 
In rum production, fresh cane juice or molasses is fermented, with a slower fermentation yielding a more pure and aromatic result. The yeast used for this fermentation can be either wild, cultured or a starter culture from a previous fermentation (called “dunder”, stored in a mock pit). This initial fermentation will produce a sugarcane “wine” or wash of 4 – 5% ABV.
The wash is then distilled, with some producers using continuous stills to produce a neutral product, while others use a pot still to capture more aroma and flavor. The distillation process in the Caribbean is often fairly rustic – modern technology and hygiene can often be lacking, producing a spirit with a slightly raw, “funky” edge due to high levels of impurity. This character is described by the old English word “hogo”.
Rum is normally aged in cask prior to bottling. Some producers use empty bourbon casks that mark the spirit profoundly, and many aged rums taste like the barrel in which they were aged. Since most rum is sold as “white rum”, however, it is common to aggressively filter the rum through charcoal to remove the color.
10 Cane uses French oak barrels to give a milder effect during maturation. Because the spirit evaporates up to five times more quickly in the tropics, rum ages much faster than Cognac or Scotch.
|
Wine Regions of the World
