Pussers blended by Beam?

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:05 am

http://www.rumportal.com/distillery.asp ... Distillery

I've just read that pussers is blended by Jim Beam. Is this true?
Is Beam part of the big three?

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:30 am

oh no

That's a heart breaker.

sailor22 · Post by **sailor22** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 9:33 am

I wouldn't be surprised.

Last spring I had the opportunity to crawl around inside a Heaven Hill warehouse and found two levels of Gosslings Rum aging in ricks.

Heaven Hill is privately owned corp that does some contract distilling in addition to servicing all of its many labels.

Given the cost of transport it would be reasonable to assume that the juice was made there and would be bottled there in Bardstown Kentucky.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:51 am

People, people, people...

Pusser's is not owned by Beam. As far as the "blending" is concerned, per Difford's Guide...

"Having acquired the rums he needed to recreate the Royal Navy’s blend he needed somewhere to do the blending and bottling so Charles constructed a small plant on the Island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The first bottle of British Navy Pusser’s Rum was bottled here in November 1979 making it possible once again to have a tot of genuine British navy rum.

Since then the blending and bottling has been contracted out, but remains under the control of Pussers, who also specifies the rums and proportions used in exact accord with the BRN forumula. The rum has not changed one iota since its inception, and continues to be the British Royal Navy Seamans' Fund largest contributor.

Take a breath...

*******
Note: Check here for a full listing of Beam's holdings (which do NOT include Pussers). Beam IS owned by Fortune and is part of the Big Three.
http://www.beamglobal.com/

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:13 pm

Capn Jimbo wrote:People, people, people...

Pusser's is not owned by Beam. As far as the "blending" is concerned, per Difford's Guide...

"Having acquired the rums he needed to recreate the Royal Navy’s blend he needed somewhere to do the blending and bottling so Charles constructed a small plant on the Island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The first bottle of British Navy Pusser’s Rum was bottled here in November 1979 making it possible once again to have a tot of genuine British navy rum.
Since then the blending and bottling has been contracted out, but remains under the control of Pussers, who also specifies the rums and proportions used in exact accord with the BRN forumula. The rum has not changed one iota since its inception, and continues to be the British Royal Navy Seamans' Fund largest contributor.

Take a breath...

*******
Note: Check here for a full listing of Beam's holdings (which do NOT include Pussers). Beam IS owned by Fortune and is part of the Big Three.
http://www.beamglobal.com/

Ah but think Jimbo it wouldn't take a lot to make a similar rum (since they have the recipe, not exact that would break the contract) that is not to far away from Pussers and then screw over Pussers. I'm not saying this is going to happen probably won't but, it wouldn't be unheard of especially if there was money to be made.

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:26 pm

I realise Pusser's is not owned by Fortune but even the fact that Pusser's, who I admire, does business with Fortune/Beam leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.

Fortune is one of the Big three who I just recently spent a small amount of energy campaigning against.

That's two strikes for Pusser's

1st strike.....bullshit marketing spiel concerning DDL's wooden stills.
2nd strike ...they let one of the big three blend their rum (boo hiss)

Also 1/2 strike for the caramel..well, not really a strike more a un neccesary act that underestimates the consumer.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:12 pm

Whoa hoss!

Folks, other than an uncited and vague reference on a third party site, we don't for sure that Pussers is blended by Beam, and/or what is meant by blended. It is entirely possible Tobias provides partially blended rum, and/or unidentified rum to the bottling facility. Do recall how fanatical Don the Beachcomber was about protecting his Tiki recipes, eg one ounce from bottle "A", 2 oz from bottle "B". Even his bartenders didn't know what was in the drink. It may be Tobias never used Beam, and that this undated reference is incorrect. Or that it was correct, but Tobias has since moved on.

Last, let's assume as true what is being posed as a crime against humanity, namely finding the most economical way to bottle your rum as a means to (a) staying business and (b) continuing to make a reasonable profit. If the cost of doing it yourself is going out of business and ending a 300 year tradition - which IS maintained and which IS the authentic formula, then what would you do? Seriously.

It would be so easy to sell out and then who knows what would happen (although I suspect the contract with the British government is rock solid regarding the formula AND the 50% sharing of profits)? As Ralfy would say, I don't care what the bottle and label looks like (or who filled it) but it's what's in the bottle that counts.

And that hasn't changed. FYI - I have an email relationship with Pussers and will send them a note about this... details to follow. There are much bigger fish to fry than who bottles what.

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:59 pm

You are right Cap'n that they should not be sent to the Hague just yet.

There are bigger liars and bastards out there.

But that's not the point.

Fortune are part of the bad situation that is occurring.

I will not support them either directly or indirectly.

If Pusser's has made that decision because they needed to to survive then so be it, that is their decision.

It is now my turn to decide that if the association with Fortune is, for my stance, a line in the sand where I say that even though Pusser's is right up there as one of my favourite rums I can't in good conscience support Fortune in even the smallest of ways.

I haven't made the decision yet. I am however disappointed that I must make it.

There are NO good guys in the world of rum just 4000 differing levels of scoundrel.

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:11 pm

I still maintain that if Beam has the recipe or even a partial recipe and can concoct some thing similar in taste that if it is possible to market a rum that is profitable enough that when the relation ship (if there is one) ends, I wouldn't be surprised to see Beam bring out there own rum. This may be in the distant future (depending if the info is correct) but, business being business it may be a question of getting one over on a rival (one of the other big three) not Pussers, all this is conjecture I know but, stranger things happen.

Lets hope this situation does not happen. It would be a pity to see Pussers loose out as they help the royal navy veterans fund a lot by all account.

Now I've only had a sample of Pussers but I did like it and will be buying a bottle in the near future.

Lets hope you are right Jimbo for our sake I hope so.

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 5:45 pm

Dai , the recipe is not a big deal. It is marketed as so and maybe tricky to get it exactly to the ratios of differing rums but any blender worth his weight would be able to reproduce something so close to Pussers as 98% of people would be none the wiser.

Secret recipes/blends and wooden stills are paper tigers.

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 6:33 am

da'rum wrote:Dai , the recipe is not a big deal. It is marketed as so and maybe tricky to get it exactly to the ratios of differing rums but any blender worth his weight would be able to reproduce something so close to Pussers as 98% of people would be none the wiser.

Secret recipes/blends and wooden stills are paper tigers.

Very true!
Lets say Fortune needed to bring out a quality rum to compete with Zacapa (bare with me) they wouldn't want to re-invent the wheel and while they have Pussers as a base to work from, I think you know the rest.

This is all conjecture and thinking out aloud but, it is the way of business and the world.

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:05 am

FWIW...

This assumes:

1. Beam actually does blend Pusser. In the media business, my editiors would not allow a story to run without at least two confirming and unrelated sources.

2. That Tobias does not have a non-compete contract.

3. That Tobias actually identifies the rums used, and that they are not partially blended already.

4. That the United Kingdom doesn't care and wouldn't sue the living snot out of any entity who purported to sell their secret formula, provided to Tobias on the basis that it would never be revealed.

5. That the loyal lovers of Pussers wouldn't revolt over a cheap and blatant slap in the face of 300 years of their belove tipple.

6. That the asshole imitator would be pleased to give half their profits to the BRN Seaman's Fund as agreed.

Ain't gonna happen. BTW, da'rum already approximated the formula, lol...

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 10:32 am

Agreed.

What we are discussing is definitely not proven as fact.

Agreed on the other points as well.

I for one would like to know who does the blending though.

jankdc · Post by **jankdc** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 12:53 am

I don't know if it is relevant, but:

Rum company moves HQ to Charleston
Staff Report
Published March 5, 2013

Pusser’s Rum Ltd. relocated its corporate headquarters last month from the British Virgin Islands to Charleston.

The office, at 2233 Technical Parkway, Suite B, will house administration and management staff that will provide operational and marketing support. Pusser’s Rum also has a retail warehouse in Charleston.

Pusser’s Rum will share office space with Pusser’s USA, a restaurant company with locations in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.

“As a Lowcountry resident, I’m particularly excited that Pusser’s Rum Ltd.’s corporate offices are now located in Charleston,” said Dean Cowart, marketing director, in a news release. “We plan to source projects locally whenever possible.”

The company produces rums aged at least three years, as well as a 15-year-old rum. The rum is a blend of five stills from Guyana and Trinidad.

Mount Pleasant resident Gary Rogalski serves as president and CEO of Pusser’s Rum.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Pusser’s USA as the owner of Pusser’s Rum Ltd. A corrected version of the story is above.

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:27 am

How long is Pussers aged for?