RUM INFORMATION
Rum
All distilled spirits
are made from water, yeast and sugar in some form. With rum, the sugar
is ready-made since it must be distilled from fermented juice of sugar
cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or sugar cane by-products at
less than 190 proof. Rum can be made anywhere, although more than 80% of
the rum consumed in this country is produced in Puerto Rico.
The two main types of rum are light-bodied and full-bodied. Light-bodied rums are generally produced in column stills and distilled with an alcohol content of 80% or more. The spirit then spends at least one year in oak barrels. At this point, the rum is clear and normally designated "white" rum. Another type of light-bodied rum, aged in wood at least three years and, with caramel added for color, is termed "gold" or "amber". A third type of light-bodied rum is anejo, aged in wood from four to six years, and sometimes longer.
In contrast, full-bodied rums are made using a different process. Skimming from previous distillations - called "dunder" - are added to the molasses in the fermentation vats. This is followed by a natural fermentation of five to 20 days. The fermented liquid is then distilled in pot stills, and then redistilled. Only the middle rum from the distillation is taken, at between 140 and 160 proof. This process results in a very flavorful, aromatic spirit that, in the case of Jamaican rum, is almost always blended. Before bottling, this full-bodied rum normally requires at least five to seven years of barrel aging.
Information on this page provided by Bay Country Liquors
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