Much of the world’s rum is produced in the
Caribbean and Latin/Central America but the rules and regulations of rum are
very different in different parts of the world.
That makes rum a very diverse
spirit from a historical point of view.
The Caribbean especially Barbados is the “birth place” of rum and the
English style of rum making. The Spanish
also have a different style of rum that is found in the Latin and Central
America. The French however have the
strictest set of rules for making rum.
Known as Agricole, it is found in the Caribbean Islands colonized by the
French. Each of these styles have uniquely
different and palatable flavors in their own right.
English Style Rum
English-speaking
islands and countries are known for viscous darker rums with a full flavor
retaining a greater amount of the underlying flavor of the molasses. The English Rums are traditionally made in pot
stills and blended with rums of different aging history and flavor profiles
ageing and bottling with dark, rich and aromatic profile. These
rums come from places like Jamaica, Guyana, Bermuda, Barbados, Trinidad and
Tobago, St. Lucia and Belize
Spanish Style Rum
The Spanish-speaking
islands traditionally have produced a smooth and lighter rums. In general, they are column distilled. You will find these rums to be of a lighter
viscosity than the English, but still very flavorful. The Spanish make a purer rum with most of the
flavor being derived from the barrel rather than being influenced as much from
fermentation methods. You will find
these rums produced on islands like Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, Columbia, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.
French “Agricole” Style Rhum
French-speaking
countries and territories are best known for their Rhum Agricole. These rhums have a distinct grassy, floral and
earthy flavor due to the fact that they are is distilled exclusively from
freshly pressed blue cane juice, they also tend to retain a greater amount of
the original flavor of the sugar cane. The true French Rhums are made following a
very strict set of laws. They are also usually
more expensive than molasses-based rums.
You will find these rhums being created on islands like Martinique, Guadeloupe,
Haiti and Mauritius .
No matter which
style of rum you prefer, there is a style and expression of this widely diverse
spirit out there to suit your palate.
Give some of them a try, I think you’ll be amazed what you discover.
