English style rum
“Pirate Juice” is a term to describe rum made in the English tradition, classically pot stilled from molasses and showing lots of hogo. Some of these are aged and some are not, although most West Indians drink the unaged variety. Rums from St-Croix (Santa Cruz) and Jamaican rum are typically high proof, as is navy rum. Jamaican rum is often thought of as dark, but unaged overproof rum is the most widely consumed on the island itself, and generally the aged styles are produced for export. Also included in this category are those rums from the Demerara region of Guyana, and some from Australia and India.
French style rum
The French or Brazilian style of rum is produced by using the cane juice directly, since it is abundant, and not commonly used for sugar production. These rums are referred to as rhum agricole. Rhums agricole can be distilled either in continuous stills or pot stills. In Brazil cane is also very abundant, and for this reason Pinga or Cachaça is from fresh cane juice.
The French style of rum evolved when the market for Haitian sugar collapsed following the establishment of sugar beet factories in France by Chaptal. Haiti began to make rum from fresh pressed sugar cane juice instead of molasses, which is a by-product of sugar production.
There is also a rhum industriel produced in the French Islands which is made from molasses and pretty low quality. Wherever molasses is used, it is common to use Brazilian molasses, since it is the least expensive.
Modern style
Advances in technology led to a more international style of rum production – more like bourbon whisky. The distillate here is smoother, and the wood is more prominent. Many of the Bajan rums are going the same way as are those from the Virgin Islands.
This style was begun by Don Fecundo Bacardi in Cuba, using column stills, charcoal filtration. Moved to Puerto Rico after the revolution, this island became a center for rum production in the modern style. Puerto Rico today produces 80% of all the rum purchased in the U.S.
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Wine Regions of the World
