Hassouni wrote:OK now that I have a second, let's consider the major styles of rum we know so well (unaltered, please) and the major styles of scotch whiskey, namely lowland, highland, Speyside, islands, Islay, and Campbeltown. On first inspection that seems like as much variety as in rum. However, Paul Pacult asserts that there are really only 2 major style of scotch: inland and coastal. I tend to agree with that.
I like the Hass. He clearly reads my blather, comments well, and helps seed worthwhile discussion. A good man, and I'll say it again - his contributions here are not at all trivial, not least his Hookah coverage. I urge all to take the 12 or 14 minutes it takes to view Glaser's interview, linked in the OP, above. Hass, your points are taken, but Glaser is actually referring not to the general styles, but to the literally thousands of different releases, not to mention special barrelings of Scotch whiskys. The number of one-offs produced in Scotland every year is breathtaking.
In comparison, rum is lucky to come up with 10 or 20 new releases per year, and there are very few one-offs. Example: Serge has now reviewed 10,651 different whiskies. Compare to the number of pure and unadulterated rums from whence to choose and well, you get the idea. BTW, Serge's rum reviews number 336, and many are not pure.
Similar is not the same. Glaser's tastes are so refined that it often gets down to not a style, not a distiller, not a brand, not a year, not a run - but right down to a single special barrel necessary to uniquely create the special profile he had in mind. His searches and refinements, plus blending experiments sometimes takes years. Another trivial point: I'll take your Flor de Cana/Smith & Cross and raise you a Laphroig 10/Glenfarclas (which don't even seem to be made on the same planet).
Although I do agree in very general terms that rum too has a number of styles (thank me very much, lol), it lacks Glaser's "spectrum" of many thousands of issues and individual barrels from which to choose and blend. Some of his blends require the inclusion of less than 1% of a certain barrel to succeed.
Marrying is not as simple as jamming together one from each style - a penis and a vagina - and expecting marital bliss (don't ask, I don't know either, lol). Not that an occasional jam isn't rewarding...