Rum Production

Sylvia Simm | 02. August 2024

Firstly, what is rum?

Rum is a distillate that is distilled from sugar cane. Around 80 % of it is made from molasses, a by-product of sugar production, but sugar cane juice and sugar cane honey are also processed into rum. By law, rum must have a minimum alcohol content of 37.5 %. This is where the general definition ends. There are numerous variants that differ in terms of the raw materials, i.e. molasses or sugar cane juice, the production process, the country of origin and the name.

 

Table of content

How is rum made? Simply explained!

Sugar cane harvest - sugar cane processing - fermentation - distillation - maturing

Harvesting and processing

After harvesting, which is often still done by hand or otherwise with sugar cane harvesting machines, the cut sugar cane is further processed in sugar cane mills.

Molasses

The sugary juice is pressed out of the plant using a process known as press extraction. It is then boiled down to remove the sugar crystals and extract the cane sugar. What remains is a thick, dark-coloured syrup. This by-product is also known as molasses and is used in rum production
In total, 90 per cent of rums worldwide are produced from molasses.

Sugar cane juice

Rum made from sugar cane juice is extracted directly from the freshly cut sugar cane. The cane is cut into pieces and the juice is extracted in two to three pressing processes.
Rum made from sugar cane juice, which comes from agricultural production, is called rhum agricole. Worldwide, rhum agricole only accounts for around 3% of total rum production.
Rhum Agricole has a unique certification in the French Antilles. The AOC guidelines 'Appellation d'Origine Controlée' precisely regulate the production of rum. You can find out more about rhum agricole from Martinique here.

Sugar cane honey

Sugar cane honey is produced by extracting additional liquid from the sugar cane juice. It is viscous and very concentrated.

Fermentation

The molasses is diluted with water and yeast is added. This starts the biological process of fermentation, in which the yeast breaks down the sugar and converts it into alcohol. This results in an alcohol content of 5-6%. The sugar cane juice is fermented either undiluted or diluted. As a general rule, the higher the sugar content, the higher the alcohol content.

Traditional rum is produced with wild yeasts. These are yeasts that are naturally present in the air and settle on the mash. However, this process is not as random as it sounds at first. To ensure that a desired yeast strain forms and colonises, distilleries have walled and poorly ventilated rooms in which the yeasts are cultivated and stored. This process, in which wild yeasts are used, is still practised in Jamaica in particular. Alternatively, and especially for very large batches, brewing ovens are used.

The fermentation time varies greatly between hours and weeks. A very long duration of the process promotes the formation of many esters, which give the rum a unique flavour. This is known as high ester rum. This type of rum is mainly found in Jamaica. Otherwise, the fermentation period is rather short.

The fermentation process takes place in huge barrels made of concrete, steel or wood.

Distillation

The fermented sugar cane juice or molasses syrup is heated in a distillation plant and the resulting alcohol is extracted by cooling. An alcohol content of 65% to 75% is achieved. Distillation in column stills is common. However, distillation is also carried out using the pot still method. The Spanish and French styles are predominantly distilled in column stills, while the English style tends to be distilled in pot stills.

Column Still

The column still or distillation column in the Spanish style is very high and often made of copper in the upper third, which has a positive effect on the flavour. It is continuously filled with sugar cane wine from the top up to two thirds of its height. As the liquid flows down through the various trays of the column, vapour rises to the top. The lighter alcohol vapours flow upwards and separate from the rest of the liquid.

The finished white rum is removed from the top of the column still, while the potale, the "waste", is continuously removed from the bottom. In some cases, there are stills with valves where the finished rum is returned to the still to be distilled again.

An exception to this are stills with a forerun. In these stills, the feed is taken from the top and the finished raw spirit is taken from a little lower down. The foreshot is either disposed of or distilled again.

Alambic Still

A speciality in rum distillation is the alambic still, as used in the HBS - Habitation Beauséjour rum distillery. Alambic stills are better known from the production of Cognac and Armagnac. The pot still is small and compact. Direct gas firing causes the alcohol vapours to rise to the top, where they are passed through pipes into the rectifier. The aim is for the raw spirit to have as much copper contact as possible, which makes it softer. The combination of alambic still and rectifier offers the possibility of pumping the condensate back and forth between the two in order to achieve an optimum firing result.

Pot Still

The much rarer distillation on a pot still works in the same way as we know it from whisky production. There are only a few distilleries worldwide that distil their rum, or a small proportion of their rum, in a pot still. In some cases, the end product is released onto the market as a small batch, as is the case with Romero & Sons from Ecuador.

Jamaica is best known for its pot still rums. Well-known distilleries are Appleton and Hampden. The reasons why the column still is preferred to the pot still are effort and cost!

Interesting fact: Some blended rums contain both column still rum and pot still rum. Examples of this are Botucal from Venezuela and Renegade from the island of Grenada.

A selection of pure pot still rums and blended rums from pot still and column still can be found here. Overall, this type of rum is characterised by its full-bodied taste.

Storage

Rum does not have to be stored in order to be called rum. However, if it is stored, it is traditionally stored in oak barrels. These are either new or previously contained whisky or wine. The duration can vary from a few months to several years.

White rum

If a rum is not stored, it is referred to as white rum. Alternatively, a resting period in the tank, a so-called "reduction" can take place through aeration, as with St James, or through the addition of water, as with Clement. Either during the reduction or afterwards, the distillate is reduced to the desired drinking strength. White rum is therefore very young and unaged and is preferred for mixing cocktails and long drinks. The drinking strength is at least 37.5 per cent, with so-called overproof rums at 57.15 to 70 per cent vol.

Brown rum

Barrel-aged rum is known as brown or golden rum. After distillation, the rum is filled into wooden barrels for ageing. It is usually placed in the barrels undiluted and has an alcohol content of 65% to 75% by volume at this point. It is stored for around six months to several decades.

Here too, subsequent storage in sherry or wine barrels is fashionable.

Rum is also matured using the so-called solera method.

Blending

Blending is a separate point in the rum production process, as most rums worldwide are blended rums.

Several batches from one distillery, but also rums from different distilleries and even rums from different countries can be blended together.

Special feature

There are types of rum that are flavoured or have sugar added to them so that they may NOT be called rum according to the legal definition. According to the latest EU regulations, a rum-based spirit is said to contain more than 20 g of sugar per litre. A spiced rum can be flavoured with spices or fruit

Filling

The resulting blended rums are then diluted with water to the desired drinking strength and bottled. The minimum alcohol content of 37.5% alcohol by volume is required by law.

Sustainability in rum production

Nowadays, the topic of sustainability is also becoming increasingly important in rum production. Many distilleries are focussing on organic cultivation methods and environmentally friendly practices in order to improve the quality of the rum and protect nature at the same time. These initiatives help to preserve the Caribbean and all other cultivated regions of the world with their beautiful landscapes for future generations. Support brands that are committed to sustainability and enjoy your rum with a clear conscience!

Ecological sustainability

Ecological sustainability includes sustainable agriculture, the careful use of resources (e.g. water consumption, land use) and energy consumption during distillation.

Packaging and transport

Sustainability initiatives in production also include environmentally friendly packaging materials (e.g. recyclable bottles) and the reduction of the CO2 footprint during transport.

Fair working conditions

Modern sustainable rum production often also includes the social standards of the workers in the growing regions, such as fair wages and humane working conditions.

Our rum range

Botucal Single Vintage Rum 2008
Botucal Single Vintage Rum 2008
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Ron Canuto Ecuador Rum 7 Years
Ron Canuto Ecuador Rum 7 Years
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Barbancourt Haitian Proof 55° Rhum
Barbancourt Haitian Proof 55° Rhum
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Don Papa Baroko Rum Spirit
Don Papa Baroko Rum Spirit
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Takamaka St. Andre Zepis Creole Rum
Takamaka St. Andre Zepis Creole Rum
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
A.H. Riise XO Reserve Explorer Edition Germany
A.H. Riise XO Reserve Explorer Edition Germany
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva
Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Plantation Rum Grande Reserva
Plantation Rum Grande Reserva
1/ l · incl.  VAT
El Dorado Rum 12 Years
El Dorado Rum 12 Years
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
MacNairs Exploration Panama Rum - Unpeated 7 Years
MacNairs Exploration Panama Rum - Unpeated 7 Years
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Miniature Assortment Plantation Rum Experience Pack
Miniature Assortment Plantation Rum Experience Pack
0,6/ l · incl.  VAT
The Demon's Share rum spirit 6 Years
The Demon's Share rum spirit 6 Years
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Austrian Empire Navy Rum Reserve Cognac
Austrian Empire Navy Rum Reserve Cognac
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
J.Bally Pyramid Rhum 12 Years
J.Bally Pyramid Rhum 12 Years
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Ron Centenario Rum Tasting Set
Ron Centenario Rum Tasting Set
0,25/ l · incl.  VAT
Rhum J.M Terroir Volcanique
Rhum J.M Terroir Volcanique
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Navy Island Rum Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask Finish XO /2023
Navy Island Rum Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask Finish XO /2023
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Fortin Heróica Ron Anejo Del Paraguay
Fortin Heróica Ron Anejo Del Paraguay
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Discarded Banana Peel Rum
Discarded Banana Peel Rum
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
Neisson Le Rhum Vieux
Neisson Le Rhum Vieux
0,7/ l · incl.  VAT
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Sylvia Simm is an experienced employee of Whisky.de. After more than 20 years in online sales and service, she supports the company with her extensive whisky knowledge in marketing. As online editor and content manager, she is responsible for editing and updating the texts on the knowledge pages.

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