Spirits - Rum Flashcards
All spirits start with a plant. What plant is used to produce rum and where is it from?
Sugarcane, originally from Southeast Asia, brought to Caribbean by the Spanish in 1501.
-By the mid 1500s there were over 3,000 sugar mills in the islands.
Why was sugarcane brought to the Caribbean?
Sugarcane is very labor intensive. The active slave trade in the Caribbean made it an ideal place to grow sugarcane/process sugar.
When did rum production really ramp up in the Caribbean?
In the 1700s when America began to compete to heavily on Tobacco & Cotton.
Where can rum be produced?
Rum can be produced anywhere, but the Caribbean still accounts for 80% of production.
Who grows the most sugarcane in the world?
Brazil. First brought there by Portuguese slave traders.
What are the six main categories of rum?
-light (also called
white, silver, or platinum)
gold (also called amber),
Black (also called dark)
añejo (also called aged or
premium),
overproof
flavored.
What is light rum?
Clear or blonde rum that is distilled from sugarcane syrup or molasses (filtered)
What is gold rum?
Light rum that has been barrel aged for some period of time.
What is Anejo rum?
A more premium category of gold rum, longer aging (not legally) and more intensity of flavor.
What is black rum?
Also known as ‘dark’ rum, this is rum distilled from molasses and heavily colored with a combination of dark caramel and charred barrels.
May also have additional molasses added for sweetness & body.
What is overproof rum?
Undiluted rum. The US prevents rum from over 155 proof from entering the states.
What is Rhum Agricole?
Rum from the Island of Martinique (similar styles produced on other islands). Distilled from fresh sugarcane juice rather than syrup. Must be column distilled.
Rhum Agricole can go from harvest to bottle in less than 48 hours
What is Aguardiente?
A fruit and/or sugarcane distillate made on Iberian Peninsuala and throughout South America. Most famous in Columbia where it is flavored with Anise.
Describe Admiral Rodney HMS Royal Oak Rum
Aged Rum from St. Lucia. 12 year average in Ex Bourbon Barrels.
Describe the Appleton Estate Rums
Appleton Estate is the estate that founded Jamaican rum production. 1655/1749.
The sugarcane is estate grown (400ha) and processed. Pot distilled, bigger funkier style than Spanish cousins.
The 50 year celebrates 50 years of Jamaican independence, only 800 bottles produced.
Describe the Bacardi Facundo Collection - Neo, Eximo, Exquisito, Paraiso
Don Facundo Bacardi founded Bacardi 150 years ago. 12,000 bottle production total
Neo - 3/5/8 year blend aged white rum
Eximo - 10/12 Aged Rum
Exquisito - 7/9/23 Years old, Finished in Sherry Casks
Paraiso - Top of the collection. 40 selections of 16/23 year old narrowed down from 200 by Tasters/Chairman. Finished in Cognac cask.
What was the most famous spirit used for Punch Production?
Batavia Arrack from the Island of Java, Indonesia. Sugarcane and red rice distillate.
Describe Banks ‘5 Island’ Rum
21 different rums from 5 Islands - Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Java & Guyanya*
The Java component is Batavia Arrack.
Why is Guyana considered to be part of the Caribbean?
Guyana was the only South American country to be a British Colony, which brought it into the same cultural fold as the Caribbean. Like many British Colonies there was a large influx of Indians/Africans and the official language is English.
What is Mama Juana?
A traditional homemade drink in the DR consisting of Dominican Rum (usually Brugal), red wine, honey, herbs & spices.
Describe Brugal 1888 vs Papa Andres
Brugal is the most iconic rum brand in the DR, founded by Andres Brugal, an immigrant from Catalonia.
The rums from Brugal get all their character from the aging process, as they come off the still at 190 proof.
Brugal has some of the best access in the world to premium ex-sherry barrels.
1888 is aged 14 years on average in Bourbon, European then finished in Oloroso Sherry.
Papa Andres is the most premium rum from Brugal. Blended by 5th generation master distiller from he family’s private rum stocks. Only 1,000 released per year.
Does St. Lucia produce sugarcane?
No, it is usually imported from Guyana.
What is molasses?
A by-product of sugar production. It is the (still) sweet dark caramelized liquid
leftover after sugar crystals were extracted.
Why did Martinique start producing Rhum Agricole
The French were constantly at war with England and many other European countries in the late 18th and early 19th century. This led to blockades of their sugar supply in Caribbean.
France pivoted to local sugar beets almost entirely by 1870, leaving Martinique with no market.
No market = no need to process sugar = distill directly from pressed sugarcane.
1902- Mount Pelee erupts, destroying many Molasses distilleries, leaving room for rural Agricole producers.