Rum

Question 1

What liquor can be made from sugar- cane juice or Molasses?

Answer 1

Rum

Question 2

Name and describe the 3 basic types of Rum

Answer 2

Golden and Spiced Rum- Color from oak maturation and flavoured with spices. Dark Rum- fermentation started with Dundee and matured in wood for 5-7 yrs. adjusted with caramel. White or Silver Rum- Distilled in continuous still and matures 1 yrs in glass or stainless steel

Question 3

History- Rum

Answer 3

􀂃17th: Caribbean sugar rush for the ‘white gold’. Remainders of sugar molasses distilled to maximise return
􀂃18th: Rum fashionable in smart UK as equal to Brandy. Europe increasingly dependent on sugar
􀂃18th-mid 19th: Barbados then Jamaica then Haiti and finally Cuba each dominated sugar & rum production
􀂃1862: Don Facunado Bacardi produced the 1st light rum in Santiago (Cuba). At that time:
Jamaica -> intense & pungent ; Guyana -> Rich & sweet ; Barbados -> slightly more delicate
􀂃20th: Cuba dominating with boost from Prohibition but didn’t build on success until recent resurgence.

Question 4

Raw Material- Rum

Answer 4

􀂃Cane either hand or mechanically cut and then crushed to extract juice. Juice then boiled down to sugar crystals.
Black residue = molasses. 2.5kg molasses => 1L of rum 57% abv
Cane juice / concentrated can juice or molasses.

Question 5

Preparation- Rum

Answer 5

􀂃Molasses have a v. hi concentration of sugar so yeast would not survive
􀂃Molasses after first diluted with water before fermentation. The more dilution, the less sugar, the lighter the rum. Usually 50/50

Question 6

Fermentation- Rum

Answer 6

􀂃Addition of yeasts, usually own strains from producers. 24h for light rums / up to 14 days for dark rums
􀂃Short fermentation for light rums and longer fermentation for heavier rums with more congeners devt.

Question 7

Distillation- Rum

Answer 7

Light / white rums (Coffey stills single or multiple linked)
􀂃Column stills allow to collect spirit at lower strength w fruitier flavours (e.g. Havana Club / Bacardi) White rums usually unaged
Medium bodied / Golden rums: often pot / column or both. Colour from oak or spirit caramel
Heavy / Dark rums (pot stills)
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Usually made from longer ferments.
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Use of retorts to produce higher strength spirit after 1 distillation
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Use of hi and low wines from previous distillation:
1. Alcohol vapour from pot into low wine retort that contains low wine + water
2. Second retort (hi wine retort) where vapour is condensed
3. Heart of spirit collected @ 85% abv. Rest used for redistillation.

Question 8

Maturation- Rum

Answer 8

􀂃White rums: no time in oak with some exceptions e.g. Bacardi first aged and then filtered to remove colour
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Light rums: only a few months to avoid oak dominated flavours
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Pot still rums: longer maturation to develop rich tropical aromas.
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1 yr ageing in Caribbean = 3 years in Scotland due to tropical conditions. Angel’s share: 6% of evaporated abv/year.
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Oak: mainly US from bourbon industry excl. rhum agricole (Cognac French oak barrels).

Question 9

Light- Cuba and Latin America (Rum)

Answer 9

􀂃Bacardi (#1 brand w 20m cs/yr)
- Light bodied, clean, floral, delicate rum.
- Undisputed leader in volume. 1st produced in Cuba by Don Bacardi.
- Fermentation with own yeast strains. Made from molasses + distilled in linked columns. Charcoal filtering after distillation + ageing even on whites
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Latin America: mainly light styles
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Havana Club (#4 brand): Mix of 75% abv aguardiente & 96% abv spirit after ageing for more complexity

Question 10

Light- Trinidad (Rum)

Answer 10

􀂃Close to Latin American style despite proximity to Guyana
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Dominated by Angostura.
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Use of molasses + hi tech multiple columns for 6 different styles of rum.

Question 11

Medium- Barbados (Rum)

Answer 11

􀂃Historically, 1st major volume rum producer.
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Medium-weight, sweetish, elegant perfumed rums. Typical use of rich pot-stilled distillate in the blend.
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3 distilleries: 1. Mount Gay 2. West Indies rum distillery (rum for Malibu + Cockspur) 3. Foursquare (Field’s #1 white rum)

Question 12

Rich- Guyana (Rum)

Answer 12

Rum distilling since 1650 (UK colony). Traditional ‘Navy blends’ i.e. richer, heavier, darker style e.g. Demerara.
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Pot & column stills. Recent rise of El Dorado brand and now wide breadth of styles.

Question 13

Rich- Jamaica

Answer 13

􀂃Long heritage of rich, aromatic rums, mostly produced in pot stills where fermentation as long as 14 days.
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Specific process with use of dunder to boost acid and flavour creation -> Home of high ester rums pungent (e.g. Wray & Nephew). Appleton Estate distillery’s Appleton extra -> notes of leather, honey spices tobacco & dried fruits

Question 14

Rhum agricole (Guadeloupe, Martinique)

Answer 14

􀂃Made from cane sugar juice (≠molasses). 1st made in early 20th.
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Juice extracted from cane sugar straight to fermenters. Short fermentation => vesou (wash) 4.5-9%abv. Distillation in single column still (// Armagnacais still) => lower strength distillate. AC Martinique -> 65% ˂ distillate ˂ 75%abv
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Different styles according to: 1. Fermentation time 2. Sugar levels in wash 3. Shape & config of column
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Whites -> unaged & often mixed w lime & sugar for ti’punch cocktail. Ambre/Paille: min 18mths ageing. Vieux: min 3 yrs
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Pungent w aromas of unripe banana, apple & vegetal notes (grass)+ slightly oily texture.

Question 15

Rhum Industriel (Guadeloupe/ Martinique/ Le Reunion)

Answer 15

Use of molasses. Mainly from La Réunion. Soft style.

Question 16

Navy Blends- Rum

Answer 16

Captain Morgan (Diageo - #2 brand) from Jamaica.
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Light column still rum blended with Demarara-style rum + Jamaican rum + sweet caramel. Slight treacle finish.

Question 17

Other Rums

Answer 17

Other rums: Philippines (Tanduay - #3 brand worldwide), India, South Africa & Australia.

Question 18

Rum- definition

Answer 18

A distilled spirit produced from fermented sugarcane or molasses, a byproduct of processing sugarcane into sugar.

Question 19

Rum- History

Answer 19

Although rum is now produced internationally, the style originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, and spread to Central and South America.

Question 20

Four Styles of Rum…..

Answer 20

light rum, dark rum, Demerara rum, and rhum agricole.

Question 21

Light Rum

Answer 21

Most light rum is distilled by the continuous method and filtered with charcoal after a short period of cask aging to remove any color; it is best suited for mixing, as it has little character. However, some light styles, such as Mount Gay from Barbados, are golden in color and have gained complexity from time in cask.

Question 22

Demerara Rum

Answer 22

Is a light rum style unique to Guyana, where the spirit is distilled from molasses and sometimes aged for over a decade prior to release. Cachaça, the Brazilian spirit that provides the base for the caipirinha cocktail, is produced from fermented sugarcane and is essentially light rum

Question 23

Dark Rum

Answer 23

Dark rum is fuller in body, obviously darker in color, and dominated by more complex caramel notes, rather than the simple suggestion of sweetness in most light rums. Quality dark rums, such as those produced in Jamaica, may be distilled twice in pot stills and aged for a number of years prior to release; this darkens the spirit but the final color is almost always achieved by adding caramel.

Question 24

Rhum Agricole

Answer 24

Is a French style, produced mainly on Martinique—the Martinique AOC can claim to be the southernmost Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée in France, despite its location in the sunny Caribbean! Rhum agricole may only be produced from sugarcane juice; column distillation is mandated in Martinique. Spiced rums, such as the ubiquitous Captain Morgan, are flavored with the addition of spice or fruit.

Question 25

Rum

Answer 25

As rum is such a global it is very loosely defined, when compared with other spirits. For simplicity, and on account of their importance as trading blocs, we will focus on only two jurisdictions; the EU and the USA. Rum is any spirit that is produced from a sugar cane product (juice, molasses or syrup).

Question 26

Rum- European Union

Answer 26

Distillation- It must be distilled to a strength of no less than 96% abv.

Bottling- It must have a minimum bottling strength of 37.5% abv.

Flavouring- The is not permitted. Caramel is only for the benefit of colour adjustment.

Labeling Term: Agricole- This is defined as any rum distilled from fermented sugar cane juice in any of the French Overseas Departments and the region of Madiera.

Question 27

Rum- USA

Answer 27

Distillation- It must be distilled to a strength of less than 95% abv (190 degrees proof). The distillate should possess the same aromas, taste and other characteristics generally associated with rum.

Bottling- It must have a minimum bottling strength of 40% abv (80 degrees proof).

Question 28

Rhum Agricole

Answer 28

In EU law, rhum auricle is defined as being any rum distilled from fermented sugar- cane juice in any of the French Overseas Departments and the region of Madiera. The island of Martinique has its own detailed Appellation d’Originee Control (AOC).

Question 29

AOC Rhum Martinique

Answer 29

Distillation- This must take place in a continuous column still, with a minimum of 20 plates. The new make spirit must be between 65% and 75% abv.

Maturation- All rhum must either be tested for three months after distillation, becoming rhum blanc, or be matured in oak.

Finishing- Any rum with the origin of ‘Martinique’ cannot be sold at an alcoholic strength of less than 40% abv.

Labelling Terms:
- Blanc

• Eleve sous bois: This must be aged for a minimum of 12 months in oak. Paille/ ambre are sometimes seen on labels but are not defined in the law
• Vieux: This aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks with a capacity of less than 650L.