members login email  password  
quick event search
location  
age range
you are here: WineDater Drinks Cabinet 5
Thursday 28 August  

This is a short introduction into Rum, what it is, how it is made and where.

Even if you don't drink much rum you might like to find out more about this drink of pirates and even try a cheeky rum cocktail when you are next out and about. 


What is rum? In a nutshell,
Rum is a spirit made from sugar cane. (either sugar cane juice itself or more often the by product – Molasses)
 
Where can it be produced?
It must be fermented and distilled in a cane-growing country.
 
Where can it be matured and bottled?
It can in fact be matured anywhere, many rums from the Caribbean islands are exported to cooler climates such as Scotland where it will mature at a much slower rate. 

Christopher Columbus liked to do a spot of island hopping around the Caribbean in his spare time and it was on his second trip to these islands in 1493 that he brought some sugar cane cuttings with him.
 
This crop thrived in the climate of the Caribbean and plantations sprung up left right and centre.
 
Like with any sudden industry growth, labour was required unfortunately this resulted in slavery and the Triangular Trade.
The Triangular Trade
Sailing ships would take the Molasses (the by product of sugar production) to North America, this was then traded for rum which was distilled there. The rum was then shipped over to Africa where it was traded for Africans who were shipped back to the Caribbean and traded for more molasses and so the slave trade continued.

Rum made from sugar cane juice is called Rhum Agricole
 
Other rum is made from molasses which is the think black sticky substance left after the sugar has been process and the crystals removed.
 
Water and yeast are added to the molasses and it is left to ferment. Lighter rums will have a short fermentation of a few days heavier rums could last for weeks.
 

 
Continuous still usually have shorter fermentations which produces a lighter purer spirit higher in alcohol. This is relatively cheap compared to pot stills where the fermentation is longer and results in a more heavier, richer rum which more character however it is lower in alcohol so will often have to be distilled a couple of times to increase this. The pot still process is much more expensive.
 
Filtration – charcoal filtered to remove impurities
 
Maturation – Due to the hot climate maturation is usually 3 times faster than say Scotland. Over maturation can lead to too much woody character in the rum.

The oak used is most commonly American white oak for ex bourbon barrels but they sometime use ex cognac barrels as well. The barrels are re-charred to mask any characteristics from the previous spirit.

Some companies like Bacardi will also filter after maturation as they mature all their rums including the white ones so they need to remove any colour gained from the wood.
 
Many rums are blended, containing different aged rums, light and dark rums, rums from pot and continuous still as well as blending rums from different countries.
 
Blending produces a smooth and rounded drink as well as provides consistency and a unique style. Caramel is added to darker rums as they only get so much colour from the oak.

 
Rum legislation is practically non existent. A number of Caribbean islands became independent in 1800s, other didn’t become independent until 1960s – 70s and are still dependent today.  This means that there are no common legal definitions. Therefore the classification of smell, taste, colour and age terms is NOT standardized across the different originating counties or regions.

The three main styles of rum are white, golden and dark.

 
Don Facundo Bacardi –est his rum business in Cuba 1862, he invented charcoal filtration which made rum of that time a lot smoother and easier to drink.

The image of the bat was adopted as the Bacardi logo as the literacy rate in Cuba was very poor at the time and having an image helped people identify the product. 
 
Taste – clear water white, hints of vanilla and apricot, slight vegetal, off dry light slight molasses sweetness. 
Makes a great Mojito 

  This is the first St Lucian rum in the UK, it is made from molasses and unlike most white rums is matured for 4 years in ex-bourbon barrels.  It is then filtered to remove any colour.

This results in some amazing aromas and tastes of caramelized bananas, spices and citrus.

For more information visit www.rum8.com
 
 
Havana Club is produced in Cuba, and although it has a large export market it cannot be sold in US under the terms of the US trade embargo placed on Cuba over 40 years ago.
 
Amber in colour
Hints of oak, smoky honey vanilla, and especially cream soda.
Hint of sweetness, cinnamon and oak on the palate.

Makes a great Dark & Stormy (see below)
 


Christmas cake in a glass - sip and enjoy 
El Dorado was launched in 1992.
It is named after the explorers who cam to Guyana in search of the Golden City – El Dorado
 
They use both continuous and pot stills made from wood which are the only ones in the world that are still in working order.
It is a blend of both pot and continuous distilled rums.
 
Cooper, golden hue, fruit cake, peel, toasted oak, molasses, honey, tobacco, dark fruits. Off dry, richer fruit cake balanced alcohol, full bodied, tobacco with spiciness on the finish. Dark fruits and coffee
 

 
Why not try something new?
Ask your barman for a dark & stormy or make one yourself it's so easy.
Get some ice and put it in a glass, pour in some golden or dark rum (50ml - 2 units) then top up with ginger ale.  Squeeze half a lime on top and serve.
Perfect on a summers day.

ENJOY

WineDater is a wine tasting experience for singles, it’s about
meeting new people, trying new wines, then it’s just a
matter of taste www.winedater.co.uk
e-mail: info@WineDater.co.uk

a company registered in england company number:
6365141, registered address: office 404, 4th floor, albany
 house, 324/326 regent street, london, w1b 3hh
VAT number: 925487984
privacy policy, terms and conditions
 WineDater supports responsible drinking –
www.drinkaware.co.uk