JOHN REEKIE

There is a practice of taking Cask Strength Rums (bulk rums) and diluting them down to bottling strength, either by diluting with pure distilled water ..ok -or with pure spring water ..ok but is it reliable . -or by using low proof, non matured, GRAIN ALCOHOL. Well to dilute strong alcohol with week alcohol to get to 40%abv you can imagine what the proportion is of real rum and how much is "Canadian Rum" that actualy ends up in that bottled rum. In Germany this is called (and excuse my translation) Imitation Rum while true rum is called Islanderrum. Is all rum in Canada Bulk shipped ? Yes and No. And thank goodness it is this way. So that the everyday bar rums are then bottled here while the premium rums bottled in the island distilleries are not adulterated ! Have you ever noticed that all bulk shipped rums are 40%abv (80 proof). While some of the same rums distillery bottled are 43 -45%Abv (86-90proof) I do not think you will find a North American bottled rum at any thing but 40%. A lot of the premium rums (imported) one finds are also at the higher alcohol strength and not diluted just for a North American Continental market. I think this applies to the States as well. Enough said.... lets hear about London Dock history from someone who knows the history.

Well yes and no. To start with each Province (like States) have their own 'Liquor Boards', (L.B.s) who govern seperately what alcohol is sold in that Province. So the Liquor laws in Quebec, although similar, can be different from Ontario. Dan Smith in Quebec can tell us the state of Rum in Quebec. Having said that each Province can bulk import,dilute,bottle, then distribute to the L.B.s their rums. The L.B.s also do vast testings for quality and poisons and contaminates and it can take two years to get a bottle on to a shelf for sale. Back to Bulk, the larger companies with bigger brand names will bulk transport to their own bottling plants here.While smaller companies will ship in bottles in cartons. ( I always check the bottom of a carton to see where the box was made, to see where the rum was bottled. ie if its a Jamaican carton the rum was bottled in Jamaica, if its an Ontario carton the Rum was more than likely bottled in Ontario.) The promotional wording used by distillers are very decptive when it comes to where rums are dilstilled or matured or blended or shipped to or bottled. So Appletons, Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Lambs all have Canadian bottling plants where they dilute from cask strength to 40% (80 proof) for sail. This is done for their most popular selling bar & standard rums, but not for their Premium or top shelf rums. Now comes a twist....All those rums I have mentioned have to say bottled in Ontario and some Product of Ontario. While Mount Gay Rum bottle says Imported ( which sounds better in advertising terms). But Mount gay bulk ships to upper New York State some where, and bottles there then trucking in the cartons/skids. Product of Ontario is another category of Alcohol, which I do not understand totally. During the old prohibition days alcolhol was distilled and flavoured and labled what ever,and shipped south. this alcohol was made from anything that would ferment and produce sugars.( definitely not cane in Canada). To me the definition of Rum is that it must be a distilate of sugar cane from sugar cane growing lands of a certain latitude) Beat sugar or corn or wheat etc makes alcohol not rum. I have to move to a different terminal and as one can not save in between I will sign off then continue.

To finish what I was saying in a very hurried way,yesterday. Bonded warehousing is common and has been for as long as alcohol has been manufactured and stored. This is common to all distilleries not just to 'London Docks' or other British Naval Rum Stores. A brand name, for a rum no longer produced, 'London Dock' was produced by Newfoundland Liquor Board (Canada). They imported various rums (mature) stored them ,blended & bottled them. This was popular with the fishermen and sailors out of Newfoundland. 'London Dock' is no longer bottled. 'Screech' rum is still bottled in Newfoundland which is produced by Appletons in Jamaica, then bulk shipped to Canada. When I mentioned one of our members buying an old 'Lambs Rum' I thought he could inform us more on 'London Dock'. Having done his research in England recently to find his rum, he could have learned a lot more about its history of storage and bonding.

BONDING or BONDED..... Its not a process but a matter of taxation and warehousing. to continue what edd was saying re the navy rums. Each Island making rum and selling to England for blending & distribution to Naval Storage, had Bonded warehouses. Still to be seen on many islands, but not used for rum storage. The distiller could be payed for the rum he distilled when the rum in barrels was delivered to Bonded Warehouses, to await a ship to transport the rum to England. This could take some time. So there was a formular to calculate the tax for the reduced amount of rum that left, due to the evaporation and angels share. The taxes were only payed when the rum left the warehouse. On arrival in Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, or London the Barrels were again stored in vast Bonded warehouses for maturation. where again a scale of evaporation was calculated in relationship to time and quantity. and taxes or the shipper being payed on this reduced amount. During the Second World War the London Docks Warehouses where devestatingly bombed leaving rum running in the streets and catching fire. Most Rum producers ie Lambs.were destroyed. But due to having storage in other cities were able to carry on business. Lambs have recently bottled a rum that was in barrel since 1939 in Scotland. This rum one of our forum members has bought and may be he would like to coment on.

Giacomo..... Would like to see your novel, when you are published. Please keep the forum informed as I think a lot of people would be interested. As far as research is concerned there are various Cuban rum History books (in Spanish) and other books on Bacardi. There is a new book to be published June/July this year, publishers not known... ".BACARDI: The Hidden War"....BY HERNANDO CALVO OSPINA & STEPHEN WILKINSON. ISBN: 0-7453-1874-6 (HC) or ...-8 (PB). List price aprox $70.00 (HC) or $ 20.00 (PB). Thats all I know untill June/July when the book is released. You could try searching it out through your local book store. It might be informative, good luck. John Reekie

My thinking that because prices were in Euros, that the boutique had to be in Europe. Yes..In some ways it is.The East coast of Martinique is France. So dont be supprised when dealing with the French West Indies or other French Islands in other oceananic waters to find they deal internationaly in Euros. This was just a test to see if topics were still blocked.

Warning:- There is no Cuban rum in the contents of this Bajan Rum book. For the Forum and rum lovers I went to the trouble to review a book called The BARBADIAN RUM SHOP in my review I clearly mentioned that this was a book about 'Barbados rum' only & 'Barbadians' only & 'Barbadian Rum Shops' only. I also went to the trouble of informing the forum members where one would be able to get the book. I do not intend to spend the this amount of time researching for the forum, then to be asked....How much info on cuban rum? end of Topic. Good bye

Ed ... If you are heading down to Barbados for the- "Rum Fest 2002" next month - check out "The Barbadian Rum Shop" in the Bridgetown Book shops. If you like it (or not) maybe you can review it for the forum. And for thoes looking at the Macmillian-Caribbean.com web site , look at their guide books. Macmillians are well known for their island by island guides writen by local authors. So the guides are full of caribean sites etc without mentioning the hotel circuits and being too touristy. Also if traveling to the islands buy (order) your Macmillan Guides before you go as they always seem to be sold out when you get there. Look for the catalogue of other interesting island books for example - Railways of the Caribbean. Bet you did not know a lot of islands had railways and some still use railways. John Reekie. as always, RUMSEARCHING

"The Barbadian Rum Shop"- by Peter Laurie. I Just discovered that Macmillan-Caribbean, publishers,England, In Novrember 2001, had published this new book on rum. Well not on rum but rum shops and its people. I just came across the book last week and after Emails to England I found a copy here in a book store in Toronto. I flipped through it once and headed to the cash desk. "The Barbadian Rum Shop" is just that , its the sole of caribbean village life, its the community institution along with the church. Its a place for politics, news, cricket scores, dominoes and the serving of local food to children on credit while their parents are working. and for drinking rum and beer after a days work. This book is all Bajan culture and architecture... It only has Bajan rum and beer...only has two recipes, rum punch and rum cake... does not have long aged rums....nor fancy drinks with ice and paper umbrellers in hurricane glasses. What it does have is a short history of barbados rum.... 112 pages of colour phortographs of different local architectural vernacular styles of three door wood buildings. (generaly) with a counter ,back shelves and a glass cabinet for food storage ,to keep the flys out. Rum shops of different ages of repair all decorated or held together with distillery enameled painted metal plaques of the three distilleries or the brewery. Some are painted on all visible sides like a nascar race car with advertising surounding the whole rum shop building. Other shops just painted in Terretorial distillery colours as if to stake out properties. You soon learn that drinks ,ie rum or gin. are not sold by the glass but by the individual bottle. in 'minis' or 'flasks' or 'pints',while there might be some fullsize bottles on the top shelf. 'Pints' are only found in island rum shops. Do I like the book, what do you think. You might not like it, but this is true Caribbean Culture. What I do not like is that the map is just a token map and does not show where all the rumshops are located. This could have been done with using page numbers as references. Alao that the cake recipes could have been in Bajan dialect. Contact your local independant bookseller:- ISBN. 0.333.79390.0 aprox $21.50 us Contact Macmillan:- www.macmillan-caribbean.com/books/general interest You can also buy electronicaly from the publisher ,just check through the web site for information. John Reekie

Unfortunately I never have enough rum to use as a wash, but maybe straight liquor store drinking, 40%, alcohol will do, then and I would not mind throwing it out .. and as for toasting I had not thought about a torch. These suggestions I will have to try when I find my next small barrel.or as my present barrel I am working on still has a loose stave it would be simple to toast inside. Thanks Ed.... Then there are the warnings about alcohol and open flames. That old Barbados story, which there are various versions,.... of a man servant told to get some rum for his master, from the rum storage. This being after dark he took a candle with him. Unfortunately the overproof rum fumes and the candle flame came in contact and he blew himself up. This I think comes from Ligons 1600"s Exact history of Barbados. (I would have to look it up). But some have said this is the original (one of) interpretation of where "KILL DEVIL" come from " The rum explosion killed the poor devil". So to you about to torch their barrels take warning of its previous contents. To my suggestions and the web site to look up. Look or ask for reconditioned barrels plus its history. might be hard to find but could be well worth it. John Reekie.

I am also trying to blend small quantities of rums as Ed has proposed,with mixed results. Taking various caricatures of one rum and accentuating the flavour of another,blending out the bitterness of one while pulling up the dryness or sweetness of another. Trying to keep a record of the blend became impossible as the rum becomes a one single barrel solera. But still very enjoyable. Over the winter I have been rebuilding a two gallon oak barrel ( the original barrel was half a gallon) Stripping the out side down to clean oak, so that it can breath. Cleaning the inside with recomended soda washes. Now I am ready to reband and soak the barrel to take up its shape again. This barrel fortunately was paraffin wax lined , which meant the oak was clear on the inside once I stripped the wax. And the washes hopefully would have taken care of too much tannins. Ed's recomendation of finding a barrel and blending your own is very good advice. I have found a website for barrels and if explored one can find advice on storage, cleaning, and general conditioning. As well as buying barrels of various sizes. Note you do not want a wax lined barrel as you get no oak reaction ( these are for Beer) And a new non waxed oak barrel would release a lot of tannins when first used, except with the recomended washes, search this site for information. Look under: www.google.com enter search: oak barrels or small oak barrels (little barrels relates to guns or cannons..suprise) Good luck and keep us informed as to how you get on. John Reekie..

Lunalibre....welcome to the forum. before everybody ,who have the answers ,join in, let me ask you a few leading questions. A.. How big a barrel of rum do you want ? A standard barrel with aprox 55 gallons. can give you equal to over 400 bottles of rum ! Depending on the evaporation and "angels share". B.. Do you mean a small I gallon or up to 5 gallon barrel. There is a firm in Florida that makes small barrels, ready for filling, of this size, and smaller. (I can look up their website for you) Then you could get your favorite distiller/ distributer to have it filled. Most rums (unfortunately) are shipped in bulk containers from the islands then bottled in the States by 'Bottlers'. A practice that I strongly dislike. Scotch whisky can only be bottled in Scotland! Cognac can only be bottled in Cognac, France!.etc. As far as I am concerned Rum can only be bottled at "the place of origin" within the latitudes that sugar cane can grow. Rum made from grain distalate or sugar beet distalate is not RUM. Back to " A barrel of Rum"... C... what part of the Continent are you located and how much are you willing to pay for shipping and customs duties. I do know that in 2000 in Barbados one distiller was offering barrels of ten year old rum. from their warehouse,in Barbados. Yes I am sure they are still available. D...Some times in the Islands one sees a small promotional barrel behind a bar with the Distillers/Brand name on the face of the barrel. In the B.V.I.s I saw three 'Pussers' promotional ,but now dry,barrels.also I have seen photos of small barrels in martinique. So you could contact the distillers directly to see if they can help you. E..This could be a lively topic to which I am sure someone has the answers. So group lets have some answers. for Lunalibre. yours John Reekie searching for rum!

It was from your profile that I thought you were Cuban (because of Location).Sorry. But on the other hand what a wonderfull start to experiences in rum! Its time to open your eyes gullet, nostrals. No rum is a bad rum, just different rum thats all. On an Bahama Out Island some years back in the middle of the day, in a little Rum Shop, I was poured a large, overproof, under aged, seethrough alcohol made from a cane product. With a glass of suspect water (no ice) from a bucket. The pourer waited for me and my friends to take a swig, to see our reaction. ..."HOW DE FIRE"... the pourer asked... " HOW DE FIRE". As my freinds took a big swig and held it then swallowed followed be drowning the water! With tastebuds and nostral smell sensors burnt ,nothing could be tasted for a few hours. Anyway it was not a bad rum. It was different rum!. The same as a cheap French argricol rum or a Brasilian rum , its just preference and "location Location LOCATION" So BPC... open your eyes, open your heart and explore the wonders of rum and when you older and many rums later and with many more undicscoved!. Put away the prejuduces and try the next rum..... For when I die whats left of My Rum Colection will be enjoyed at my wake by anybody left & wants to come. But I intend to go out sipping my last ...Special, Reserve, Domaine, Pot still, Extra Aged, Single Mark, Cognac finished, Fifty year old,Distilery bottled ........ I have not found it yet .. and thats why I am ALWAYS RUMSEARCHING. Nowadays I dont have time for How De Fire rum, but finding a wonder full smooth lingering taste is the type of rum I buy nowadays and as you can see by my discussions with Cj Bohl, I was searching ,he was buying,some of my Dream Rums.. BPC... You have had enough HC7. keep some as reference, But try a B8,...elD15.... A2I ........etc. ENJOY JOHN REEKIE

Question to Ed. Recent discussions in this forum, has found us at the web site of Rhum Clement. Marko had found this site and passed it on to us. With prices in French Francs and Euro's I assume this Email shop is in Europe therefore the Francs/Euros. While the Boutigue Shop is at the 'Clement Habitation. I certainly did not try to order any rum electronicaly becausce my credit card money would have dissapeared and the bottles would never arrive in Canada. But I do intend to fax martinique ( or Email ) to order "Images of Rhum" THe history of Rhum (french ,in French) . Edd my question is have you seen this book in or out of Martinique. what do you think of it . Maybe I will add it to my library and it would become my second most important book with Rum Yesterday and Today being second & Seven Dreams then being forth John Reekie

Marko... Lets try some thing different as this forum is not getting you anywhere. Why dont you try through the RESTAURANT topics put your question to restaurant people rather than the BAR types. Ask the same question but stress the fact that you are looking for old rums not mixing rums. Good luck. John Reekie.

BPC. ......My appology. I am not that familiar with US Universities logos, and being from Canada I wrongly thought the big M was Michigan, Sorry. And as to being Cuban ,you looked to be the most experianced as to HC and maybe even CC in this forum. Thats why I was addressing the question to you thinking that you knew every thing about Cuban Rum . Boycoy was still here after Ninteen Fifty Nine. as the Mitchiner book was writen in 1988. Anyway I hope some one has an answer so that I can add it to (or remove it from) my list of "rums that have come and gone" no longer on the market, but names people remember well. john Reekie.

BPC...... as a Cuban from Havana and a Michigan State University Graduate , I had hoped you would know some thing about LA FAMOSA DESTILLERIA BOYCOY and their LA ISLA DEL TESORO RON. Afterall it was writen about only as long ago as 1988. (14 years ago). If you dont have any information on this distillery or their rums, maybe sombody else can help . See post above for more information re this ron.. John Reekie

Marko.... Hi , I think going to New Orleans what is important is that you find the best stores and selections and not what WE all think you should buy. The forum has already passed on a couple of stores to find. The selection will be so great that you will be a "kid in a candy store". What is most important is that you set your budget (plus what duty & taxes you will be paying on returning home) . Then go out , find a bar with a good selection of rums, talk to the barman, buy half dinks, This way you could taste a few with out getting drunk to soon. Do a rum tasting, find what you like then go and buy. When in St Thomas, my hotel 1829, had a selection of fifteen rums , Clement Fifteen being a rum in the middle of the selection, over three nights sitting at the bar I tasted all and repeated many. But I only had then half an ounce at a time, with five glasses lined up in front of the bottles on the bar. So as not to mix up the samples and also to "Feel" and "Read" the bottles. My advive to any traveler is to allways buy fewer bottles, but buy the best rum that your budget can afford. I have had friends bring me back a gallon of white rum that the found at a bargin price of $9.99 . Thinking they were doing me a favour (rum punch maybe). Now I only ask for specific rums, and give them the money before they go. Good luck on your trip to New Orleans! John Reekie

Marko... would you please give us the web site address for 'Clement' in Martinique. I have not been able to find it. Thank you .... John Reekie

JP.... I had hoped that Ed Hamilton would have picked up on this topic , so I will give you some information that I know. The night that I was composing and researching the topic of J.Bally and St Etienne Distilleries of Martinique, I reached over to my rums and selected a Clement fifteen year old to sip on. On reading Ed's book I discovered that J.bally & St Etienne & Clement are get their distilled alcohol from the Simon Sugar Refinery. The Alcohol is shipped to the various existing rum distilleries for aging etc & bottling and marketing. These are all old traditional plants that have all closed down, as Sinon has a very efficient continious still. But its in the aging and management of these rums thats the' jewel in the crown'. As far as Clement going out of business . I very much doubt it they have a very long history and have no intention of folding. Their Distillery ond plantation house are as original untouched and are now museums The aging is stillcarried out in thta part of the operation.. What I would like to know is when did the Clement distillery close and threfore the use of the pot still ? And does the fifteenyear old still have some of the old stock blended into it. Got to go If I think of anything else I will let you Know. John Reekie.

Cj....Congratulations on your shopping spree and here is a toast to your upcoming move back to the States. I am marking my calender for two months then to look for you back on line. Then we will all be interested in your opinions on your unpacking your boxes and its treasures. Check your Private messages before you unplug, you will find a note for you there. Good luck with the move. John Reekie Rumsearching.

Cj.... Try looking in 'Ebay' . I have noticed that 'the Nelson Pussers Rum Decanters' some times come up for sale with a British email address. But the bottle will be empty and I dont think you will have time for mailings etc. or just try a yacht chandlery(but will be expensive,but full) or ask around in the liquor stores. If you find one in 'Ebay' that is located in the states, you could order it while in England but have it sent empty to your upcoming USA address.Then fill it with Pussers Rum. There are three versions of the decanter. A..The original decanter with Nelson on the side.Issued around 1984. B..The same Decanter but designed for the USA market but with John Paul Jones and American Naval Battles pictured on the sides. This one was (is) only available in the states, I dont think you will find a full bottle.but good for collecting and filling with Pussers. C..The Jim Beam collectors bottle sold one year at their annual conference of Jim Beam Bottle Collectors, Only one thousand made. Similar to John Paul Jones Decanter but with Jim Beam wording on the stopper, I have seen these sell up in the hundreds of dollars (dry). Also available by going on a trip to Tortola BVI and going to the various 'Pussers Stores & Restaurants'. or just go to the 'Pussers Store' in St Thomas. For 'Ebay' ...... www.ebay.com/rum/ collectables Good luck with the packing ! Keep Rumsearching !

Ed. . Glad to hear you want to go back to Martinique, I want to get there soon. I found and ordered "Severn Dreams of Elmira" by Patrick Chamoiseau (writer from Martinique). Turns out to be a wonderfull book with insites to the workers at Saint Etienne distillery. Half the book is photos of the old workers and the old distillery plant. Unfortunately its a small book, only 80 aprox pages long. But maybe thats the way it should be, not to have to much of a good thing. While checking through The Ministry of Rum site to see what was new, I found that this was on your list of books to read, otherwise I would have recomended it to you. So Ed my question is, I know the distillery is closed down ( when.?..) but that they still age then bottle rum for local consumption. maybe untill some one sees Elmira again. Where would they be getting their rum from, would it be La favorite or some one else ?. While in Martinique did you get to Saint Etienne distillery and have you tasted their rum and had the good fortune to see Elmira?. By the way for thoes looking at Bally, They should read your book and the chapter on this topic. You explain the mistique of Bally quite well. You could also, in this forum mention the french dating system for reliable vintages, on the neck foil just below the screw cap or the cut line if its a corked bottle. Hope to hear about your dreams of Elmira ! John Reekie

Cj ...Congratulations. Now that you have the best of Jamaican U.K. Blender/Finisher/ Private Bottlers, may I suggest just one more bottle . This fits in with the same catagory as the others, ie Distilled in Jamaica, shipped to Europe/aged /blended/ then botteled. But this time France in the Cognac Region. " OLD ARTISINAL PLANTATION RUM ...JAMAICA 1983 17yrold 45%" by Cognac Ferrand, Chateau De Bon Bonnet. As mentioned in an other topic, by JasonPerlow, -"A definitely French Style", this should be a rum that is finished in Cognac barrels. What you should find is that it came from one of your other Jamaican Stills. I consider that it is designed for the western taste similar to their Kanishe Rums. It is available in the states, but I think you should get it there to round of your 'Jamaica Collection'. You should find it costs about two thirds of what your Cadenhead cost. So its not expensive. Good luck. so keep rum searching!

CJ and others . Just before your friend rushes off to Cuba. Here is a Mystery Adventure --There was a rum that I heard about from a book by James A Michener; 'Seven days in Havana'. When he was researching for his book -"Caribbean". This secondary book talked about the research in 1988, that Mitchener was doing, where he comes across a building in El Cerro (I think) with 'Boyoy" over the door,and a row of cast swans as a balcony railing(see chapter heading illustaration in the "Caribbean". On further investigating and knocking on the door, he goes on to say that he had found -"La Famosa Destilleria Boycoy", and was then introduced by the lone manager, to a card board box printed like a treasure chest and it contained a sphearical pottery bottle -"La Isla del Tesoro" (Treasure Island), He was then informed -"That we make a little of this each year - Gifts for important people like generals and today you are a general". Now some years later having not heard about 'Boycoy',in cuba. Other than its name crops up in Puerto Rico sometimes, so I thought that they had moved there. But it was just recently that I read in a travelogue,for Americans traveling in Canadian cruise ships. That states that part of their tours is to "The Boycoy Distillery". But I could not check the travelouge's reference and a have forgotten where it was on the web. I would like to know if anybody knows about "Boycoy Destileria" and what rums they have. Cj ask you friend to inguire, when he gets to Cuba, he might just find an old bottle in a treasure chest marked -"La Isla del Tesoro" on a dusty back shelf in old Havana! EDD do you know anything about "La Isla Del Tesoro"