indie unaltered Demeraras?

Nekkandor · Post by **Nekkandor** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:23 pm

Capn Jimbo wrote:FWIW...

This history was noted quite some time ago here, but here is the current link:

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... ogspot.de/

History and tradition is very important around these parts, and of course that includes the Demerara, which became one of Dave Broom's rum styles. The problem now is the recent discovery that the once vaunted El Dorados have been found to secretly add large amounts of sugar - up to 45g/liter - as reported in their 12 and 15 year versions. This information is publicly available and I'd assume not very hard to find. This was first published by the good Count, expanded here and is currently the subject of the upcoming People's Sugar Test project.

The author needs to spend more time in the present. With that much data I'm surprised the notion of sugar in Demeraran rums and/or as a general subject seems sadly missing.

Let's hear from Nekkandor... did he miss the obvious? Or is hidden sugar in rummaking of no consequence to him?

Well then. Hello folks

To be honest I had the ED12 and ED15 in the early beginnings of my rum-journey. Both bottlings were my first Demerara rums. It was in 2011 when I started my "journey" and I remember these rums. They were both sweet and I was, at first, very fond of them. But after a few bottlings from the independend bottlers my palate begans to develope and I got bored of them. Actually, it was a little more than that: The rums have become too sweet for my taste. I have never managed to empty these bottles by sipping the content.

We (Flo, Leo, Sascha and myself) have often discussed this topic in a chat the last two years and we all suspected some kind of sweetening. We had never a solid proof for this assumption. But we always hinted that there must be something awful wrong. But as you can imagine: No one believed us. Only the comparisions of some bottlings coming from the independent bottlers with the original bottlings did raise some eyebrows (e.g. Cadenhead Trinidad Distillers TMAH 1991 19 YO and the Angostura 1824).

I remember to have seen a list from the website of the Count in a link Leo gave us in the beginning of the last year or so (both had contact in the past). Rums like the Diplomático (aka Botucal) Reserva Exclusiva 12 Años and the Plantation 20th Anniversary Extra Old tasted so unnatural in comparison that we always suspected some kind of altering. So we were not really suprised at all. But the link was not officially published and so we posted it nowhere.

The reason I did not mentioned this issue in the demerara-article is simple: I only wanted to review the history of the most important and lost distilleries and their lost styles. The revelation of some facts which are totaly contrary to the PR from DDL was enough for me at the time I published it (e.g. Port Mourant 1732).

Finally the public topic was raised in the biggest German rum-community after this list was posted (after the Count made it public) in January this year. Since then there is a smell of changing in the air. More and more people in my country turn their attention to the independent bottlers. They want to now how unaltered rum tastes. The demand is not yet that great but it is slowly growing.

I know that this is very problematic for the distilleries. They sell the unaged rum across the ocean to the UK in bulk and the profit of this business afterwards goes not to the producer but to the bulk-buyer and storage-owners. I am very well aware of the U.S subsidiaries and the unbalance among the rum-distilleries thanks to you and this forum. In fact: I am reading it now for almost two years and I also noticed your disappearance last year.

I am well aware of the whole sugar-issue. I have not ignored it at all. Almost all of my reviews are about rums coming from the independent bottlers. They all tasted natural and almost like a sort of whisky (bad comparison, I know). Imho rum could be very equal to whisky. I decided not to write reviews about DDLs current range. Why? Because the quality of almost (yes almost) every single-cask or vintage bottling simply beats the rums of DDL. Period. Sry guys but this is a sad fact. Those sugar-rums are not on our radar.

The reason I finally decided to register here was the topic of the closure of Mt. Gay. The Mt. Gay XO was my second sipper and I think this is just a pitiable event for all of us. It affects all of us, regardless where we live and I wanted to say something about this topic. I did not expect this kind of public discussion about myself.

Sry for my bad english. It is simply not my native language.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:37 pm

It's nice to hear from you...

And in such rich detail, thank you. Germany has long been a destination of good high-ester Jamaican rums, which we believe are relatively pure - you know good rum. We are certainly glad to know you are very aware of the issue and a supporter of pure and unaltered rums. We are also quite jealous of the easy availability of the better independent bottlers that you named. Your reviews of them are informative and welcomed.

The addition of sugar and other unlabelled additives is a huge and serious problem and it is nice hearing that the awareness is spreading. We very much appreciate your participation and as for your "poor English", not to worry. We have to put up with the Aussies here too...

Again, welcome. We look forward to hearing more from you here.

Hassouni · Post by **Hassouni** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:45 pm

Nekkandor wrote:
Well then. Hello folks

To be honest I had the ED12 and ED15 in the early beginnings of my rum-journey. Both bottlings were my first Demerara rums. It was in 2011 when I started my "journey" and I remember these rums. They were both sweet and I was, at first, very fond of them. But after a few bottlings from the independend bottlers my palate begans to develope and I got bored of them. Actually, it was a little more than that: The rums have become too sweet for my taste. I have never managed to empty these bottles by sipping the content.
...........
Sry for my bad english. It is simply not my native language.

Willkommen auf der Rumproject! (German is not my native language either, don't worry, your English is far better!!).

My experience with the El Dorados is 100% identical to yours, Nekkandor, even down to the timing of it.

The best way to finish a bottle of ED12 at least is to mix it with some ice and Angostura bitters - an old-fashioned cocktail, omitting the sugar, since it doesn't need it.

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:39 pm

Welcome to the forum your input will be most valuable.

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 7:49 pm

Wann man Englisch schreibt wie du gerade geschrieben hast, er sollte sich nicht entschuldigen. Es ist auf jeden Fall besser als mein Deutsch und ich wohne auch dort.

Herzlichen willkommen, viel spaß mit der Verrückten.

Hassouni · Post by **Hassouni** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:42 pm

da'rum wrote:Wann man Englisch schreibt wie du gerade geschrieben hast, er sollte sich nicht entschuldigen. Es ist auf jeden Fall besser als mein Deutsch und ich wohne auch dort.

Herzlichen willkommen, viel spaß mit der Verrückten.

Yeah, what he said!

Nekkandor · Post by **Nekkandor** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 2:50 pm

Thank you all for the welcome guys. I do know the we Europeans have an easier access to such bottlings. Maybe you will have the same access in a few years or more. I have read that Berry Bros & Rudd has released some bottlings for you. It's not much but it's a good start.

JaRiMi · Post by **JaRiMi** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:02 am

Dear Marco,

It is very good to see you here in this rum forum! Some months ago I wrote some feedback to your website, and received your email - many thanks for this! Again, I am an avid fan of your website, and the wealth of information there - it is kind of you to publish this for all to see.

As you may notice, sugar additions have been a topic of discussion here - as are all the other "flavour additives" distillers use. Once upon a time I started to discuss this matter in the so-called Ministry of Rum, with the result of Mr. Hamilton calling me a liar, rum's enemy number one, and kicking me out of the forum. This was certainly interesting, given that prior to his outbursts he himself had written information on this topic! I can only guess that his commercial partners / companies he receives "favours" from prompted him to stop such talks completely, before the public found out too much of the truth which they have carefully chosen to hide from it.

Your comparison of Trinidadian rums bottled independently vs. Angostura's own bottlings is spot on. As much as I like the good people at Angostura, I must question their methods of producing rums with such flavours in them. How can the rum be so full of sweet vanilla, tobacco, other "non-native-to-rum-or-oak-casks" flavours? It would seem that more takes place at the distillery than just traditional oakwood cask aging...But of course, they are not alone.

Worst "offenders" have certainly come from the Hispanic rum categories, but I believe that the history of these ex-Spanish colonies explains this to a large degree (rum production methodology, and local legislation is all based on old-Spanish ways & laws, i.e. derived from the production methods of brandy - where use of raisins etc macerated fruits has existed).

Independent bottlers and the rums they bottle is definitely the lifeline of rum these days. It is a pity mass-market producers decidedly take the route of additives, extra sugars etc. - because as you, I strongly believe that rum could well be a spirit as fine as whisky is. And the whisky crowd is interested in good rum: I organized this year the very first rum event here in Finland (as a "sidekick" of our annual UISGE whisky festival), and for sure, the whisky lovers flocked also to try rum. Who came on top of the rum popularity? Well, independent producers - Bristol Spirits. Everyone praised their selections, and it was an honour to have Mr. Barrett give a lecture on rums to a full room of listeners.