From the Editor
Luis Ayala
In the USA, flavored and spiced rums account for 57% of all rum sold. Most flavored and spiced rums are also made using un-aged rum (sugarcane distillate), often distilled at close to 190-proof, which is the maximum allowed proof set by TTB for the category. If we also take into account the volume of white rum, we clearly see that the bulk of “rum” sold in this country is either a blank canvas or a canvas that is so heavily covered in paints that the canvas itself is invisible. In other words, most producers of flavored and spiced rums source the lightest and most neutral (lowest congener level) rums possible, so that their flavors are not masked by the rum, which gives them the highest level of flexibility as they formulate their products.
Those of us who make a living aging rum are also “flavoring” it, but we are doing so by slowly and carefully extracting our flavors from the oak barrels in our cellars. Our selection of barrel types and heat treatment levels (from light toast to heavy charr) allows us to control tannins, lactones, phenols and other compounds that affect the rum’s flavor and mouthfeel.
Rums that are finished in specialty casks are then imparted the flavor from the casks’ previous contents, thus a rum finished in a Cognac cask will have aromatic and flavor traces from the Cognac.
The hand of time also flavors our rums, using ambient oxygen that enters the barrels to acidify and esterify the rums.
Looking at the industry from this perspective, it is then clear that most rums are flavored, the only question is HOW do you prefer your rum to be flavored? Some consumers have an affinity for tropical flavors, while others prefer leathery and smokey notes, yet others would much rather have mixologists use the rums to flavor their cocktails.
Cheers!
Luis Ayala,
Editor and Publisher
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rumconsultant