Rum 101

What is Rum and how is it made?

Rum is made by distilling fermented sugar and water.  When sugar cane juice or other sugar-based liquids are allowed to rest, a natural process of fermentation occurs where sugars are converted by yeast into alcohols, at approximately the strength of wines.  This sugar comes from the sugar cane and is fermented from one of the following raw materials:  1) Fresh Cane juice, which is fermented immediately after being crushed.  This raw sugar cane liquid contains 18 – 24 percent sugar in solution.  Rums made from fresh sugar cane juice include Cachacas from Brazil.  2) Molasses -- a by product of the crystalline sugar making process.  Molasses is over 50% sugar and is used in most of the rums produced in the world.  3) Cane Syrup – also called sugar cane honey or sweet table-grade molasses.  Cane syrup may contain more than 90% sugar.

All Rums come out of the still as clear, colorless spirits.  Barrel aging and the use of added caramel determine their final color.  Since caramel is burnt sugar, it can be truthfully said that only natural coloring agents are used. 

Lighter Rums are highly rectified (purified and blended) and are produced in column or continuous stills, after which they are usually charcoal-filtered and sometimes aged in old oak casks for a few months to add a degree of smoothness.  Most light rums have minimal flavors and aroma, and are very similar to Vodka.  Heavier Rums are usually distilled in pot stills.   Pot stills are less efficient than column stills and some congeners (fusel oils and other flavor elements) are carried over with the alcohol.  Some brands of Rum are made by blending pot and column distilled Rums. 

Premium rums on the market use aging in oak barrels as a key element to producing a superior product.  The alcohols in the rum interact with the wood to add subtle flavors, extract color and develop a smooth characteristic that is highly desirable to aged rums.  Rums generally gain golden and amber hues as they mature in the barrels. The use of used whiskey and bourbon barrels is common. Some use new oak barrels, often charred to an alligator-skin type texture, giving the rum a stronger interaction with the wood element in the maturing process.  Some are aged in barrels previously used for sherry, cognac, port and other distillates, imparting their own unique characteristics.  These variations can give a master blender a range of flavors with which to create unique blends. The size of the barrel makes a difference as well.  For example, small barrels offer a higher wood to spirit ratio and tend to mature faster. 

Because methods of maturing can vary greatly, the age statement on a bottle of rum is not always an indication of the maturity of the spirit.  Rums aged in small charred oak barrels, for example, can become quite mature at three to five years, while other methods take many more years to achieve similar wood-infused flavor profiles. 

Types of Rum:

Most rum can be classified in one or more of a few distinct categories:

White or Clear Rum --- White rum is clear, usually has milder flavor and lighter body than gold or dark rums, and most are sold at 80 proof, or 40% alcohol by volume.  They are often aged one or more years, then filtered to remove color.  They are most often used to create cocktails that do not have a need for bold rum flavor.  Some such cocktails include: Cuba Libre (rum, coke and lime), Daiquiri, Mojito and Pina Colada.  Some popular brands include:  Bacardi Superior, Cruzan estate light, Mount Gay Silver, 10 Cane, and Don Q Cristal.

Gold or Pale Rum – As rum ages in barrels, it changes to a golden or amber color. Gold rums are often aged several years or more and some coloring may be added to provide consistency.  Flavors of vanilla, almond, citrus, caramel or coconut may be present from the type of barrels used in the aging process.   These rums are best served on the rocks or in cocktails where stronger flavor is desired. Some brands of Gold rum are:  Appleton Special, Don Q Gold, Gosling’s Gold, Bacardi Gold, and Mount Gay Eclipse.

Dark Rum—Dark rums are aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two years.  They differ from gold rums in that some residual molasses is retained in the final product, in order to slightly sweeten the flavor.  They can have flavors of mahogany, copper and caramel. Examples of Dark rum are:  Cruzan estate Dark, Bacardi Select, Appleton V/X, Matusalem Classico, and Angostura Dark 5.

Black Rum – The darkest, richest, heavy bodied rums.  Black rums retain much of the molasses (the thick, dark sweet liquid left over in the process of manufacturing crystallized sugar) and caramel flavoring and are sometimes colored with burnt caramel to achieve consistently dark hues. The barrels used to mature black rums are often charred, imparting much of the wood’s strong flavors to the liquid. Examples of Black rum are:  Cruzan Black strap, Gosling’s Black seal, Myer’s, and Whaler’s Dark.

Navy Rum – The Royal Navy had a custom of providing a daily ration of rum to sailors, as far back as 1655 when the British fleet captured the island of Jamaica.  Rum traveled aboard ships far better than French Brandy or other grape based spirits, which eventually would go bad in the heat of the tropics.  Rum seemed to improve as it aged in the barrels aboard ships.  Navy rum refers to the traditional dark, full-bodied rums associated with the British Royal Navy. Examples of Navy Rum are: Pusser’s, Lamb’s Navy Rum, Lemon Hart, and Skipper Demerara.

Premium Aged Rum – these rums are aged in oak barrels for years to achieve a superior flavor profile.  Aged rums often represent the best examples of mature rums from a distillery.  The cost of storage and the loss of some rum through evaporation while in barrels increase the cost of producing.  They generally take on darker and richer colors due to the time spent in barrels, most of which are charred oak barrels.  Some aged rums contain age statements which in most cases refers to the youngest rum in the blend.  Some may be labeled as “anejo”.  Aged rums are often served neat or on the rocks. Examples of Premium aged rum are: Appleton Extra, Bacardi 8 and Reserva Limitada, Don Q Gran Anejo, Matusalem gran Reserva, Zacapa Centenario XO and Mount Gay Extra Old and 1703.

Overproof Rum – Most rums available for sale in the U.S. are 80 to 100 proof (40% to 50%) alcohol by volume).  Overproof rums contain higher concentrations of alcolhol.  U.S. regulations prevent rums over 155 proof from entering the country under most circumstances, so many manufacturers produce rums in the 150 proof range. These rums are used in cooking recipes that call for rum to be ignited in flame, or “flambé”, or drinks that blend a very strong rum into the recipe.  It can also be poured to the  top of a drink in order to light the drink for presentation. Examples of Overproof rums are:  Bacardi 151, Cruzan 151, Gosling’s 151, matusalem 151 Red Flame.