The Rum Experience

[mammel]

I am wondering if anyone here has had the chance to read or review in any way, the book The Rum Experience by Luis Ayala. Currently on the website for Rum Runner press, there is a series of 3 books available for purchase together or individually.

I have reviewed Luis's Rum University and it looks very well put together for something free online. It sounds like this guy know his stuff. I am just wondering if this book or the series is a worthwhile purchase, or if something else is better?

Unfortunately this book is not available in Canada through any normal book super sites. Any purchase would have to be made directly from Rum Runner and I want to make sure its worthwhile before I get hammered for all the duty.

Any input is appreciated!

[RobertBurr]

Luis is considered an expert in some circles and his various web sites for rumuniversity.com, RumShop.net, RumFest.com, rumtalk.blogspot.com, etc are functional but do not appear to have been updated in recent years. He used to publish "Got Rum" newsletter until 2004 then abandoned it.

[mammel]

Luis is considered an expert in some circles and his various web sites for rumuniversity.com, RumShop.net, RumFest.com, rumtalk.blogspot.com, etc are functional but do not appear to have been updated in recent years. He used to publish "Got Rum" newsletter until 2004 then abandoned it.

I do realize that his newsletter was not being published or released any longer. It also appears that the site isnt being updated or maintained any longer. His online bookstore appears to be still functioning, I cant see why he would keep it active if his products were not available. I tried emailing with no response...makes me wonder.

[RobertBurr]

Luis was ahead of the curve on the rum revolution. He was making a pitch to rum companies as a consultant and trying to spur sales of quality rums online, but may have moved on to the next era in his life. I saw him quoted recently in an article on Nicaraguan rum in the Miami Herald. My guess is the reporter googled rum, found his sites and asked for an expert opinion.

[mammel]

Thanks for all your advise on this one. I read the review on Scottes page, and based on what I read he had the same expectation as I. Seeing that he was not too pleased with the findings, I will hold off on that purchase for now. Perhaps I will look around and try to find something that lives up to what The Rum Experience says it has.

[Scottes]

Seeing that he was not too pleased with the findings...
That is not exactly correct. While I loathed the printing and layout, such things are not as important as the information contained. And while I complained that half of the 492 rums covered were just a listing of the name, this means that about 250 *did* have info. And I'll reprint my summary here:
Summary
When one looks past the printing quality and layout, this book has a wealth of information. It’s easy to recommend since it contains so much information about rum. Sure, the rum descriptions may be a little light, but it’s hard to find so many packed into one location like this. It was the first rum book I ever purchased, and I still refer to it - constantly. Definitely recommended.
There are, AFAIK, 4 books of this type* - Ed's, Dave Broom's, Plotkin's, and The Rum Experience. The Rum Experience is 3rd on my list of recommendations, and is still definitely recommended. Of the ~30 rum books I own, I would not recommend at least 20 of them to anyone except a fanatic or collector. I'd easily recommend Ayala's book to anyone who enjoys tasting rum, though I'd recommend Broom's book first. (And hopefully Ed's upcoming book will displace it from being my top pick.)


* By "this type" I guess that I would categorize these books as "taster's" books. Books with some info, some history, some insight into the distillation methods, and - most importantly - reviews. IMHO.

[mammel]

Like I said Scottes, your review was helpful. You did give a little excerpt on your review page. I am sure you would prefer to find a blurb on each rum that was more substantial than the sales brochure type stuff that would have appeared on the products own webpage. Also given that this book is no longer published, its a bit of a no brainer at this point too.

I will look more closely at the books you have recommended above this one.

[Scottes]

I am sure you would prefer to find a blurb on each rum that was more substantial than the sales brochure type stuff that would have appeared on the products own webpage.
I wholeheartedly agree.

[Scottes]

I liked "Rum" quite a bit, but enjoyed Wayne Curtis's book even more as it was more entertaining to read. It is probably my favorite book about rum.

[mikun]

Good morning all.....

I spoke with Luis and Margaret Ayala last night and, as Mammel stated earlier in this thread, the "Rum Experience" is no longer available. The Ayalas were publishing these books on demand, doing all the printing, cutting, binding, boxing and shipping themselves. All this, plus the maintenance on the equipment and rising costs of materials and two full time jobs became too much. They are considering finding someone else to publish their books, but for now, there are none available. There are some overpriced used copies available on Amazon.

Scotes - I guess I have to admit to being a fanatic and collector of rum books, too. (My wife might use other terms for this obsession). Would you consider exchanging lists of titles in your collection? I have found it easier to go searching for rum books when you have an actual title. Thanks.

[Paulipbartender]

I'd like to exchange some lists of publications too;

Here at IPB's library we have, specifically on rum;

Rum Yesterday and Today - Hugh Barty-King
Rum Running Years - Henninger
Bacardi the Hidden War - Hernando Calvo Ospina
Nelsons Blood - Captain James Pack
Rum & Tiki Cocktails - W Pack Kerr
Intoxica - Grog Log - Sippin Safari - Beachbum Berry
Rums of East Caribbean - Ed Hamilton
Complete Guide to Rums - Ed Hamilton
Tropical Rum drinks & Cuisine - Don the Beachcomber
Encyclopedia of rum drinks - Luis and Margaret Ayala
Rum Experience- Luis and Margaret Ayala
Rum - Dave Broom
Caribe Rum - Plotkin
Book of Tiki - Taschen
Rum Drinks and Havana - Lechthaler/Winkler
Caribbean Cocktails - Thompson
Carib cocktails and mixed drinks (2 editions) - Mike Henry
Jamaica Rum Book - Macmillan
The Appleton Academy
Rum - Ian Williams
Rum Cookery and Drinkery - Trader Vic
And a bottle of rum - Wayne Curtis

What are we missing?

[Dood]

"The Appleton Academy"

??

Intriguometer is redlining.

[Scottes]

I will try to remember to post my list this weekend.

[Paulipbartender]

"The Appleton Academy"

??

Intriguometer is redlining.

It's a spiral bound book Appleton JA put together for the UK with technical info on the brand and contributions from UK bartenders on serves and recipes. It's a book they gave out with all our training

[Tiare]

Seems you have it all...or maybe you could add Beachbums Taboo table?

[Scottes]

OK, my collection of books on rum... Recommendations marked with an asterisk. Alas, I have not read them all though.... Yet.


Rum and Rum History:

And a bottle of rum - Wayne Curtis*
Bacardi the Hidden War - Hernando Calvo Ospina
Barbados Rum Book
Bittersweet: The Story of Sugar - Peter Macinnis*
Caribbean Rum - Smith
Caribe Rum - Plotkin
Classic Rum - Julie Arkell
Complete Guide to Rums - Ed Hamilton*
Family Spirits - Peter Foster
Nelsons Blood - Captain James Pack
Rum - Dave Broom*
Rum - Ian Williams*
Rum Experience - Luis and Margaret Ayala*
Rum Romance and Rebellion - Taussig
Rum Yesterday and Today - Hugh Barty-King
Rum - Charles Coulombe
Rums of East Caribbean - Ed Hamilton*
Spirit Of Puerto Rican Rum
Tempered by Rum - Morrison & Moreira
Confessions Of A Rum-Runner - Barbican
Over The Side - Andrieux (Rum-Running)
Rum & Axes - Siskind (Connecticut merchant family in the early 1800s)
Rum Slaves & Molasses - Alderman


Related to Rum, or containing a chapter or two dedicated to rum:

Dark Tide - Puleo (The great molasses spill of 1919 in Boston)
Spirits of America - Burns
Spirits & Cocktails - Dave Broom
Complete Book Of Spirits - Anthony Dias Blue
Kindred Spirits - Paul Pacult


Tiki Cocktails and Food Recipes:

Don The Beachcomber's Little Hawaiian Tropical Drink Book
Grog Log - Beachbum Berry*
Intoxica - Beachbum Berry*
Rum Cookery and Drinkery - Trader Vic
RumReviews.com's Everything is better with Rum
RumReviews.com's Rummertime Recipies
Sippin Safari - Beachbum Berry*
Taboo Table - Beachbum Berry
Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide
Trader Vic's Tiki Party
Tropical Bar Book Drinks & Stories - Schumann
Tropical Rum drinks & Cuisine - Don the Beachcomber


I truly believe that I'm missing 2 books about rum. But damned if I can even think of what they are - I just know 2 slots are empty. I am probably missing a couple more that are somehow related to rum.

And yes, I'm a bit of a book hound. Reading is one of my absolute favorite things to do, and I have a few thousand books distributed around the house. I can't count the number of times I ate Mac & Cheese in order to afford a book or two....

[mikun]

Here are some other books that were not on Paulipbartender’s or Scottes’ lists:

General Rum Books:
Studies on Rum – Rafael Arroyo (1945)
Bundy: A Centenary History of Bundy Rum
Barbadian Rum Shops – Peter Laurie (2001)
Cuba: The Legend of Havana Club Rum - Fernando Campoanor
Rum: A Pocket Guide – Andre L. Simon (1950)
A Guide Book for Organoleptic Assessment of Rum – A.P. Saranin

Rum Cook Books:
Hawaii Tropical Rum Drinks & Cuisine – Don Beach (2001)
Tortuga Rum Fever – Barbara Dailey (2000)
Rum Cookbook – Willa Hoffman (1972)
Rum Cookbook – Alex Hawkes (1973)
Spirit of Puerto Rican Rum – Blanche Gelabert (1992)
Just Add Rum – Angela Spenceley (1999)
Negrita – Recipes of Yesterday and Today
Mount Gay Rum Infusion – Paul Yellin (2003)

Rum/Tiki Drink Books:
Tommy’s Rum Shop Book – The Almond Beach Resort
Great Resorts’ Drink Book – Chuck Lawlis
Tropical Bar Book – Charles Schumann (1989)
Rum Cocktails – David Biggs (2004)
Caribbean Cocktails – Jennifer Thompson (2003)

Small Booklets, Published by Distilleries:
Here’s How with Caldwell Rum – (1939)
Mr. Lemon Hart’s Tropical Treats – Virginia Heffington (1973)
The Host’s Handbook – National Distillers (1940)
Pocket Guide to Great Rum Drinks – Rums of Puerto Rico
The Rum Connoisseur – Ron Rico (1941)
Pilgrim Rum Recipes – Pilgrim Rum (1939)

[Scottes]

Any idea on where to get "Studies On Rum" by Arroyo? I'd love to get a copy of that in English.

[Paulipbartender]

Sounds like quite a valuable collectors book. Not recognised on any of the UK online booksellers

[angelsword]

Any idea on where to get "Studies On Rum" by Arroyo? I'd love to get a copy of that in English.
I'd be happy with a copy in Spanish.

[Scottes]

Google Books is an interesting place to hunt down some old books, though I've only found one specifically on rum: Rum, Romance & Rebellion by Charles Taussig (http://books.google.com/books?id=b1AYAAAAIAAJ)

But there are others that may be useful for the fanatic, such as The Practical Sugar Planter, A Handbook For Sugar Cane Planters, Distillation Operation, Distillation Design, and A Short History Of The Art Of Distillation.

[mikun]

Here is some information on "Studies of Rum"

It appears to be a summary report of a six year research project (January 1936 to October 1942) by the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico. 272 6" X 9" pages, bound and stapled together.
The simple paper cover reads:

Research Bulletin No. 5 December, 1945

Studies on Rum by Richard Arroyo

University of Puerto Rico
Acricultural Experiment Station
Rio Piedras, P. R.

It appears to be an attempt to bring scientific research and methods to what the authors consider a antiquated industry. Chapters cover Raw Materials, Mashing Operations, Yeast Selection, Fermentation, Distillation, etc.

I have scanned the Table of Contents and Lists of Tables and would be happy to email those to whoever might be interested. I have thought of scanning the entire book, but am not sure how to do that and without damaging the simple binding. Any suggestions would be appreciated. It would be interesting to create a digital library of old or out-of-print Rum books, but I am not sure of what the legal issues might be.

[Paulipbartender]

Not a book so much as a thesis then! What are the findings?

[RobertBurr]

It appears to be a summary report of a six year research project (January 1936 to October 1942) by the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico. 272 6" X 9" pages, bound and stapled together.

During WWII, Puerto Rican rum was very popular in the US. It was never considered very good, as a matter of fact, was generally considered pretty bad, but supplies were short during the war and rum from PR was cheap and available.

After the end of the war, supplies of better rums returned in the US market and sales of rums from PR tanked overnight, putting the PR rum industry in a panic. The government wisely took action, initiating the first serious studies of what makes rum good, or bad. This historic study lays a foundation for suggestions, regulations and laws governing rum production in PR.

As a result, distilleries were modernized with government subsidies, methods and controls of quality were put in place, minimum aging requirements were established.

The result was that Rums of Puerto Rico gained a reputation for quality, raising their status from old-fashioned moonshine to state-of-the-art mass market rum makers.

The study was a seminal event in the history of rum making.

[mikun]

Thanks Robert for the historical notes. They put the whole project into perspective.

In the back of the book, there are two summary sections: 3 pages in English and 9 pages in Spanish. They seem to cover the same topics, but it would be interesting to have someone review the Spanish section and see why it is bigger.

Some notes from the English summary:

They stressed:
-The importance of quality yeast.
-The need to remove unwanted elements from the molasses.
-The need for improved, structured and consistent distillation techniques that moved the industry away from “industrial” alcohol to beverage alcohol.

Other points:
-They were able to recreate the heavier “Jamaican” style of rum and encouraged the industry to explore those possible markets.
-They were impressed at what effect “curing” or aging had on the rum.
-They were appalled at the lack of technical control within the industry.
-They developed a system of rum classification, differentiation & appraisal.

[RobertBurr]

Thanks Robert for the historical notes. They put the whole project into perspective.

In the back of the book, there are two summary sections: 3 pages in English and 9 pages in Spanish. They seem to cover the same topics, but it would be interesting to have someone review the Spanish section and see why it is bigger.

Having spent untold amounts of money, time, effort and research on this project, it was probably not in their best interest to give away all the conclusions and recommendations in detail. The English version may have been a summary of the summary, minus some of the details.

[mammel]

It's a spiral bound book Appleton JA put together for the UK with technical info on the brand and contributions from UK bartenders on serves and recipes. It's a book they gave out with all our training

I dont imagine this could be scanned and .pdf'd to everyone? nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

[Paulipbartender]

*Sigh* I imagine it could be. Leave it with me - I'm a technical idiot and it might even be easier to type every word and hand deliver it to everyone in the forum.

Will try and shortcut it though :)

[RobertBurr]

*Sigh* I imagine it could be. Leave it with me - I'm a technical idiot and it might even be easier to type every word and hand deliver it to everyone in the forum.

Will try and shortcut it though :)

I'll bet Appleton has that publication as a PDF. If so, ask Them for it and post a link.

-ROb

[Paulipbartender]

I'll get to the Appleton copy soon.

In the meantime some of you might find the attached of interest http://www.ipbartenders.com/images/514.pdf?id=1201785541

[Milicent]

In the meantime some of you might find the attached of interest http://www.ipbartenders.com/images/514.pdf?id=1201785541

Once again, you are sharing quality info. re making rum. I am grateful for the education. Feel free, encouraged, and beseeched to keep it coming.

[Paulipbartender]

No problems - I will indeed keep up the flow of info. Would that all the producers were as free with their information...

We're just about to write a rum training programme for WIRSPA (West Indian Rum and Spirits Producers Association) to be delivered in UK, Spain and Italy throughout the next year. It's a little under wraps at the moment, but there are some incredibly exciting things planned and aged caribbean rum is going to be pushed right to the front of consumers minds in those countries 08/09. I'll share whenever we're allowed

[Scottes]

In the meantime some of you might find the attached of interest
That lists several documents by Arroyo. One, "US Patent 2,386,924. Production of heavy rums" is available on the net. And if folks haven't seen this link before you're in for a treat:

http://distillers.tastylime.net/library/Listings2.htm

Check under "Articles" for Arroyo's Heavy Rums doc, and "Great-Great-Grandad's Rum (http://distillers.tastylime.net/library/GGGDadsRumrecipe/index.htm)" and "Distillation - How it works" and "How wine barrels work" and "How barrels are made"

"The Alcohol Textbook" includes "Molasses as a feedstock" - which has the description "All you need to know to use molasses as the raw material for alcohol production"

That site is a small goldmine.

[Paulipbartender]

I have pdf copies of all of those - but I was worried about distributing a copyrighted book.........

Good spot on that website Scotte

[mammel]

I have pdf copies of all of those - but I was worried about distributing a copyrighted book.........

Good spot on that website Scotte

Do you have a contact there? Ask them!

I think it is for the betterment of humanity, you cannot copyright that! :)

I think the intent, is that you are not to profit from the intellectual property of others. Unless it contains proprietary information, I would think they wouldnt care....it increases the exposure of their product to their target market anyway!

[BrewBooks]

Arroyo's Studies on Rum is the compilation of previous work he did on rum distillation, which was mostly only published in Spanish. Studies on Rum is in English. It is interesting reading, especially since he is the father of the light Puerto Rican rum, but at times is definitely geared towards the extremely large distilleries. His patent on Heavy Rum mentioned above is a good read also.

If someone can find the appropriate person at Univ of Puerto Rico who can give us permission, I have all the pages of Studies on Rum scanned. (The book was bound as a paperback originally. My copy needed rebinding so I scanned it first.)

Glenn