In our rum series, we explore the making, types, and varieties of this special drink, and discuss what makes a good rum. We will virtually visit several continents and numerous countries. Now you can also learn about the ingredients used to make the finest rums and how they are aged and bottled. Join us in the unique world of rums!

Rum is fermented from the freshly pressed juice of sugarcane or molasses (a by-product of sugarcane processing that still contains enough sugar for rum production), with the help of yeast. Its alcohol content usually ranges between 38 – 54 percent, but there have been rums made with 80 percent alcohol. The raw material is fermented at high temperatures, and if the distiller deems the fermented liquid good, it is distilled. In certain cases, it is flavored with typical spices of the country of origin, or even with fruit. The distillate is then bottled after resting, or aged in wooden barrels for many years before being bottled. It's good to know that there are many white rums that are aged and then filtered through charcoal.

We can distinguish three major styles, which are significantly related to who colonized the area where the rum is made.

The English-speaking islands and states are known for their darker, fuller-bodied, spicier, more aromatic rums, where the distinctive aroma of molasses and the long fermentation time (high ester content rums) have a greater influence on the character of the drink. This includes rums from Jamaica, Bermuda, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and British Guyana. Pot stills are more widespread here, which also help to produce richer flavored rum.

In Spanish-speaking countries, sweeter, honeyed, caramelized light rums are more widespread. Most of the rums from Guatemala, Cuba, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela belong to this category. This style is characterized by rapid fermentation (12-24 hours) and the use of column stills. Perhaps the most easily consumable and approachable rums come from here. We definitely recommend this style to beginner rum drinkers and those getting acquainted with rums! 

It is also worth mentioning the solera aging process, which is typical for these rums. The essence is as follows: in the bodegas (warehouses) where the aging takes place and the barrels are stacked on top of each other, every year a certain amount is bottled from the bottom barrel on the floor (suelo in Spanish, hence the name), replenishing from the barrel above it, and so on up to the top row, into which fresh distillate is added every year.