Rum varieties

Rum is very diverse. From well-known rums like Bacardi to high-quality, expensive varieties like Zacapa and Imperial, there is a rum for every connoisseur. Produced in countless countries and on the market in countless varieties, it's hard to give an overview. We try!

In general, rum is a spirit made from sugar cane with a minimum alcohol content of 37.5%! Overall, rum is not as heavily regulated as whisky. Therefore, it can be unaged, coloured or blended, for example. It is mainly produced in the Caribbean and can be classified according to different criteria. Considering the many possibilities, one can assume that the majority of rums are blended rums. As a long-standing whisky shop, we would like to point out that blended whisky is therefore not comparable with the quality standard blended rum.

With a blended rum, you receive a representative spirit from the rum range.

The raw material for rum is sugar cane. A distinction is made from which part of the sugar cane the rum is made, from molasses, sugar cane juice or syrup. This results in the different categories. In addition, a variety of flavours is created by the so-called flavoured or spiced rums, which are supplemented with additional flavours from spices, fruits or sugar.

Rum can be distilled both on column stills and in pot stills. Its fermentation time varies considerably. A particularly long fermentation yields a high ester rum. And indeed, Demerara Distillers still has a producing Wooden Potstill at the Diamond Distillery and the Botucal is distilled on a Batch Kettle in addition to Potstill and Column Still.

Rum originated in the Caribbean and even today over 80 per cent of rum comes from these countries, such as Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Nowadays, rum is produced in all parts of the world. This results in a variety of rum styles, as each country has its own methods.

In our shop, you will find a classification of rums by type of production as well as a classification by country!

There is the so-called English, Spanish or French style of rum production. The directions are shaped according to the respective former colonial masters of the corresponding islands and countries.

Spanish-style rums are made from molasses and are usually mild, mellow and sweet. The makers often come from a sherry-making background and bottle using the solera method. It tastes round and complex and ranges from light to oily depending on its age. Fermentation takes place with cultivated yeasts. The most popular Spanish-style rums come from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

This type is also traditionally made from molasses and usually matures for several years in barrels. It is mostly classic, aromatic, spicy, dark rum that is often higher in percentage. The English style relies on wild yeasts for fermentation. The most popular English rums are produced in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Mauritius.

French-style rum is made from sugar cane juice and is also known as "Rhum Agricole". Whereby the "Agricole" also includes the agricultural as opposed to the industrial production. The style is characterised by fruitiness and is often described as elegant. The most popular French-style rums are found in Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

The ageing time for rum is calculated according to the time in the barrel, but also after further ageing in the bottle, and varies enormously between a few months and many years. It is matured both in the barrel and in the stainless steel container. The barrels used were previously filled with whisky or wine; both give off certain flavour notes to the rum.

Terms that indicate the age:

-Reserva: at least 36 months, of which 12 months in the barrel, the rest in bottle.

-Gran Reserva: at least 60 months, of which 18 months in cask, rest in bottle

-Anejo: 5 years

-VO at least 3 years in oak barrels

-VSOP at least 4 years in oak barrels

-XO at least 6 years in oak barrels

-Rum hors d'age at least 10 years

Rum that is 10 to 20 years old is called premium rum.

There is white (colourless) rum and brown rum in various shades of golden brown to dark brown, almost black.

It is clear and usually mild in taste. Here you will find rums that are mainly used for cocktail mixing. They are stored for between one and four years and then filtered to remove the colour.

Through ageing in barrels, it takes on golden hues, which is why it is sometimes referred to as golden rum. It becomes stronger in flavour due to barrel ageing. Ideally, brown rum is enjoyed neat and is very suitable for mixing stronger rum cocktails.

The rich caramel flavour of the molasses is already brought to the fore during production. In addition, burnt caramel is used to achieve a particularly dark colouring. These rums are often used in the confectionery and baking industry because of their pronounced caramel flavour, as they impart good sweetness.

In the following, we will present the rum varieties in the order in which you will find them in our shop.

The variety most commonly found on the market is rum distilled from molasses, the by-product of sugar production. It is also called traditional rum. It may be made from sugar cane from different plantations and may have been produced within a distillery using different processes. It is often first aged in bourbon barrels and wine barrels, and there are various after-ages. All this is possible with molasses rum, without one already being able to speak of a blended rum.

There are, among others, the categories Cuba Rum, a particularly light and mostly white or golden rum, in which the molasses is specially processed. High Ester Rum or Jamaica-style rum is particularly worth mentioning. It is characterised by a very high proportion of ester. This comes about through a particularly long fermentation period. This chemical compound is characterised by expressive aromas and fragrances, which makes the rum aromatic and heavy.

The difference to 'normal' rum or Rhum traditionnel is the raw material. It is rum made from fresh sugar cane juice, whereby the term 'Agricole' expresses that it is agriculturally and not industrially produced rum. The H in Rhum comes from the fact that Rhum Agricole is mainly produced on former French islands, the French Antilles. The islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique and La Reunion have made a name for themselves with Rhum Agricole. In the meantime, it is also produced in Brazil and the USA, for example.

Rhum Agricole is a protected term, whereby the rum must be produced according to regulations set by the countries of origin.

Only the French Antilles produce according to the AOC regulations! The AOC regulations, Appellation d'Origine Controlée, stand for a controlled designation of origin. It is monitored from France.

And then there is Sugarcane rum. Here, liquid is extracted from the sugar cane juice so that it becomes viscous and very concentrated.

This is rum to which flavouring has been added, mainly ingredients such as sugar, vanilla and spices of all kinds, such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. This gives an idea of why spiced rum is well suited for winter mixed drinks. Characteristically, flavoured rum is usually wonderfully smooth and light, making it uncomplicated to drink. Spiced rum has a minimum alcohol strength of 37.5% vol.

According to recent EU regulations, a rum-based spirit is one with a sugar content of more than 20 g per litre. However, as with rum, the base must be sugar cane, either molasses or sugar cane juice. In addition, the addition of colouring is permitted here and an alcohol content of less than 37.5% vol. is allowed.