Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Luis Ayala with Snifter of Rum
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher of "Got Rum?" magazine talks about white rums and how they are the cornerstone to our rum industry.
From Ethanol to Rum
This issue is dedicated to white rums, the cornerstone of our great industry. By volume, white rums represent the lion’s share of the rum consumed in the world. White rums give us an early glimpse into the diversity and complexity surrounding this distilled spirits category:
• Some countries’ laws require sugarcane alcohol to be aged in order to be called rum. Producers wishing to sell white rum have to charcoal filter the aged, golden spirit to remove the color imparted by the barrels.
• Some countries regulate the maximum and minimum congener level in rum, guaranteeing consistency and authenticity.
• Some countries also go as far as regulating the maximum and minimum alcohol strength allowed in a sugarcane spirit before it can be called rum.
• Some countries collect alcohol taxes from distilleries, based on the volume distilled; while others do so based on the volume bottled (the former penalizes aging by taxing its losses, while the latter doesn’t).
• Some rum distilleries are located next to sugarcane factories, making it very easy and practical to obtain molasses, while others have to import molasses from other countries.
• Some rum distilleries receive government subsidies to help offset their rum-production costs.
• In some countries, environmental compliance is so expensive and complicated that rum companies prefer to import the rum rather than attempt to produce it locally.
As you can see, the transformation from sugarcane to rum, which requires complex chemistry and engineering throughout cane harvesting, fermentation and distillation stages, is only the beginning of the journey for our beloved spirit.
Perhaps, like me, you are not particularly fond of white, un-aged rums. Nonetheless, they offer a glimpse into the complex world from which the more refined, sublimely-aged rums emerge. How can we love the result, if we don’t take the time first to understand and appreciate the beginning?
As always, I am eager to read your comments and answer your questions. Feel free to drop me a line at Luis@gotrum.com.
Cheers,
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher