What is Aged Rum?
“Rum is the second largest selling spirit category in the U.S. with 24.1 million cases sold in 2019 generating 2.3 billion in revenue for distilleries”.
Rum is a sugar cane distilled spirit that is directly influenced by terroir, tradition and technique. Most rums are bottled directly from the still, but some are aged in charred oak barrels. Typically, these barrels were previously used to age bourbon (from the U.S.) or scotch, cognac and sherry (from Europe)”.
Aged Rums are aged for at least 5 years.
Where is Aged Rum produced?
“Tropical temperatures speed up the aging process, so a 10-year-old rum is more like a 30-year old Scotch.
Source: Bloomberg Markets, October 2015
"Terroir” is a set of unique weather, soil and geographic demarcations that impart quality of the rums produced. Experts say it really does matter where your rum comes from.
Source: Appleton Estates
What are some Aged Rum brands you might recognize?
El Dorado
Guyana
El Dorado rums are blended selections of different ‘vintages’ or batches of rums from different stills - aged in oak barrels. Importantly, the age statement specifically indicates the youngest rum in the blend, even though the oldest may be many years older. This rule is the same as the one for Scotch Whisky and is used for rums produced in English-speaking countries.
Mount Gay Rums
Barbados
Barbados claims to be the birthplace of rum. The first rum was originally called “Kill-Devil” by the Barbadians who first distilled it. For over three hundred years (est. 1703) , the distinct bold character of Mount Gay Rum has been developed in traditional double copper pot stills. Today they are still distilling in the same copper pots and the rum is matured in charred white oak barrels; barrels which previously held American whiskey.
Angostura
Trinidad & Tobego
The company started in 1824 making bitters in Venezuela and in 1875 immigrated to Trinidad. Only in the early 1900s did the company start distilling. In 1972 this company became Trinidad's largest and most important exporter. Angostura's international rums have won gold medals at many international competitions in the past decade and have been named 'the world's most awarded rum range' by the Rum Masters.
Bacardí
Cuba
It all started in Cuba with a proprietary strain of yeast that became known as "La Levadura BACARDÍ" and continues to be used exclusively to provide BACARDÍ Rums with its unique flavour. The largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world with sales in excess of 200 million bottles a year. Their premium, luxury brand is Facundo which is named after the the founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó.
About the glass:
"The nose is amazing, you get everything from the rum. Much bigger and open vs the Glencarin tasting glass" Founder, Québec Rhum Tasting Club.
- Perfectly designed for rum, this glass helps you to taste and discover the complexity of aged rums.
- The curved profile of the glass flares out at the top to help release aromas within the lower bulb.
- The bottom of the glass has our roller which creates a natural liquid motion further increasing the nosing of aromas.
How to taste rum?
- First you must prepare your palate by taking a small sip, swishing the rum in your mouth, swallowing or spitting and then exhaling through your nose three times.
- Following that, you must pass the glass of aged rum under your nose to get the aromatics (no nose in the glass sniffing as with wine).
- Then take a sip and swish it around your mouth; swallow or spit.
- At the end, inhale three times through your mouth to activate the aromas and taste profile.
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