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Rick's WSET 2 in Spirits > 6 - Sugar Cane Spirits > Flashcards

6 - Sugar Cane Spirits Flashcards

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1
Q

Sugar Cane Spirits are commonly called…

A

Rum

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2
Q

Where is the most celebrated centre of production for rum?

A

The Caribbean

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3
Q

Sugar cane plants live for…

A

Several years

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4
Q

Describe sugar cane plants

A

They grow a number of thick, hard stems that are covered in leaves

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5
Q

What happens when the sugar cane stems are mature?

A

The leaves are removed and the stems harvested by being cut off close to the ground

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6
Q

What is the purpose of cutting stems off close to the ground?

A

This preserves the plant’s roots so that it can grow new stems

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7
Q

What is sugar cane juice?

A

A sweet liquid extracted from sugar cane stems

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8
Q

What are the two most common base-ingredients for making rum?
What is used most commonly out of these two?

A

Sugar cane juice
Molasses
Molasses

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9
Q

What is the next stage after harvesting sugar cane? What does it do?

A

The canes are put through a mill
This crushes them and releases the sweet sugar cane juice

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10
Q

Why is fermentation started very quickly once the cane is processed?

A

The juice runs the risk of spoilage and developing off-aromas that could spoil a spirit

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11
Q

What are the typical aromas of a rum made from sugar cane juice?

A

Pronounced, vegetal, grassy and herbaceous aromas

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12
Q

What is most sugar cane juice used for?

A

Making sugar

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13
Q

How is sugar extracted from sugar cane juice?

A

The cane juice is heated to evaporate the water
The resulting syrup is heated again, forming sugar crystals

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14
Q

What is left once sugar crystals have been collected?

A

A thick, sticky residue called molasses

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15
Q

What is the grade of molasses used to make rum called?

A

Blackstrap molasses

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16
Q

What is the biggest benefit of molasses and cane syrup?

A

They can be stored for a long time without going off

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17
Q

What must be done with cane syrup and molasses before they can be fermented?

A

They must be diluted with water

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18
Q

What are the three major aromas in rums made from cane syrup and molasses?

A

Brown sugar
Toffee
Caramel

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19
Q

…can have a significant impact on the flavour of a rum

A

Fermentation

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20
Q

What are rum producers keen to do during fermentation?

A

Boost the amount of fruity esters that can be produced during fermentation

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21
Q

Rums with…are an important part of the production traditions in Jamaica

A

High levels of esters

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22
Q

What is a high-ester rum?

A

A pronounced, pungent Jamaican rum whereby the fermentation has achieved very exaggerated tropical aromas
It has also been pot distilled

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23
Q

Name a technique which may be employed to make highly characterful rum

A

The use of ambient yeast

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24
Q

What kind of stills are used in producing Caribbean rum?

A

All kinds

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25
Q

What is a ‘mark/marque’ in rum?

A

An individual spirit

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26
Q

T or F: Light marks can be matured in oak barrels

A

True
Light and heavy marks can be matured in oak barrels

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27
Q

What kind of barrel is most commonly used in rum production?

A

Used

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28
Q

Where is a lot of Caribbean rum distilled and matured?

A

Distilled in Caribbean
Often it is shipped to and matured elsewhere, like Europe

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29
Q

How are European-aged rums often described? And if they’re Caribbean-aged?

A

Continentally aged
Tropically aged

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30
Q

How is a rum managed after distillation?

A

This depends on the law and the distiller’s preference

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31
Q

Describe a light mark

A

A rum that has been distilled to a relatively high strength (often 90% abv+)
Made in column stills
Light flavour intensity

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32
Q

Describe heavy marks

A

Distilled to low strength
Typically pot still distilled
Some very fruity, some rich and earthy

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33
Q

Describe the pot stills in the Caribbean

A

An enormous variety
Often quite unique

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34
Q

What kind of column still may be used to make a heavy mark?

A

Short-column

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35
Q

Many…rums are made using short-column stills

A

Sugar cane juice

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36
Q

Why might sugar cane juice rums be made in a short-column still?

A

Because their low distillation strength helps to accentuate the flavours of the cane juice

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37
Q

Rums are almost always…

A

Blends

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38
Q

What is true of the way in which many rums are composed? Why?

A

They are blends from different distilleries or even countries
They are able to take advantage of different types of marks and the unique characteristics of individual distilleries

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39
Q

T or F
Blending only takes place with barrel matured rums

A

False

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40
Q

What are the two greatest factors in determining the final style of a rum blend?

A

The age of the rums
Whether light marks or heavy marks make up the majority of the blend

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41
Q

What are the three main techniques a distiller might use once a rum blend has been made up?

A

Colour filtration with activated charcoal
Addition of colour with caramel colouring
Sweetening

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42
Q

…is largely unaffected by charcoal filtration in rum

A

Palate smoothness from maturation

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43
Q

What are potential secondary effects of using caramel colour in rum?

A

A lack of oak aroma
Burnt brown sugar aromas
A bitter taste

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44
Q

Name a rum style for which the use of sweetening is not permitted

A

Jamaica Rum

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45
Q

Which type of rum is most likely to be sweetened prior to bottling?

A

Oak matured rum

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46
Q

List the production steps in making rum from sugar cane juice

A

Crush
Ferment
Distill
Mature (or store in inert vessels)
Filter/sweeten/colour (optional)
Bottle

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47
Q

List the production steps in making rum from cane syrup or molasses

A

Dilute
Ferment
Distill
Mature (or store in inert vessels)
Filter/sweeten/colour (optional)
Bottle

48
Q

What is the simple definition of rum?

A

A spirit made from sugar cane, that is not a neutral spirit

49
Q

What are the three generally accepted colour classifications of rum?

A

White
Gold
Amber/dark

50
Q

Give three examples of a white rum style

A

Rhum blanc agricole from Martinique
Puerto Rican rum
Jamaican overproof high-ester

51
Q

What is the general character of a rhum agricole? How is it matured?

A

Intense, grassy character from cane juice
It is stored in inert vessels

52
Q

Describe Puerto Rican rum

A

Light and delicate caramel aroma from molasses
Smooth texture
Colour removed by filtration

53
Q

Describe a Jamaican overproof white rum

A

Pronounced, complex aromas from molasses and fermentation esters
Warming, oily texture

54
Q

To which country do Martinique and Guadeloupe belong?

A

France

55
Q

For what style of rum are Martinique and Guadeloupe best known?

A

Rhum agricole
Characterful, column-distilled rums made from sugar cane juice

56
Q

Which of the French Caribbean islands has its own strict appellation laws and rules governing rum production?

A

Martinique

57
Q

Describe the maturation process for colourless agricoles
What are they called?

A

Unaged and stored in inert vessels
Rhum blanc

58
Q

Describe the character of rhum blanc

A

Dry and showcase the pronounced grassy and herbaceous flavours of cane juice

59
Q

What qualifies a rhum vieux?

A

An oak aged agricole that must be aged for at least three years

60
Q

What will appear on the label of a rhum vieux?

A

An indication of age

61
Q

How might the best examples of rhum vieux be told apart from an aged molasses rum?

A

They retain an identifiable cane juice character that’s balanced by the vanilla and spice aromas of oak

62
Q

…is an island country that tightly regulates rum production

A

Cuba

63
Q

Roughly describe the production of cuban rum

A

Molasses
Blended from spirits that are distilled in column stills to a high strength
Maturation in old oak
Colourless if undergone filtration

64
Q

What is the flavour impact of oak on cuban rums?

A

Virtually none
Only a short time in old oak

65
Q

What is the purpose of oak maturation in cuban rum production?

A

To enhance texture

66
Q

Are all cuban rums aged for a short time?

A

No
These have retained colour and flavour from their maturation barrels

67
Q

Describe the flavour profile of cuban rums

A

Dry
Light/medium aroma intensity
Delicate toffee and fruity aromas from molasses and fermentation

68
Q

What are the categories of oak influence on cuban rum characters?

A

None (colourless rums)
Delicate (short aged, pale lemon coloured rums)
Complex and rich (longer aged, amber coloured rums)

69
Q

To which nation does Puerto Rico belong?

A

USA

70
Q

How does the rum style between the islands of Puerto Rico differ?

A

Very little

71
Q

Give an overview of Puerto Rican rums

A

Made from molasses
Column distilled
Oak aged
Light/medium intensity
Colourless - amber
Varying levels of oak aroma

72
Q

For what style of rum is Jamaica most famous?

A

Dry, characterful, unaged and oak matured
Molasses
Prominent, fruity ester rums

73
Q

What is the blending convention in Jamaica used to create their most popular rum style?

A

They bring together pot and column still marks

74
Q

What is the exception to the blending convention in Jamaica?

A

There are some rums made exclusively in pot stills

75
Q

Describe the production of some of Jamaica’s high ester rums

A

They can be bottled unaged and with unusually high ABV

76
Q

T or F: Overproof rums are exclusive to Jamaica

A

False
It is however a style that distillers on Jamaica are well known for

77
Q

What is the major stipulation about a rum from Jamaica if it is to be labelled ‘Jamaica Rum’?

A

It must be dry

78
Q

What might the terms be if a rum is shipped from Jamaica , matured, finished, bottled elsewhere and sweetened?

A

Rum from Jamaica
Jamaican rum

79
Q

Where in the Caribbean did distilling begin?

A

Barbados

80
Q

Describe the typical Barbadian rum (excluding flavour)

A

Blend of pot and column still marks
Dry
Richly textured
Oak aged
Molasses

81
Q

Describe typical flavours for Barbadian rum

A

A balance between rich, generous, toffee, caramel character from molasses and vanilla/spice aromas from oak maturation

82
Q

Which major style of rum is Barbados most known for?

A

Coloured, oak aged rums rather than colourless examples

83
Q

What is noteworthy about colourless Barbadian rums?

A

They are likely to have had their colour removed by filtration

84
Q

Briefly describe Guyana

A

A country in northern South America

85
Q

T or F: Guyana has the largest density of distilleries in the world

A

False
There is only one active distillery in Guyana

86
Q

What is the significance of Guyana’s sole distillery?

A

It has a collection of antique pot and column stills from Guyanese distilleries which have since closed

87
Q

What is the impact of all of the stills to which the one Guyanese distillery has access?

A

They allow it to make many different, characterful heavy marks

88
Q

From which product are the rums of Guyana’s Diamond Estate made?

A

Molasses

89
Q

For what are Diamond Estate’s rums used?

A

They are highly sought after for blended rums
Also used for individual single mark rums

90
Q

Describe the character of Diamond Estate’s rums

A

Intensely rich and earthy, particularly after long maturation

91
Q

Are Diamond Estate’s rums only used externally?

A

No, they produce some under their own label

92
Q

Where in South America is rum made?

A

Throughout the northern part and Central America

93
Q

Where in South America might some of the larger brands be produced?

A

Venezuela
Colombia
Panama
Nicaragua
Guatemala

94
Q

What is the most common base material in South American rum?

A

Molasses

95
Q

How much South American rum is oak aged?

A

The majority

96
Q

Describe the character of most South American rums

A

Typically have a generous molasses and oak character
Notably smooth texture enhanced by sugar
Medium sweetness

97
Q

What do most distillers do with stock of unaged rums?

A

Sell them to companies mostly in Europe

98
Q

On reaching their destination companies in Europe, what tends then to happen to unaged rums?

A

They are stored, aged and blended for their clients

99
Q

What is unique about rum trading?

A

European companies buying the spirits unaged from the Caribbean

100
Q

What generally is a blended rum?

A

A rum made from the products of more than one distillery

101
Q

Where are blending options generally sourced for blended rums?
What are the exceptions?

A

They are generally bought from a third party company
There have been collaborations between distilleries in recent years

102
Q

What is the style of blended rums?

A

It varies hugely

103
Q

What is the relative volume of rum that is matured by third parties?

A

High

104
Q

What is it helpful to know when buying a non-distillery bottling of rum? Why?

A

Provenance
It can affect the style

105
Q

Give an example of why provenance can affect a non-distillery rum

A

It may be aged in Europe (continentally) rather than the Caribbean (tropically)

106
Q

What is the world’s largest producer of sugar cane spirits?

A

Brazil

107
Q

What is the most important sugar cane spirit in Brazil?

A

Cachaça

108
Q

What is the base material for Cachaça?

A

Sugar cane juice

109
Q

Where is most Cachaça consumed?

A

Brazil

110
Q

Does the style of Cachaça vary much?

A

It varies hugely

111
Q

Describe the most common style of Cachaça

A

Unaged
Pronounced grassy, vegetal and fruity
Distilled to a low strength
Often slightly sweetened

112
Q

What is unique about the wood aged examples of Cachaça?

A

They often take advantage of local hard woods for colour and flavour

113
Q

What is the EU stipulation about rhum agricole?

A

It must be made from sugar cane juice in a French overseas department or Madeira

114
Q

Where in the Caribbean must rhum agricole be made?

A

Martinique or Guadeloupe

115
Q

Where of note does NOT recognise the legal definition of rhum agricole?

A

USA

116
Q

Where is Cachaça a legally defined labelling term?

A

USA

117
Q

Briefly describe where ‘overproof’ gets its name/how it’s defined

A

Old British method of measuring alcohol
Measured against 57.15% abv (this was 100 proof)
This is a different scale to the ‘proof’ system in USA

Rick's WSET 2 in Spirits (12 decks)

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