Rum Aging Science2
Introduction to Rum Aging Science
Series Overview
The January 2020 issue of “Got Rum?” covers in detail the goals of this series, as well as, descriptions of the different equipment being used to collect and measure the data.
July’s Weather
The daily temperatures in July were on average 4 degrees F higher than in June. The temperature inside the cellar ranged from 79F to 102F, with an average of 91F for the month.
The heat inside the cellar is almost unbearable during the hottest time of the day, which peaks between 3:00pm and 5:00pm.
July 2020 temp
The humidity inside the cellar hit a minimum of 30% and a maximum of 80%, with an average of 52% for the month.
July 2020 Humidity
For the most part, the lack of rain contributed to drier air, but hurricanes and tropical storms are now forming and we expect some of them will make their way into Texas via the Gulf of Mexico.
Samples of rum from Jan-Aug 2020
As seen below, July is one of the hottest and driest months in our part of the world (Central Texas). The combination of high heat and lack of humidity result in higher evaporation losses inside the barrels, but also in faster maturation of the rum.
July 2020 graph
The Rum
Color: The color is 100% attributable to oak barrel extractives (no caramel has been added) and continues to darken with each passing month.
Aroma and Taste: The oak aroma is also richer and more complex, tannins are softening, becoming more mellow and pleasant.
pH: The rum that went into the barrel had a pH of 7.04. This number is now 4.95.
ABV: The ABV remains the same as it was the previous month: 63.40%.
Join us again next month, as we continue our exploration of this fascinating topic!