The Jamaicans do.,
but what is this stuff that makes the Jamaican Rums taste that is unique to
many of the rums that are produced in Jamaica.
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| Dunder Pit at Hampden Estates |
A “dunder pit” was essentially a hole in
the ground, often deep in the jungle, that Caribbean rum-makers threw their
distillery waste into—fruit, molasses, Stillage (what was left after
distillation).
“Dunder pits look as disgusting as you’d
imagine.” Once the pit underwent bacterial fermentation,
it becomes something they call “muck,” the distillers would put a portion of it
back into their fermentation tank. By the end of the fermenting process, the
gross scent of muck would be gone and the rum would come out smelling like a
fruit basket.
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| "Thumpers" or Retorts of a Pot Still |
Here is some
insight into exactly what makes up the muck.
Semi-solid materials settled at the bottom of the wash before
distillation. Semi-solid materials that
are settled at the bottom of the wash after it’s distilled. Cane trash–the field residue remaining after
harvesting the cane stalk. is the
residue at the bottom of the still retorts or “thumpers.” This is generally a hard and fast recipe for
muck, but it is pretty much like a liquid compost pit, filled with
bio-degradable materials.
The Muck is the
source of the esters that give the Jamaican rums their “funky” flavor that makes
them so popular. When you buy a rum from places like Worthy Park or Hampton Estates you will know what the muck really does for rum.
