Rum
Rum is a distilled spirit traditionally made from sugarcane juice or molasses and typically aged in oak barrels, although experimentation with other barrels also takes place. Rum is most widely associated with the islands of the Caribbean and Latin American countries, but it is made in many countries around the world, including Scotland, Sweden, and the U.S. In Spanish-speaking countries rum is called ron, though no one knows for sure where the word “rum” itself was born. White or silver rum is either unaged or is lightly aged, then filtered to strip out the color; it is generally intended for use in cocktails. Gold or amber rum is aged in oak barrels, though there are no agreed upon standards on how long this term, nor any real distinction between the terms. Dark rum is usually made from caramelized molasses, aged for a longer period of time, and usually in barrels that have been more deeply charred. Overproof rum can hit up to 160 proof and is intended for use in cocktails, including the Volcano, where the overproof rum is floated on top and ignited. Spiced and flavored rums are also quite popular.
Top Rum Posts:
Havana Club Tributo 2017
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
Bacardi Anejo Cuatro 4 Years Old, Reserva Ocho 8 Years Old, and Gran Reserva Diez 10 Years Old Rum
Mount Gay launched its Single Estate Series rum last year to great acclaim, the end-product of an eight-year journey that began with acquiring its own 324-acre sugar cane estate in 2015 and using that cane to make its own molasses, ferment its own juice, distill rum from that juice, and age it in barrels —…
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La Maison & Velier’s Transcontinental Rum Line (aka TCRL) is back with new editions, and unlike the 2023 bottlings, these are not single cask releases. (Many of these releases are presented at a much lower proof, too — and they’re priced more affordably as a result.) While not single cask releases, they are still vintage…
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Holmes Cay says that its latest two offerings “are about us growing up as a company,” offering a retail bottling from a “mystery distillery” and round two of a previous hit. Details and tasting notes follow. Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum Venezuela 2007 15 Years Old – Officially anonymous, this 15 year old expression of…
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It’s been a minute since we’ve seen anything from Bermuda’s Goslings Rum brand, but it’s back and with a vengeance. This new rum is finished on a container ship that travelled between Bermuda and somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, back and forth, over and over, bobbing around for a total of 59,920 nautical miles before returning…
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With its Hearts Collection, Appleton has really come into its own as one of the premiere producers of rum globally. This collection is a series of very limited releases, offering ultra-aged, single-vintage rums from the years 1994, 1995, 1999, 1984, 2003, 1993, 2002, and now 1998. We’ve reviewed only the last two of these, and now…
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Rum has a long tradition with historically colonial islands. While many rum-producing islands are now independent of their colonizers, the original mother countries in Europe are still involved in the rum production process. Most of the rums on the market are distilled in tropical climates, but they’re not necessarily aged in tropical climates for the…
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Barbados’ Mount Gay has recently graced us with two new expressions of its rums, one for (relatively) mass consumption, the other extremely limited. Up firs: The gold expression of Mount Gay Eclipse has been gently rebranded as Mount Gay Eclipse Heritage Blend — tagline “Crisp & Aromatic” — and now it has a big brother…
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Martinique’s Rhum J.M started exploring new styles with the release of its Terroir Volcanique expression in 2023. It’s now returning to that concept with a new series of rums called the Atelier Range (aka “L’Atelier des Rhums”), a trio of products designed by Master Blender Karine Lassalle “to identify three characteristics inherently present and specific…
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Rum from Thailand is becoming increasingly commonplace, with brands like Phraya and especially Bumbu making significant waves. Shakara — not Shakira — is made from local molasses, column-distilled, and aged in bourbon barrels for 12 years. High temperature, high humidity. No additives, including sugar. Immediately reminiscent of the tropics, there’s plenty of Asian influence from the…
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Guatemala is home to a number of top-shelf rums, including Zacapa, Botran, and more. The latest arrival is a new brand called Tenango Rum, launched by restauranteur Sophia Deleon, who has deep Guatemalan heritage. Made completely in the country, this rum is column-distilled from molasses and aged in American oak for an unspecified length of…
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