Know Thy Foe (recommended rums)

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Tue Aug 26, 2014 7:48 pm

OK,

I am working on my "rum reboot", where I get serious about real rums and try to get past the corporate obfuscation.

I've read the Diageo thread, and I am now aware of their brands, and committing them to memory. I knew many of these before, but some were a surprise.

Assuming I am able to evade all of their offerings (some, like Coal Ila, Cragganmore, and Dalwhinnie will be a tearful goodbye, but for every tearful goodbye there will be an independent hello out there for me to focus on instead), what other conglomerates should I also be aware of the ethics of avoiding?

Just a point to a link or the suggestion of a search term is fine if this has been discussed before ad nauseum.

Thanks

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:05 pm

As far as rum recommendations go try Appleton 12, Pussers, Seale's 10 year old,

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:44 am

Hey Dai,

Already have the Pusser's. Scored a great stash of dusty pussers from 1994 (95.5 proof, lame by the UK 109 and 151 standards).

I plan to re-visit the Appleton given the praise it gets here, and my changed palate.

Seale's is also in the crosshairs.

But I'm more wondering what are the other dastardly companies that a rum buyer might unknowingly support, just by only thinking about avoiding Diageo? Or is avoid Diageo the only rule for good, ethical rum consumption?

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 10:05 am

I'll pop in...

...if mostly to say that da'Rum - who was one of the very few (two to be exact) to reach "Minor God" status here - has been invited to join this thread. He was perhaps the first to draw a line in his Aboriginal sand, and said "No more!" from the likes of Diageo.

In time more people joined him to varying degrees. Our position: as far as their rum goes, there's not a one we'd drink - and they are reported to be altered anyway for the most part. Unfortunately some of us - like Sue Sea for example have been enjoying Guinness Stout for so long, that we'll compartmentalize our digust for our favorite beer.

I'd have to say that many of the single malts have been pretty much left alone - but not completely, and over time all bets are off.

But when it comes to rum, the Big Three (Diageo, Fortune (Cruzan) and Bacardi are easy to ignore or boycott and should be. If you haven't already, read and sign the Petition to Save Caribbean Rum (linked below both my own, and Dai's signatures).

There's a few truly pure rums that are both world class, score very highly and are also very affordable. Here's a quick take...

Seales 10
Doorly's
MGXO (for awhile still)
MG Eclipse Black (a best buy)
Barbancourt (any, but the 3 and 5 star for sure)
Appleton (any, the 12 is magnificent, V/X surprising)
Wray & Nephews Overproof
Pusser's (of course and always)

Somewhere there's a thread here dedicated to the pure rums, perhaps Dai will remember it...

Dai · Post by **Dai** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:32 am

I rember the thread but not what it was titledMaybe we need a sticky thread of just unadulterated rum's now that we have the tests from Alko.

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 4:09 pm

OK, cool.

So a quick wikipedia search reveals that Fortune brands is now owned by Beam Suntory, formerly just Suntory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beam_Suntory

Which would add to the ethical avoid list:

American whiskey:
Bourbon whiskey – Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow, Baker's, Basil Hayden's, Booker's, Knob Creek
Rye whiskey – Jim Beam Rye, Old Overholt, Knob Creek Rye, (rī)1
Blended American whiskey – Kessler, Beam's Eight Star
Scotch whisky:
Single malt Scotch – Laphroaig, Ardmore
Blended Scotch whisky – Teacher's Highland Cream
Irish whiskey:
Single malt Irish whiskey – The Tyrconnell, Connemara
Single grain Irish whiskey – Greenore
Blended Irish whiskey – Kilbeggan
Canadian whisky
Alberta Premium, Canadian Club, Tangle Ridge, Windsor Canadian
Spanish whisky:
DYC whisky
Japanese whisky
Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki
Tequila
Sauza, Hornitos de Sauza, El Tesoro de Don Felipe, Tres Generaciones
Cognac
Courvoisier, Salignac
Vodka
VOX, Wolfschmidt, Gilbey's, Effen, Pinnacle,
Rum
Cruzan, Calico Jack, Ronrico
Gin
Larios, Gilbey's, Calvert
Brandy
Fundador, Terry Centenario, Tres Cepas
Liqueur
Starbucks Liqueurs, Kamora, After Shock, Leroux, Castellana, Sourz
Sherry
Harvey's Bristol Cream

Of all of these, I think I'm only interested in Old Grand Dad BIB and 114, which aren't high margin products, so I don't think I'm funding the dark lords too much.

For Bacardi, brands include:

Scotch: Dewar's
Gin: Bombay Sapphire
Vodka: Grey Goose, Eristoff, 42 Below
Tequila: Cazadores
Liqueurs: Drambuie, Disaronno Amaretto, B+B, Benedictine

I guess I'll have to find a substitute for the Goose. To be honest, that Rain vodka that Buffalo Trace is making is just fine, and dirt cheap.

All right, now I have a list with which I can equip my spidey sense to tingle when I'm reaching for an evil empire product.

Any other smaller nasty entities that we should think twice about supporting for any reason? This is important stuff.

Thanks Jimbo for the starter list. Even though only from a desk at sea, I'm already onto those, and beyond! Can't taste yet, but I can plot and plan.

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 4:22 pm

I'm not sure what more I could add except to say that Diageo's scotch brands are still not bad but Diageo is. This company alone is the poster child for everything bad about the spirits industry and really a great example of corporate bastardry regardless of the product. They are (alleged) manipulators and are pushing hard for NAS on Scotch. So for all those reasons all the products from them I relegate to the no f@#$/ing way in hell pile. As Diageo is never getting a cent from me.

Now to the unmolested. Apart from those already listed I'm not much help. Jarami would ve the go to guy in that respect. I have a baby son and am finding my spirits jouney in a state of stagnation. For the moment.

Cheers

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 4:37 pm

Right. I'm with you.

It's a shame, because they are sitting on some very good whiskys, and whiskeys.

But I agree, what you support financially, is your vote. And I'm not comfortable voting in that direction, and wish to get straight on putting my money where it is not going to come back at me by destroying other things I like.

There are plenty of great-drinking alternatives to these corporations, and it makes sense to focus on those.

I'm glad my favorite malt is still Glenfarclas, though!

Hassouni · Post by **Hassouni** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 3:15 am

How do we feel about indie bottlings of big 3 whiskies and rums?

(Also Jimbo, does this mean no more Myer's for you?)

The Black Tot · Post by **The Black Tot** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:39 am

An interesting question.

I would venture that the indies are doing exactly what we would have wanted the majors to do, in the sense of bottling at the strengths and/or purities we were hoping the major in question would have done in the first place.

However, this logic then leads us back to the Megacorp owned single malts, which also bottle some products in the expressions we would approve of.

Would it therefore make sense to say it is ethical to purchase megacorp products in the instances where no comparable independent alternative exists? In the world of single malts, for example, while I like Caol Ila, I'm pretty sure there's an equally or near equally excellent peated independent available that I could buy instead. There are much more Scottish malt independents to choose from than there are traditional Caribbean rum independents, yes (and fewer each year)?

In the rum world, we are paying the independents for the only hope we are going to get of an unadulterated piece of Caribbean history, since there are fewer distilleries and therefore there is less access to similar independent offerings. So even if they have to source their rum from a megacorp, that will profit in the process, there is quite literally no other way?

I also think the extinction of the distillery in question has to be an added justification for exceptional purchase.

What do you guys think?

Post by **Capn Jimbo** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:21 am

Hassouni wrote:How do we feel about indie bottlings of big 3 whiskies and rums?

(Also Jimbo, does this mean no more Myer's for you?)

I'll let better posters than I speak to the whiskys, but as for Myers's (yes, that spelling is right), I kept one around for three reasons: it's an absolute classic (like our Guinness), I bought one to review and perhaps more to the point, in memory of my dear Grandfather, who I remember as always having one on his shelf.

Still, when I finally emptied the bottle (after 6 years), it was not replaced. I did keep the bottle for display.

da'rum · Post by **da'rum** » Mon Sep 01, 2014 7:07 am

It's not the products that I have a problem with (mostly) it's the company's ethics and obvious long term plans. It's their history and their present behaviour that I detest. I like diversity and craftsmanship in everything including, obviously, spirits. These companies have no such romantic notions, they see us as marks and what they sell us as pure numbers on a page. Therefore with the wish of not wanting these mega corps to ruin an industry I'll not sponser them by buying their booze no matter how well made it currently is.