from the heartland

[stockdoct]

Hello all

In Illinois, we're lucky if you can find anything on the shelves that doesn't start with Bacardi or Captain. But in performing "fundamental research" :-) for a company I considered purchasing stock in, I tasted Gosling Black Seal for the first time. Yowza! How different and unique it was from Bacardi. So before I visited the Cayman islands for the first time, I had to sample two or three rums from the caribbean (many from advice from this forum), then 6-8 rums, then 10-12 more.

I'm hooked on the variety ....and the quality... I never knew. Thanks to all who opened my horizons to this noble spirit.

Mike

[berksowl]

Hi Mike. My experience in the Midwest is that rum is something that goes into a jello salad to spice it up a bit. :)

My wife is from Minnesota, and we have to run interference so that she doesn't put melted marshmallows on the sweet potatoes at holiday time.

Glad you've been turned on to good rum.

[Dood]

Welcome aboard Mike!

Whereabouts in Illinois are you? I know that down near Fairview Heights is the physical liquor store represented by Internet Wines & Spirits (http://www.internetwines.com/). Their rum selection is pretty solid.

[stockdoct]

i'm in northern illinois, very rural location where most liquor stores make the vast majority of their profits off Bud Light sales. But there is a store in Rockford where I found my bottle of Ron Zacapa, and I can travel occasionally to Sams Wine in Chicago and Lombard; and if I can't travel, their internet site is efficient and VERY well stocked.

Another discussion aside from rum, but one I enjoy contemplating with friends, is how some folks choose to live in high-cost urban areas where niceties are next-door (but because of their high cost of living they can't afford to partake) while people like me live in low-cost areas, and although I can easily afford the niceties, there aren't any nearby. High speed highways, airports and the internet explosion is certainly making my choice seem wiser lately.

[berksowl]

Talent, Oregon here. Email me if your in the area, and we'll go drink some rum at the Black Sheep Pub in Ashland.