Metrosexual Dept: The matter of style...

[Capn Jimbo]

Style is not only important, it's essential. But...


At least insofar as the spirit "rum", it's not understood nearly well enough. Let me hit you straight off with the essence of "styles". Simply, "styles" are identifiable subdivisions of a spirit. Key? Identifiable. Consider these examples:

1. For autos: sedan, sports car, truck, SUV, off road, et al. In most cases easily identifiable.

2. For whiskey: Highland, Lowland, Island and perhaps Campbeltown. For experts there may be further subdivisions called "clusters". Each of these styles have identifiable characteristics that can be distinguished by experienced whisky lovers.

3. For gin: London Dry, Plymouth, Holland, Old Tom, New World. With the possible exception of the last, all are largely identifiable.

4. For wines: the identifiable styles here are defined by grapes and terroir and yes, can be distinguished by well founded tasters.

The point: a lover of Cabernets may not like Chardonays, of Islays may not like Speysides, of London Dry may not like Old Tom. The styles are different - they have to be or they wouldn't exist. Styles are basic to not only spirit but in many ways define everything we are or do.

We each have our own identifiable style, and our own style preferences. The test insofar as spirits to me is simple: if you can't blind taste a "style" it doesn't exist.


Yet how are rums classified?

The basic division is molasses vs cane juice based. These are distinct and identifiable and are valid. But then things go badly awry. Now we get into color which simply cannot be distinguished in a blind tasting. Nor can origin, type of bottle, distillation methods, price and/or to a large extent, age.

Yet there are identifiable and recognized styles that (a) are identifiable blind and thus (b) have value. As readers here are acutely aware these are Barbadian, Jamaican, Demeraran, Cane Juice and Cuban. Not only do these have historical significance (in the order in which these clear styles emerged) but learning them is essential for anyone to really understand and appreciate the spirit.

It does no good to attempt to compare say a pungent and funky, high ester Jamaican to a smooth and light, low ester Cuban style rum. This is akin to putting pickup trucks and high performance sports cars into the same competing category. A fools errand, yet we apparently have a bus full of festivals and "competitions", "awards" and "best of" lists that do exactly this.

Fools all, and were are the greater of these if we fail to recognize the sham and fail to speak out. Change if any will occur from the bottom up.

Last, and this is clear for all spirits: the matter of "style" is being diluted by the multinationals. Raw materials are shipped in, distillation occurs in one location and aging in another. The distinctions that led to some of great styles of all time are being stretched, blended, diluted and smeared into spirits not created for distinction, but to be non-offensive, easy to drink, altered to taste for the lowest common denominator.

The Big Three have made it clear that "origin doesn't matter anymore" and apparently neither does actual age (think NAS). Style? Are you kidding, it's not even on their list. This is hardly what the drinking population actually desire, but what these megacorporation spend millions to promote, all to hide the fact that this is the way they manufacture product.


Bottom Line

Style is not only important, it's essential. It is in all of our interests to understand this, and to promote the styles, true quality and honest age anytime and any way we can. Don't say "I love Appleton Estate Extra", say "I love the Jamaican style and really enjoyed Appleton Estate's 12 year old. Great funk, and I really dig the aroma of all those pot stilled esters".

Capish?

[RT]

Capisce?

Capisce is an Italian word that initially became popular in English in the 1940s, popularized by Italian immigrants in America's eastern cities and by use in onscreen portrayals of Italian-Americans, often in organized crime roles.

It comes from the Italian the verb capire, to understand. It is commonly mispelled and mispronounced, and has been rendered in English as "coppish," "capeesh," and "kapish," among other variations.

If you say:
"Capisci ?" = Understand?
"Capisco !" = I see / I understand.

[Capn Jimbo]

I've always loved Capisco crackers and wafers...


Hello?! Oh yes, and in addition to the numerous American slang spellings of the word, what's equally neat is the fact that the word can be used as both a question and the answer, capish?

Capish.




*******
Special Note: it should be noted that my cheap attempt at humour is also - surprisingly - accurate. Capisco is yet another spelling, and according to the Wiktionary is the first person singular of "capire", et al. Dig it.

[bearmark]

Of course, you're preaching to the choir! I completely agree that styles of rum are essential to being able to identify and describe them.