In 1862, Facundo Bacardi, began attempting
to "tame" rum by isolating a proprietary strain of yeast still used
in the production of Bacardi Rum. This yeast gave Bacardi Rum its flavor
profile. After some experimentation
with different techniques he found that filtering the rum through charcoal
would remove impurities. Facundo also aged
the rum in white oak barrels, which had the effect of mellowing the spirit. The final product was the first clear or
"white" rum in the world.