Understanding the Distillation Process of Rum

Rum is an alcoholic spirit distilled in one of two ways: either from molasses as part of the sugar-making process (known as Rum Industrial) or from the sugarcane juice itself (Rhum Agricole and Cachaca). Rum can only be made in countries that grow sugarcane.

Rum can be distilled using a column or pot still. The type of still used during the process depends on which island is producing the rum. Column stills are mostly used by old Spanish colonies, while old English and French colonies mostly use a pot still (one similar to the one used in Scotland and Cognac). Some rums are a blend of both column and pot distilled rums in order to add deeper complexity to the flavor. Pot-distilled rums are heavier — up to 85 percent ABV – which allows more

Most Puerto Rican rum is produced continuously in column stills using highly purified distillates. Some specialty rum products, however, use pot still distillation methods instead.

Spanish settlers arrived in the New World with knowledge on how to produce alcohol due to their expertise in producing brandy. They also brought their equipment with them in order to continue the practice. It was not long before they began using sugarcane and local fruits to produce alcohol.

Spanish rums are classified by their fruity, brandy-like fragrance and the dominant raisin, berry and current flavors. Some of these rums use column still distillation, but most are produced using pot still distillation methods.

QUALITY AND STYLE

Five factors influence the quality and style of each rum: the source of the sugar, the length of fermentation, the type of still used, the duration of barrel- aging, and the strength of the rum at bottling. Rum gets its sugar source from either sugarcane or molasses. Short fermentation periods result in light rum, while longer periods result in dark rum. Pot distilled rums are light, while column distilled rums are heavier.

OTHER SUGARCANE BASED