All
of these different barrel sources will introduce the rum to different reactions
with the barrels and produce different results.
When you add together a blending of the rums from different barrels you
will get a more complex expression that often becomes extremely desirable.
The particular type of Oak Barrel used is extremely important, and most major brand-name
spirits have very rigorous requirements. Bourbon whiskey regulations require the use
of new oak barrels with inner surfaces that have been charred. This charring is accomplished by igniting the
inside of the oak barrels until a layer of char develops. Most other whiskeys and non-whiskey spirits
are not required to be used in new, unused
oak barrels; nor do the oak barrels have to be pre-charred. The charring process does enhance and soften
the final taste of the spirit, while imparting it with both color and body.
Spirit manufacturers determine the
specific type of spirit to make, and a close relationship between aging and
distilling strategies does exist. For
instance rum that is distilled in a pot still to somewhere between 60 and 65%
will retain a natural sweetness from the fermented materials, where rums that
are distilled to 80 to 90% in a column still will have a much lighter body and a
lot drier. Then the barrel type and the
length of time spent in the barrel will determine the color, smoothness, body,
aroma and flavor of the finished expression.
Like so many other processes, this
requires the knowledge and experience of the distillers, blenders, and the
barrel management people. It takes a
great team of people with knowledge of all of the processes to produce a fine
rum expression. Different people have
different ideas of what the rum should taste like, but it still takes a lot of
skill to produce your style of rum.
