Understanding Rum

[Capn Jimbo]

Having been a member here for quite some time, I am always taken by the morass of very different replies that one receives when trying to select or understand rums.

At The Rum Project (linked below), we too were faced with all the conflicting advice, and after purchasing 50 or so "recommendations", we found ourselves just as confused as when we started.

Ergo The Rum Project where we have spent literally thousands of hours providing a free and handy resource for just how to approach, understand and appreciate rum. For example did you know there are five basic styles of rum? Did you ever consider that it might help you to identify, buy and learn a reference standard rum for each of those styles? Have you ever considered what glass might be the best for tasting rum, and just how to go about tasting and understanding different rums?

You really have two choices: first, to try to follow hundreds of well meaning but confusing suggestions by fellow posters, or to actually start with the basics, and achieve enough understanding of rum to proceed with your own knowledge and expertise.

Rum is terribly misunderstood, and underappreciated, and sadly, many of the rums being sold are part of the problem. Still, there are many fine rums that rival the best spirits made, and you need to know what they are, to have a basis for evaluating and choosing other rums.

It was our goal to provide a good rum education for the average person, and we honestly think we've done that. It has been a labor of love, and our humble contribution to our fellow rum imbibers of which there are many.

If you do want to get a feel for rum appreciation, I'd suggest you visit our main site first, and then the forum for some of the 200 or so reviews that Sue Sea and I have written. We welcome your comments and questions both here and there...

Up spirits!!

[Hassouni]

Jimbo! Your site has been my main reference since I SERIOUSLY got into rum last summer. You and Sue Sea turned me onto Pussers, MGXO, Barbancourt 5 star, Smith & Cross, Scarlet Ibis, and Sea Wynde, among others. If you or anybody else here can recommend me some of similar quality, I'd be very greateful.

[Capn Jimbo]

Sure Hassouni...

Let's first cover the rums you named and that you like:

1. Pussers, Smith & Cross and Sea Wynde: these are all Jamaican style which feature very aromatic rums that use what is called "dunder" as a starter for fermentation.

Dunder is really leftover from previous distillations, and is actually stored in "dunder pits". These are actual, open air pits in the ground - some of them are many years old. This "dunder" is really pretty nasty, but contains hundreds of different esters and flavors (compare to the 30 or 40 esters in a typical rum). So when you add a little dunder to a new fermentation the result is a much more complex and interesting rum.

The Jamaican style. Perhaps the best known Jamaican style happens to be from Jamaica, and this would be the Appleton rums. Perhaps the best (and also very affordable) is Appleton Extra (12 years old). We can find it here for about $29. It is easily one of the best rums in the world, and deserves a place on your shelves.

2. Mount Gay XO (Extra Old) - Barbadian style, smooth and complex, perhaps even a wee bit whiskylike. I recommend almost any other Barbadian style rum, and anything made by Richard Seale. If you can find Seales Ten (about $25-30), this too is a world class rum in that style. Seale also makes the amazing Doorly's XO, which is aged in both used bourbon and sherry barrels. Doorly's sells here for an unbelievable $17, very good and will teach you what flavors that sherry barrel aging can accomplish (deep fruits, nutty). Great stuff.

3. Scarlet Ibis: although we have learned to promote five major styles, Scarlet Ibis stands alone in that it exhibits characteristics of most of the common styles. It is almost a style unto itself, and thus I have no equivalent rum to recommend. If you do wish to try other unique rums who that cross style lines I'd strongly suggest Dos Maderas 5+3 (five yrs in bourbon barrels, three in sherry), which displays two different groups of flavors. Don't waste your money on the 5+5 as the sherry can be overdone. Another very unique rum is Westerhall Plantation, a very small production rum, a blend of both cane juice and molasses based rums. Extremely unique, hard to find, and a memorable experience.

4. Barbancourt Five Star: A cane juice (agricole) style, perhaps one of the ten best rums in the world. A rum of art, using pot stills and long aged at lower proofs in French oak for great smoothness and complexity over a caney/reedy background. The Three Star is your next choice I'd say, as you will see where that vegetal cane aspect comes from - a nice horizontal comparison so you can learn and understand what aging another four years can accomplish. Rhum Dillon - another really nice cane juice rum can be had around here for perhaps $19, and it can stand up to any of the other white agricoles that cost twice as much, or more.

Hope that helps. Remember, there are five basic styles, and you have tried three of them. Until you choose your own reference standard for each (to which you should compare when tasting a new rum in that style), most afficianados would agree on...

1. Barbadian Style: MGXO or Seales 10

2. Cane Juice (agricole) Style: Barbancourt 3 or 5 Star.

3. Jamaican Style: Appleton Extra (12).

Let's see if anyone comes up with the other two styles...

[Hassouni]

I forgot to mention I do own and love Appleton Extra, as well as about 6 or 8 other rums. Also, I believe your other standard was Matusalem Gran Riserva? I tried that too, and it's nice, but overly smooth and sweet. I LOVE the dunder!

[Capn Jimbo]

OK, let's cover the Matusalem Gran Reserva...

This is a good reference rum for the Cuban style: light and smooth with a nice peppery finish. We also call it one of our "dangerous" rums, inasmuch as it is way, way too easy to drink. We're serious. Another you might try in the "dangerous" sense is Santa Teresa Anejo - a best buy at around $14, and extremely pleasant in its smooth, light way.

This is a tough style, as we are unable to buy real Cuban style rums from Cuba anyway, and the Cuban styles made elsewhere are pretty unremarkable. Actually, that was the idea, as it was Bacardi's gamble and objective to make rums that were easy to drink, smooth and light. But along with smooth and light comes the idea of unremarkable.

But you might try the Abuelos, the Anejo and also the 7 Year and see if you like the Panamanian take on this style. Many exiled Cubans headed for the Dominican Republic (see Ron Matusalem). Another great rum that has Cuban elements is one I already recommended, the Westerhall Plantation - a truly superior, well made rum.

You might also want to try the Bermudez Aniversario 12, not exceptional but a solid, decent Cuban style. And I would be remiss if I didn't recommend the Bacardi 8 Year, which also illustrates the style, if not very remarkably. Hope that helps...

Edited February 29, 2012 by Capn Jimbo (log)

[scubadoo97]

Sure Hassouni...

Let's first cover the rums you named and that you like:

1. Pussers, Smith & Cross and Sea Wynde: these are all Jamaican style which feature very aromatic rums that use what is called "dunder" as a starter for fermentation.

Dunder is really leftover from previous distillations, and is actually stored in "dunder pits". These are actual, open air pits in the ground - some of them are many years old. This "dunder" is really pretty nasty, but contains hundreds of different esters and flavors (compare to the 30 or 40 esters in a typical rum). So when you add a little dunder to a new fermentation the result is a much more complex and interesting rum.

The Jamaican style. Perhaps the best known Jamaican style happens to be from Jamaica, and this would be the Appleton rums. Perhaps the best (and also very affordable) is Appleton Extra (12 years old). We can find it here for about $29. It is easily one of the best rums in the world, and deserves a place on your shelves.

2. Mount Gay XO (Extra Old) - Barbadian style, smooth and complex, perhaps even a wee bit whiskylike. I recommend almost any other Barbadian style rum, and anything made by Richard Seale. If you can find Seales Ten (about $25-30), this too is a world class rum in that style. Seale also makes the amazing Doorly's XO, which is aged in both used bourbon and sherry barrels. Doorly's sells here for an unbelievable $17, very good and will teach you what flavors that sherry barrel aging can accomplish (deep fruits, nutty). Great stuff.

3. Scarlet Ibis: although we have learned to promote five major styles, Scarlet Ibis stands alone in that it exhibits characteristics of most of the common styles. It is almost a style unto itself, and thus I have no equivalent rum to recommend. If you do wish to try other unique rums who that cross style lines I'd strongly suggest Dos Maderas 5+3 (five yrs in bourbon barrels, three in sherry), which displays two different groups of flavors. Don't waste your money on the 5+5 as the sherry can be overdone. Another very unique rum is Westerhall Plantation, a very small production rum, a blend of both cane juice and molasses based rums. Extremely unique, hard to find, and a memorable experience.

4. Barbancourt Five Star: A cane juice (agricole) style, perhaps one of the ten best rums in the world. A rum of art, using pot stills and long aged at lower proofs in French oak for great smoothness and complexity over a caney/reedy background. The Three Star is your next choice I'd say, as you will see where that vegetal cane aspect comes from - a nice horizontal comparison so you can learn and understand what aging another four years can accomplish. Rhum Dillon - another really nice cane juice rum can be had around here for perhaps $19, and it can stand up to any of the other white agricoles that cost twice as much, or more.

Hope that helps. Remember, there are five basic styles, and you have tried three of them. Until you choose your own reference standard for each (to which you should compare when tasting a new rum in that style), most afficianados would agree on...

1. Barbadian Style: MGXO or Seales 10

2. Cane Juice (agricole) Style: Barbancourt 3 or 5 Star.

3. Jamaican Style: Appleton Extra (12).

Let's see if anyone comes up with the other two styles...

English style like El Dorado one of my favs

[tanstaafl2]

So is Barbencourt 5 star truly a good standard for Rhum Agricole style? From other posts here it has been suggested that it is a bit different from the traditional Martinique/Guadeloupe style of Rhum Agricole.

The fifth style, Demerara, (Thought it might be but I peeked to be sure) is perhaps my favorite of all with the El Dorado 15 leading the way. Indeed it seems I have four of the five "style standards" if we count the Barbencourt while the very recently arrived Havana Club Anejo Reserva fills in as the representative for the Cuban style of rum in my liquor cabinet.

[tanstaafl2]

Ah! A scroll down to the post "Ministry of Rum: Unplugged" seems to have answered my question.

Edited to add link.

Edited February 29, 2012 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Ok, Cap'n. Where would you class the South American Aguardiente Reposado? Since you include Cachaças in your listings there's clearly a place for the aguardientes as well (which are produced in a similar manner). For example, Ron Estelar Añejo, (not listed in your rather comprehensive menu) which is a 3-year oak-barrel aged aguardiente from Ecuador. It's similar in character to the Cuban rums, but I find (and this is my own palate talking) that there's a great deal more subtlety and complexity of flavour than say, Havana Club or Bacardi Gold, and there's no way that I'd class the Reposados with the Agricoles, although both are produced in the same manner....

Opinion?

[Zachary]

Tanstaafl,

Personally, I think that La Favorite Blanc and Neisson Eleve Sous Bois are great examples of the agricole style.

Thanks,

Zachary

[FrogPrincesse]

Tanstaafl,

Personally, I think that La Favorite Blanc and Neisson Eleve Sous Bois are great examples of the agricole style.

Thanks,

Zachary

I agree with Zachary; there are both excellent examples of rhum agricoles.

I love them both with a slight preference for La Favorite.

[tanstaafl2]

Tanstaafl,

Personally, I think that La Favorite Blanc and Neisson Eleve Sous Bois are great examples of the agricole style.

Thanks,

Zachary

I agree with Zachary; there are both excellent examples of rhum agricoles.

I love them both with a slight preference for La Favorite.

As do I! I think the Neisson Rhum Réserve Spéciale is even better and perhaps more similar to the Barbancourt 8yo in being an rhum vieux if a good bit more expensive. I tend to drink and mix with Depaz Blue Cane rhum agricole just because it is what I have on hand and I like it well enough although not as much as the Barbancourt.

But to me they definitely taste a bit different from one another so I was mostly curious about his choice of the Barbancourt to represent the "standard" of the style of Rhum Agricole. Not that his choice is necessarily wrong. Or right. Just his choice!

Although to be fair the Cap'n did mention Clément Cuvée Homère as his first choice even if it is not one that is as readily available or as affordable. I suspect it is a bit different from Barbancourt as well but have not tried that one so I certainly can't compare it.

Selecting a standard of anything is always more than a little subjective anyway and certainly is the case when it comes to liquor.

[mukki]

I much prefer the Appleton Reserve to the Extra, but then I'm using it in cocktails, not sipping it straight.

[Capn Jimbo]

So is Barbencourt 5 star truly a good standard for Rhum Agricole style? From other posts here it has been suggested that it is a bit different from the traditional Martinique/Guadeloupe style of Rhum Agricole.

Theres is really no controversy about Barbancourt, except for a lone rum website, who claims otherwise. The Mariniquean AOC rums are hardly traditional as the AOC labeling scheme was not even created until 1996. The real tradition of cane juice rums in the Carribean began over 200 years ago in the form of Haiti's "clarin", a crude form of fermented sugar cane juice.

Barbancourt is really a historic company and has been under the control of one extended family since about 1860. This French family brough their cognac stills and methods to Haiti, and has made fine, nearly handmade agricole cane juice rums ever since. Their use of pot stills and extended aging at lower proof in expensive French oak barrels results in an agricole that is considered exquisite (particularly the Five Star).

In those days Martinique was making some pretty bad molasses based rums, and - much later - turned to making cane juice rums out of desperation. Agricoles are made throughout the Carribean in at least eight countries.

[Capn Jimbo]

Although to be fair the Cap'n did mention Clément Cuvée Homère as his first choice even if it is not one that is as readily available or as affordable. I suspect it is a bit different from Barbancourt as well but have not tried that one so I certainly can't compare it.

Selecting a standard of anything is always more than a little subjective anyway and certainly is the case when it comes to liquor.

Agreed, the ultimate goal is to develop your own standards for each style of rum. However, most new rum drinkers don't have a clue about either the styles, and have not developed their own "standard". What I have attempted to do is to identify the styles, and then to suggest "reference standards" by choosing rums that are considered by wide consensus (especially by experienced tasters)to be very, very fine examples of each style.

I defer to the wisdom of the consensus. Of course individuals will disagree here and there, but no serious rum afficianado will deny that any of these aren't great places to begin.

As I have long said - once you understand a category and find a rum that's better to you, then congratulations! You now have your own reference standard. The other objective is to remember that it is wise to compare any new rum to your standard, as this will greatly help you to compare and contrast.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Capn Jimbo (log)

[Capn Jimbo]

Ok, Cap'n. Where would you class the South American Aguardiente Reposado? Since you include Cachaças in your listings there's clearly a place for the aguardientes as well (which are produced in a similar manner). For example, Ron Estelar Añejo, (not listed in your rather comprehensive menu) which is a 3-year oak-barrel aged aguardiente from Ecuador. It's similar in character to the Cuban rums, but I find (and this is my own palate talking) that there's a great deal more subtlety and complexity of flavour than say, Havana Club or Bacardi Gold, and there's no way that I'd class the Reposados with the Agricoles, although both are produced in the same manner....

Opinion?

This is wonderful post, thank you. Yes, you are right I've included cachacas for your stated reason, as it is made from cane juice and is the Brazilian national drink. Here in South Florida I am blessed to have Brazilian friends who "imported" some of their uncle's home made cachaca (there are literally thousands of cachacas in Brazil). Lovely and vegetal, an acquired taste.

Aguardiente is another matter. This "category" has never really been defined and is different all over the world, where it is made from all manner of grains, fruits and yes, cane juice or molasses. We do have them here, and they are very inexpensive.

For example, Columbian aguardientes are very common here, made from cane but only about 30% alcohol, and noticeably flavored with anisette. I understand that the Ecuadorian aguardiente is unflavored, but sadly I've never seen any for sale here. Other South American countries make what means "firewater" from grapes (Chile).

What we call "rum" is minimally defined, and much of it is altered with unlabled flavorings, sugar, glycerol, even sherry. Aguardiente really has no international standards, and varies from country to country. Still, I'm glad you've drawn attention to those aguardientes that are made from cane and are well worth exploring.

I only wish the Reposado you named were available here, we'd be sure to review it...

[Panaderia Canadiense]

If you like, I can try sending you a bottle of it. Ecuador Post is very reliable, but I'm not sure if it would pass customs in the US.

And I also have to apologize - I should have said "there's a place for the cane aguardientes as well." Pisco and other grape or fruit-based spirits clearly don't belong with the rums.

The Ecuadorian agaurdientes in particular are a breed unto their own - they're internally regulated cane-sugar based spirits (there are actually a fairly strict number of rules governing the commercial brands), and depending on the area of the country where the cane was grown, they each have different and distinct characters. Ron Estelar, which is one of my personal all-time favourites, is from cane grown on the coastal plains. This gives it a distinct and slightly fruity bouquet; panela (raw cane sugar) is added at some stage of the ferment to give it the distinctive gold colour that would (in a true rum) come from molasses, and the panela also adds its own unique flavours to the mix. The result is aged 3 years in oak barrels in warehouses on the equator line.

Probably the strongest of our neat aguardientes is Zhumir de Paute Puro, which is about 35% and unflavoured; I'd class it with the better Cachaças. The same distillery used to produce a truly superior reposado, but it seems to have vanished from the market (much to my dismay).

[Zachary]

Cap'n,

I'm trying to get a feel for your two positions here - that it's a shame that rum is unregulated, can be made in just about any way, adulterated with lots of things, and has no real aging requirements (though I think Venezuela does mandate minimum aging requirements) and that the AOC system, which attempts to regulate production method, additions during fermentation and aging, and minimum aging requirements is overly regulatory.

I personally find it frustrating that without knowing a particular producer, I have little idea what I'm going to get when I buy a bottle of rum. I've found a few favorites (S&C, ED 15, La Favorite Blanc, Havana Club 7, Flor de Cana 12), but spending $30 on a bottle of random rum that could vary wildly with regards to flavor profile is just not good for anyone.

Thanks,

Zachary

[Capn Jimbo]

Cap'n,

I'm trying to get a feel for your two positions here - that it's a shame that rum is unregulated, can be made in just about any way, adulterated with lots of things, and has no real aging requirements (though I think Venezuela does mandate minimum aging requirements) and that the AOC system, which attempts to regulate production method, additions during fermentation and aging, and minimum aging requirements is overly regulatory.

I personally find it frustrating that without knowing a particular producer, I have little idea what I'm going to get when I buy a bottle of rum. I've found a few favorites (S&C, ED 15, La Favorite Blanc, Havana Club 7, Flor de Cana 12), but spending $30 on a bottle of random rum that could vary wildly with regards to flavor profile is just not good for anyone.

Thanks,

Zachary

Perhaps a comparison with single malt whisky or bourbon would help. Here's a definition of Scotch (single malt) whiskey...

* Produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added) all of which have been:

o Processed at that distillery into a mash

o Converted at that distillery to a fermentable substrate only by endogenous enzyme systems

o Fermented at that distillery only by adding yeast

o Distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8%

* Wholly matured in an excise warehouse in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres for at least three years

* Retains the colour, aroma, and taste of the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation

* Has no added substances, other than water and plain (E150A) caramel colouring

* Has a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40%

As you can see, these regulations are simple, relatively complete but allow plenty of room for individual variation in still design, type of yeast, conditions and length of fermentation, aging beyond three years, etc. If you are a whisky drinker you are aware of the great variety of aromas and flavors that these minimal regulations encourage.

Most important, you know that the whisky you buy and drink has not been altered with any additives or flavorings other than miniscule amounts of E150A coloring (to adjust color). Indeed many single malts don't even use this, and further are not even filtered!

Bourbon goes a step farther and won't even allow miniscule E150 coloring. But rum? Anything goes, and although there are a few pure and unaltered rums, most contain all manner of unlabeled additives. Some will argue that up to 2.5% of additives is legal, I would argue otherwise - but no one will dispute that this is done.

The AOC regs go to an opposite extreme: their voluminous regulations define the variety of cane, the type of yeast, the type and number of plates in the still, ad infinitum. These regulations are not the simple paragraph of whisky, but literally pages and pages of micromanagement, overseen by layers of testers, administrators, and licensers. There is very little room for art, but at least these cane juice rums are relatively pure.

One of the big promoters of purity in rum is Richard Seale of Barbados. All of his rums are pure and unaltered, and his age statements are accurate. These include his Seales Ten, Doorlys, and others, all made at his Foursquare Distillery. There are other quality producers.

Unfortunately the many countries that produce something called "rum" cannot seem to agree on any meaningful, enforced standards. WIRSPA tried and failed, the US regs are loosely defined and poorly enforced. The Carribean states have met over the years in the attempt, without success.

The most we can do is to be aware of the issue, try to learn which rums are real, pure and unaltered and speak with our purchases. At The Rum Project we have spent many hundreds of hours to produce a source of independent, non-commercial information intended to help one and all in this regard. Hope that helps.

[Hassouni]

Back to this, Jimbo, or others - how does Lemon Hart compare to El Dorado in defining Demerara?

[ChrisTaylor]

Thanks for the information. Over the past few weeks I've been building up my rum collection and found this thread to be especially helpful.

[haresfur]

Rum: the drink for anarchists and pirates. My main objection is when manufacturers change their product without any indication that they did so.

It would be nice to have more information on the purity and process for a particular rum, but if it tastes good and doesn't kill you...

[ChrisTaylor]

Are Rhum Barbancourt and El Dorado going to fill serious gaps in my collection? For context I have:

Angostura 5

Appleton 12

Green Island white (almost finished)

Mt Gay Eclipse (almost finished) and Extra Old

Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva

Ron Santiago de Cuba (white and anejo)

Ron Zacapa 23

[Hassouni]

The longer-aged El Dorados are pretty freakin awesome...

[thirtyoneknots]

Are Rhum Barbancourt and El Dorado going to fill serious gaps in my collection? For context I have:

Angostura 5

Appleton 12

Green Island white (almost finished)

Mt Gay Eclipse (almost finished) and Extra Old

Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva

Ron Santiago de Cuba (white and anejo)

Ron Zacapa 23

Depends on what you want in a rum selection, I suppose. Those are both good brands.