The Paul McFadyen Lecture
The March Rum Club wasn't a corporate promotion this time - it was an example of one man's passion for rum! What a treat and what a lot of rum.
Pauline and I arrived at Trailer Happiness just about quarter to seven, pleased to see that there were a few more people present than were at our first trip. Saying 'hi' to Rikki, we were told that Paul McFadyen of IPBartenders was giving a talk on a personal selection of eleven rums. I have to admit my first thought ran along the lines of 'eleven rums! - I'll be wasted...' - but obviously, this is not a rugby tour, dentist's chair experience - this is a proper club, surely it can't be a free-for-all?
Pauline had elected to drive back and this left me with a choice. Screw the fact that it was a school night and go for it or behave sensibly and have a soft drink to start with. Hmmm, some choice! Ordering a beer (which disappeared quickly enough) I decide to run with it and hope I don't make a fool of myself. Anyway, it's likely that I will be driving next time: so I thought I may as well enjoy myself.
Paul starts by introducing himself and the selection. He works at IPB and they are involved with a project with the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA). This is a large topic and one that I must surely revisit in the future. The briefest summary is that the EU awarded a substantial grant to fund the promotion of Caribbean rum in the EU countries (UK, France and Spain) that effectively carved up the Caribbean between themselves all that time ago and then pulled out once the trade possibilities ran out - it's more complicated than that, but it's basically a little bit of payback.
Paul had seven of the rums under the WIRSPA banner, plus four random selections that he felt were highly unlikely to be known to the group. Any discussion on rum, generally leads to an education in geography, history and chemistry: this was no different. The flood of information was far too great for my notebook and if I were to write them all down here - I suspect I wouldn't have many readers finishing the article. The variation present in the selection just amazes me. To experience the amazingly fruity smell of Old Grog and then a short while later, the lovely rich taste of XM Royal is just fantastic. We did find out that Tanduay is the second highest volume selling rum in the world, second only to Bacardi. This is cool because Tanduay is manufactured in the Philippines and that's where Pauline and I will be in a few weeks time. We also found out that Dogfish Head brown honey rum is something I will probably not be looking to sample again soon. I don't want to be rude about any rum, but that really does taste weird (to be fair to the brand, the website does say that they aim for 'off centre' products). I shall certainly be looking to put a couple of bottles of Atlantico in my suitcase when I'm in Miami, it's not available here in the UK, but tasted great and really looks the part in a stylish bottle.
Most of the people present are in the trade. A couple are fans, just like Pauline and I, and they are there for the chance to get involved. But, because the world of rum is small - most are well known to each other with a history and friendships very obviously displayed. I'm glad to say that we are starting to recognise a few and in turn we are being recognised ourselves. We have several occasions during the evening, where people turn up off the street hoping for a drink, not realising that Trailer Happiness is closed to the public and they leave perhaps a little bemused that there appears to be some sort of presentation going on. For the outside it probably would look a bit nerdy if it were not for the glasses of rum. By the end of the talk, the bar is pretty full and there is a good vibe about the place.
I've actually been sensible and drunk a few glasses of water during the presentation and fortunately the samples were small. The sample size for Paul was a lot larger and a lot more frequent - a point about a particular tasting note will see him grabbing the bottle and pouring another healthy measure of the good stuff. His fiancé tells us he is just like this at home and he's always trying to educate her on the finer points of rum. I'm glad I have actually opted for safety first.
After the rums have been tried, it's obviously a perfect time for more rum and there is a general movement towards the bar. Some people are taking their leave but for Pauline and I, it's a chance to say hi to a few (now) familiar faces. Jenny Gardener is with Ashley Smatt (Smatts Rum) - we are told that they will be launching a premium rum to the UK in the coming weeks/months. Good news I guess, but because of the pricing bracket - it will be another one that I'm not likely to see in the bars near us anytime soon. Interested to find out that Smatts Rum should be hosting the September Rum Club - looking forward to it and will certainly be looking to bring any news to TheFloatingRumShack. All in all - a good night, not too drunk and the perfect time to head off home.
www.rumclub.com
www.ipbartenders.com
www.truerum.com
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