Finding God on the Battlefield Dept: Ed Hamilton

[Capn Jimbo]

Coincidence?


Needless to sayI try to follow most of the important rum websites - and the MOR too - just to see what kind of monkey business is going on. Or not. I was recently rather astounded to find the Grand Poobah of Rum, the Preacher, the Prophet making a very non-prophet kind of statement. In responding to a monkey who'd had a bad experience with Mexican rum (Mezan XO), our dear Profit, er Prophet had this to say:

"Sounds like you got a taste of a cheap rum. Not all rums are created equally. After tasting hundreds of rums, I can tell you that there are a lot of rums I'll never drink again. Just because it says rum on the label, doesn't mean it's good.

Most of the Mexican rums I've tasted were quite light in character despite a brown color that is easily added with a bit of caramel."

In one fell swoop, the Preacher broke his long standing "...it's all good" commandment - AND! - admits what is clearly an unintended use - not of E-150 - but "caramel". Whew! WTF, already!?


Does it have anything to do with his long promoted private label rums?

It might. The private label has "evolved" according to the Knowing One, from early suggestions by monkeys of "Captain Hamilton Rum", to "The Ed Hamiton Signature Series", and just thereafter the "Ministry of Rum Collection". The deal is pure private and he hopes, pure profit. What he's done so far seems to be finding and buying about 4500 liters of rum from the Worthy Estates in Jamaica, to be imported by his company, Caribbean Spirits, Inc. in Chicago.

Check these out:

. . .

. . .

And for the original filings:

https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/v ... 9001000224
and
https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/v ... 3001000043

The filings are particularly interesting for those that wish to contact Mr. Hamilton by email, snail mail or by telephone for further details.


Surely you noted these...

1. Hamilton apparently feels that the "Ministry of Rum" is more saleable than his name "Ed Hamilton". He may be right.

2. He has decided to include the dates of distillation and bottling, and the batch number. However interesting this does not indicate whether or not these will be single barrel releases, in which case they will be blends.

3. The most shocking is this label statement:

"No flavor or coloring agents have been used to make this bottle of Worthy Park Estate Jamaican Pot Still Rum"

And on the final "Ministry of Rum Collection" he added yet another gimmick, namely:

"To learn everything you may want to know about this bottle of rum, enter the batch number at ministryofrum.com"

This too is curious as the few other rums he reps are not terribly well described at his website except for the usual blurps used by all in the biz. What I'd love to see is an actual listing of all contents as there are additives other than "flavor or coloring agents" (eg glycerol), or additives that are ostensibly added as agents for other purposes but which also alter the rum in other ways. I would also like to see details on raw materials, fermentation, the pot still and process, blending if any, and aging including cooperage and usage and of course years.

Elsewhere I found a clear indication that the bottling will not be done by Worthy Park in Jamaica, but rather in the United States, which raises one of Richard Seales pet peeves, ie the manipulation of the rum upon bottling. To Seale this was so serious a risk that he refused to distill or provide rum to any entity (like Tommy Bahama) unless he also bottled it - to make sure there was no funny business later altering or blending one of the pure rums of which he is justifiably proud.

Still, this is hopeful - now that Hamilton has become a bottler, he has suddenly discovered the notion of purity - but the proof will be in the banana pudding...

[Capn Jimbo]

About Worthy Park...


The Worthy Park Estates has quite an interesting history, and reportedly began as a gift to Lieutenant Francis Price for his services to Cromwell during the English invasion and ultimate capture of Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655. It was and remains primarily a producer of cane and sugar from about 1720 to this day.

The estates were purchased by a Mr. Frederick Clarke in 1917, and is still managed by his grandsons and great-grandsons today. There is no indication of when rum started being produced, but rum production ceased in the 1950's but began again at a date unknown. Currently Worthy Park promotes a handful of its own pot-still produced products which are not widely available here, including:

1. "Rum-Bar Rum" - a white overproof
2. "Worthy Gold"
3. "Rum-Bar Rum Cream"

More important though are their sales of sugar, molasses and bulk rums which include:

1. Light Pot Still Rum (ester range 60 - 119)
2. Medium Pot Still Rum (ester range 120 - 239)
3. Heavy Pot Still Rum (ester range 240 - 360)

This must surely be the source of the "Ministry of Rum Collection". Listen to what Worthy says...

"We export in bulk liquid shipping containers which hold 22,000 litres to 25,000 litres of rum at 85% alc/vol. During 2005, only unaged rum will be available however we are aging rum for future bulk rum sales. We would welcome any discussion with potential customers for bulk rum in smaller parcels."

This would indicate that such "smaller parcels" will include rums of no older than seven or eight years.


Other worthy (pun intended) notes include:

The rum is indeed pot stilled from a dead wash of 7 to 10% alcohol. It is aged in 200 liter American white oak (previous fills unknown). The pot still is a lovely copper with down-turned lynne arm, a single copper thumper and a vertical copper shotgun condenser. A classic design that appears very well maintained. Their website takes much time to promote their "clean-in-place" system of sanitation, and their modern lab support. Most of the rum goes directly to huge stainless tanks for bulk export, with much lesser amounts reserved for bulk sales of modestly aged younger rums (the 200 liter oak casks).

Worthy has distributors in Jamaica, the UK, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and last the United States. Notably, Ed Hamilton is neither their representative, nor distributor.

[da'rum]

Interesting,

Ed wrote about worthy park and actually gave them a backhanded slap with a pompous disparaging remark about their stock. About a month later I saw he was on his way to visit them.

The ministry of rum selection seems to be a financial selection as opposed to what Ed thinks is top quality.

The guy is duplicity personified.

[Capn Jimbo]

Interesting is right...


Despite making much of Worthy Park Estates founding 300 years ago, it is well to understand that this was primarily a sugar plantation and known for their production of cane sugar and molasses. Even their own website says very little about their rum distilling which seems fairly modern. Sometime after the 1950's they made the decision to sell bulk rums - light, medium and high ester.

These are made in a newish looking, 18,000 liter copper pot still with a single thumper. It's maximum output is reported to be 4000 liters/day.

It is likely their primary customers are German buyers, with the intention to be used in blending. They appear to sell in large 25,000 liter lots. It was only recently that they even began to age rums, sometime after 2005. They used their very young bulk rums to make crudely bottled blends of very light rum (with a bit of high ester for flavor) for local sales of a light flavored overproof, a gold and a flavored cream rum.

How new? For example "Rum-Bar" was not produced until 2007 and "Rum-Fire" in about 2010. None of these are really aged; none are really known or popular much outside of northern Jamaica. They are more known for sales of young, high ester bulk rums.


God on the Battlefied

D... I'll take you at your word regarding Ed's change of heart under fire. In between screaming out "Mommie", of a sudden Worthy Park apparently went from being criticised to being this February's "Rum of the Month". I still remember seeing their practically unknown "Rum-Bar" overproof appearing as "Rum of the Month" and wondered WTF?! The RoM is always a crotch kiss to the distributors and new products from the majors, so I could only assume he owed someone a favor, was negotiating to import it or the like.

Now we know the rest of the story.


It's not all bad

The Rum Project has been promoting pure and unadulterated rums for at least five years, and we were not alone. JaRiMi was yet another early influence in fighting back against the negative trends in ownership and their cheap shit products. Even WIRSPA felt the heat long ago and made a failed attempt to set even the most minimal of standards. CARICOM led a series of argumentative meetings among Caribbean producers that like WIRSPA - led to nothing among the disagreeing members.

Meanwhile, more and more people became aware of the issue. Here's the point: the snake oil promoters have been forced to finally address the elephant in the fermentation tank:

1. Turncoat Burr has finallly admitted my designation of "rogue rum" but still defends it on the basis that "rum" has always been a fun, rogue drink, give em a break!

2. It took years but the butt sniffing Wolfboy finally admitted that his adored Diplomatico's are indeed altered, but insists that they taste delicious, and still his tip top ratings as "rum".

3. Finally and as noted above Hamilton not only admitted that "not all rums are good", but slipped and noted the use of caramel instead of E-150 for obvious reasons. That he has heard "the word" and has decided to promote a product labeled free of coloring and flavor agents is remarkable.

To date only Richard Seale, Phil Prichard, two super premiums and Pussers have (successfully) made this claim, now joined by the bad boy of rumlike liquids. This is actually quite good. It's hard to say "...it's all good" or "fun" on one hand and promote what we can assume will be a naturally light colored, youngish, higher ester, relatively pure rum on the other.

He has also promised more information that has heretofore been available on for any other rum. All of these are commendable but a lot can happen to a rum between distillation, non-bonded aging and foreign bottling in the United States. Ask Richard Seale. This seems to be a one-off attempt, with just four or five thousand liters being purchased - about 22 barrels. His labels seem homemade and we know nothing about the bottle or bottling.


Gonads are on the line...

Whether this bar bet will pay off, no one knows. Certainly the loyal monkeys will rush to buy what they consider an immediate collector's item (which may prove true) with an estimated release of just 6500 standard bottles. He maintains a dwindling Rolodex, and is also faced with notably negative relations with The Rum Queen and Turncoat Burr, whose Miami Death Knell is the only game in town and at which, we can assume, his "Collection" will not be appearing. Ouch!

A fascinating bar bet to be sure. All said, I wish him well if only for the purpose of furthering the cause of purity of product and honesty in aging and to see him grovel. My hopes are three: first, that the "Collection" is honestly pure and unadulterated; second, that the labeling is honest and complete; and last, that it is a smashing success that requires Hamilton to finally prostate himself - faciing west - and favor and promote purity and honesty.

Any bets?

[Capn Jimbo]

Slippage already?


Late breaking news: "Mikey" of the Shillery made this stunning statement regarding the accuracy of Hamilton's labels (above) which stated "no coloring agents":

"I don't think they (the labels) would be (accurate) because both of them say no coloring agents, but Edward said it would be colored. (Be it with sugar based caramel coloring.)"

What? Is there slippage already? Not good, not good at all. This my friends, is no way to run a railroad, unless it's the consumers you wish to railroad...

[Dai]

Yes rum needs better labeling, ingredients need to be listed just like marg or any other processed food item.

I do remember that the back of the Ron De Jeremy bottle stated no flavor or colouring additives whether it has other additives I don't know.

[JaRiMi]

Ed "the Ham" Hamilton is a man of many controversies..!

His words:

"Your statement "Changing the taste of the spirit by artificially adding ingredients to the new make spirit is done - but never publicly showcased or admitted, or written about. Certainly this raises serious questions about the integrity of the whole business, the people who run it, and the spirit itself - rum lover or not." is false and offensive.

You also stated "Mr Hamilton himself made statements that clearly indicate that the rums we drink are not made in accordance to the story the makers showcase to the public."

[NOTE: This is what he says on his site: Most molasses-based rum is distilled to about 95% alcohol by volume, neutral spirits. After aging a year or so, some of this neutral spirit is carbon-filtered and bottled as white rum. Other rum is aged. Spirits that were born as neutral spirits are sometimes flavored with raisins, oranges, coffee, chocolate and other flavoring before being bottled as aged rum."

And then in a discussion, from 2007 ...I can only report what I know to be true and hope more distillers will be honest with me and their other consumers. In Venezuela it is part of the govt regulations that fruit such as oranges can be used to flavor rum."]



So when I suggest the same what HE (and now Burr) said, they nailed me to the wall..and my suggestion was "false representation" of his statements! He also stated that:

"If you will show me an example of an absolute cover up I will be happy to discuss it. If you will come forward with any statement from a distiller that he or she does not add anything but sugar cane products to their rum and you have proof otherwise, this forum will fully support you in bringing the truth to the public."

Well, I don't think Matusalem, nor Diplomatico, offers any material or statement to the paying public which would have admitted to using macerated fruit / extracts / liqueurs to improve the taste of their spirit..? Now would be a good time for dear Ed and Burr for example to apologize. And discuss. I look forward to an invite to the Ministry, to be able to discuss.

OK, back to the topic...

I find it HILARIOUS that Mr. Hamilton would be selecting a molasses rum of all, and promote it!! After all, his comments about molasses rum have always been pretty much that Agricole is waayyy superior in every way.


The other HILARIOUS thing is that Mr. "all rum is good, good, rum is good" is now trying to ride the PURE RUM bandwagon all of a sudden. WHAT A JOKE. This is the man who accused me of a witch hunt, when I said I'd like to see regulations in place which would make it impossible for the distillers to hide the truth about their methods of adding flavours to their spirit, and also that would define what is "Pure Rum".

What Ed is trying to do, is become an Indy-label in USA, just as in Europe the likes of Dewar Rattray, Cadenhead's, Samaroli, Velier, Bristol Spirits are. The difference is that these labels are honest to the consumers, and are highly respected.

I would not buy this "Ed" rum in a million years. I would not endorse it's sales here. Why? Cause I do not trust the man who signs the label.

[JaRiMi]

Yes rum needs better labeling, ingredients need to be listed just like marg or any other processed food item.

I do remember that the back of the Ron De Jeremy bottle stated no flavor or colouring additives whether it has other additives I don't know.

I may be wrong, but I do not think the gentlemen behind this product know the bulk stocks they buy well enough to say that. The blend is made for them in Central America, and of what stock, from where? Most likely local. If the country has any leftovers from old Spain-times, the additives are probably legal - and used.

What they probably mean is that once their master blender makes & mixes the blend, after that no additives or colouring is used. Not quite the same thing. Certainly this is a fairly sweet rum, typical hispanic stuff.

[JaRiMi]

Interesting,

Ed wrote about worthy park and actually gave them a backhanded slap with a pompous disparaging remark about their stock. About a month later I saw he was on his way to visit them.

The ministry of rum selection seems to be a financial selection as opposed to what Ed thinks is top quality.

The guy is duplicity personified.

This is a good example of how rum industry has been working. Next thing we see, is that the man who disparaged their stock, is now the main promoter of their stock. 180 degree fast turn!!! Money talks.

[Dai]

Yes rum needs better labeling, ingredients need to be listed just like marg or any other processed food item.

I do remember that the back of the Ron De Jeremy bottle stated no flavor or colouring additives whether it has other additives I don't know.

I may be wrong, but I do not think the gentlemen behind this product know the bulk stocks they buy well enough to say that. The blend is made for them in Central America, and of what stock, from where? Most likely local. If the country has any leftovers from old Spain-times, the additives are probably legal - and used.

What they probably mean is that once their master blender makes & mixes the blend, after that no additives or colouring is used. Not quite the same thing. Certainly this is a fairly sweet rum, typical hispanic stuff.

You could be very well right on this score. All the same if I were to go back six months or so then I would easily be taken in by this statement and thinking this was a pure rum as would 99% of the buying public. Personally I find it misleading to say no coloring or additives when a rum has them in it. Now I don't know whether it does or not but if it does then I hate being taken for a ride and conned out of my money ( I wasn't in this case as I bought the bottle from tasting a sample I liked. All the same if I was to pick a bottle up from a shelf and read the back of the label it would give me the impression this is a pure rum).

[Capn Jimbo]

Dai (and J), a brief note...


I just checked my bottle of Ron de Jeremy and the label does not address either additives or coloring. Some of the new, uh, comers are not aware that The Rum Project was the first in the universe to publish what I called a "non-review" of RdJ. Olli - the CEO - found it so hilarious that he featured it on the front page of the rum's website. What an honor!

You have to check this out...
http://rumproject.com/rumforum/viewtopic.php?t=341

Actually, I'd be pleased to do yet another "non-review" of yet another non-available, ever changing rum like the Preachers...

[Dai]

Dai (and J), a brief note...


I just checked my bottle of Ron de Jeremy and the label does not address either additives or coloring.

There was a little square on the back label of my bottle that said no added colouring or additives this may not be the exact wording but it's close enough as don't have the bottle finished it. Now to the average consumer this would mean it's free of any additives or colouring but, as I'm learning this may not be the case.




*******
Capn's Log: Dai, this piqued my interest enough to email Olli Hialeti the CEO. He states that to his knowledge the RdJ labeling never made these claims. He even double checked his personal supply to make sure. Perhaps you were thinking of another rum?

[Dai]

Capn's Log: Dai, this piqued my interest enough to email Olli Hialeti the CEO. He states that to his knowledge the RdJ labeling never made these claims. He even double checked his personal supply to make sure. Perhaps you were thinking of another rum?

Nope definately the Ron De Jeremy the reason is I found it unusual and refreshing to read this statement I'll email master of malt and ask them to see if any of there bottles have it. The only other thing I can think of is a mis-labeled bottle and shit I don't have that bottle any more. A little square on the back label with a sort of border round it.

[Capn Jimbo]

Back to the thread...


Although Hamilton's officially filed label indicates "no flavor or coloring agents" one of his own monkeys stated that Hamilton had made other claims to the contrary, ie that the rum WOULD have coloring agents.

This post went up a couple days ago, and not a word from Hamilton to confirm or deny the issue. Backing away from his "no flavoring, no color" claim does not bode well for being considered consistent or honest. We're all wondering - what's the truth this week? Was Hamilton's "selection" so flimsy that now the rum is colored? Has he no control over the product? Is he backing away from himself? And why?

He remains silent...

[Dai]

Hi Dai,
Many thanks for your email.
I have checked on the back of the label of the Ron de Jeremy and I cannot see that it states anywhere that there is no flavouring or additives, but it does state that there is no caramel colour... J

Just got the above reply from master of malt Ok my memory is not what it should be (I'm 52 maybe I'm going senile) but there is some vindication. Now this is a lot more than most rums state so nice RDJ for actually stating no added caramel.


*******
Capn's Log: thanks for the followup. Now I've gotta recheck my bottle - trust me, the memory thing gets worse. As I recall, lol... this is a good trend.