Sugar Cane Spirits Flashcards
Sugar Cane thrives in
Hot regions
How is the sugarcane harvested?
Leaves are removed and the stems are cut close to the ground (preserving the roots)
How is sugarcane juice extracted?
After harvest, they are immediately milled (releasing the juice)
Fermentation of sugarcane juice must begin
Immediately to avoid spoilage
Rums that are made with sugar cane juice have these pronounced aromas
•Vegetal
•Grassy
•Herbaceous
How is cane syrup produced?
Cane juice is heated to evaporate water so cane juice is concentrated
How is molasses made?
Cane syrup is heated evaporating even more water forming sugar crystals. The residue from this process is molasses.
What grade of molasses is mostly used in the Caribbean?
Blackstrap molasses
Before fermenting cane syrup or molasses
They must be diluted with water
Rums made from sugar cane syrup or molasses have what typical aromas?
•Toffee
•Caramel
•Brown sugar
What is an important production tradition of Jamaican rum?
High levels of fruity esters
What are high ester rums?
Exaggerated tropical fruit aromas in combination with pot distillation creating a pungent and pronounced Jamaican rum
What is one of the many techniques used to create character fermented liquids?
Ambient yeast
Due to the diversity in usage of column and pot stills newly made rums are either referred to as either?
Light or heavy marks (marque)
Caribbean rum that is shipped to Europe to mature in barrels is called?
Continentally aged
Tropically aged rums are
Rums that mature in the Caribbean instead of being sent to Europe
What are light marks?
High strength often above 90%ABV produced in column stills with light flavor intensity
What are heavy marks?
Low strength typically produced in pot still with flavor diversity that vary from fruity (high ester) and rich and earthy
Caribbean distillers are highly skilled in __ distillation and that have unique designs and can create a diversity of flavors
Pot
Is run usually a blend or a pure spirit?
It is almost always blend including different distilleries, different countries, and/or blends of different marks
Why do distillers choose to blend rums?
To create character and complexity
What does the final style of a blend of rum depend on?
•Age of rums used
•If light or heavy marks make up the majority of the blend
Once a blend is made what are 3 techniques that can be used (if permitted) that can affect the style in rum
•Maturation coloration removed by activated charcoal
•Caramel coloring
•sweetened
Do rums that go through charcoal filtration retain the components of aged rums?
The smoothness remains but rarely have overt oak flavors
Why is caramel coloring used?
To maintain a color consistency
Deeply colored rums that get most their color from caramel coloring have these characteristics.
•lacking in oak aromas
•may have burnt brown sugar aromas
•bitter taste
Jamaica restricts the usage of __ in their rums
Sugar
Which rums are usually sweetened with sugar?
Rums that are matured in oak
Why is rum often portrayed as a category without any rules?
Rum has a simple definition of being a spirit made from sugar cane that is not neutral
What are the 3 color categories rums are divided into and does color affect quality or style?
•White, gold, amber/dark
•No because caramel coming is often added or taken away
The islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe where rhum agricole is best known is in what country and governance?
France
Martinique and Guadeloupe are best known for what type of rum?
Rum agricole
What are the processes and characteristics of rhum agricole?
•a characterful column distilled rum made from sugar cane juice
Martinique has its own appellation that is similar to the rules in the production of?
Cognac and Armagnac
What is rhum Blanc?
A colorless and dry agricole that is unaged and stored in inert vessels that have pronounced herbaceous and grassy flavors from cane juice
Where is rhum Blanc made?
Martinique and Guadeloupe
What is Rhum vieux?
Minimum 3 year Oak aged rum from Martinique or Guadeloupe with the best examples expressing recognizable cane juice character balanced with vanilla and spice
What are the 3 best known rums from Martinique/Guadalupe and what separates them?
•Rhum agricole-characterful colum distilled
•Rhum Blanc- Unaged in inert vessels
•Rhum Vieux-Aged minimum of 3 years
What country tightly regulates rum production?
Cuba
What are the requirements of Cuban rum?
•Molasses+ column still spirits at high strength
•old oak maturation
•
Any colorless Cuban runs have been ___ and shortly aged in old oak barrels that do not characterize oak aromas
Filtered
What is the aim of maturing a Cuban rum in old oak barrels?
Enhancing the texture
What are the characteristics of a Cuban rum?
•dry
•light/medium aromas of toffee and fruit (molasses and fermentation)
•Oak aromas vary from nothing /delicate/complex and rich
Puerto Rican distill their rums in a similar way to?
Cuba
What style of rum is Jamaica best known for?
Dry over proof rums (very high ABV)
What characteristics are best known in a Jamaican rum?
•Dry
•Characterful fruity Esters
•unaged or oaked
•molasses
•overproof
What are overproof rums?
High ester, unaged, unusually high ABV/ typically Jamaican
Aged and bottled rums labeled Jamaica Rum must be?
Dry
Why is there confusion with Jamaican rum labeling?
“Rum of Jamaica” and “Jamaican Rum” can be sweetened but Jamaica Rum must be dry
