Spirit of the Caribbean
How Rum Is Made
From Caribbean sugarcane to tropical barrel houses, discover how sunshine, tradition, and a little pirate spirit create the world's most adventurous drink.
Sugarcane
Base Ingredient
6-8%
Angel's Share/Year
40-75%
Typical ABV
Caribbean
Key Regions
The Production Process
From tropical cane fields to your glass
The Sweet Start
Sugarcane to Fermentation
Rum begins with sugarcane. Most rum is made from molasses, the thick, dark syrup left after sugar is crystallized. Rhum agricole (French Caribbean style) uses fresh-pressed cane juice instead, creating a grassier, more vegetal spirit.
💡 Fun fact: A single sugarcane field can be harvested for up to 7 years before replanting. The first cutting, called 'plant cane,' often produces the highest sugar content.
Fermentation
Where the Magic Begins
Water and yeast are added to the molasses or cane juice. Fermentation can be fast (24-48 hours with commercial yeast) or slow (up to 2 weeks with wild yeast). Longer, slower fermentation produces more complex flavors called 'congeners', esters that give rum its fruity, funky character.
💡 Fun fact: Jamaican 'dunder' pits contain decomposing cane matter that's been fermenting for generations, it's essentially rum's sourdough starter!
Distillation
Pot vs Column
Traditional pot stills produce heavier, more flavorful rums. Modern column stills create lighter, cleaner spirits. Many distilleries use both, blending the results for balance. The 'new make' spirit comes off the still crystal clear.
💡 Fun fact: Guyana's Demerara Distillers operates heritage wooden pot stills from the 1700s, the only wooden stills still in use anywhere in the world.
Tropical Aging
The Angel's Bigger Share
Rum ages in oak barrels, often ex-bourbon casks, but also sherry, port, or new oak. The tropical heat accelerates aging dramatically. A 3-year Caribbean rum can have the complexity of a 12-year Scotch. But the angels take their share too, evaporation losses can hit 6-8% per year!
💡 Fun fact: The 'tropical angel's share' is around 8% per year in hot climates vs 2% in Scotland. A 20-year old rum would have lost over 80% of its volume!
Blending & Finishing
The Master's Touch
Master blenders combine rums of different ages and still types to achieve consistent flavor profiles. Some rums undergo secondary finishing in special casks (cognac, sherry, Madeira). The result is either bottled clear (white rum) or with its aged color intact.
💡 Fun fact: Some 'gold' rums are actually unaged white rum with added caramel coloring. Always check for age statements if color matters to you!
Rum Regions
Each island has its own distinct rum tradition
Jamaica
Heavy, funky, ester-rich rums. Pot still tradition.
Famous: Appleton, Hampden
Barbados
Balanced, medium-bodied. Blend of pot and column.
Famous: Mount Gay, Foursquare
Cuba
Light, clean, perfect for cocktails. Column still focus.
Famous: Havana Club
Martinique
Rhum agricole, grassy, fresh cane character.
Famous: Clément, Rhum JM
Guyana
Demerara rum, rich, full, legendary.
Famous: El Dorado
Puerto Rico
Light, clean, modern. Column stills dominate.
Famous: Bacardí, Don Q
Styles of Rum
From light and crisp to dark and full-bodied
White/Silver Rum
Everywhere
Either unaged or aged and filtered to remove color. Clean, light, and perfect for cocktails.
Gold/Amber Rum
Caribbean-wide
Medium-bodied rum with some barrel aging. Can also get color from additives. Balanced sweetness.
Dark/Black Rum
Jamaica, Guyana
Full-bodied, heavily aged, often with molasses-forward sweetness. Rich, complex, and bold.
Rhum Agricole
Martinique, Guadeloupe
Made from fresh sugarcane juice, not molasses. Grassy, vegetal character. AOC protected in Martinique.
Overproof Rum
Jamaica, Guyana
Bottled above 50% ABV, sometimes up to 75%+. Intense flavor, often used in cocktails or cooking.
Spiced Rum
Modern global
Rum infused with spices like vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and sometimes caramel. Sweet and aromatic.
Did You Know?
Tales, legends, and facts from rum's colorful history
The Navy's Daily Ration
The British Royal Navy gave sailors a daily rum ration from 1655 until July 31, 1970, 'Black Tot Day.' Officers got their rum neat; ratings had theirs diluted as 'grog' to prevent hoarding and drunkenness.
Nelson's Blood
Legend says Admiral Nelson's body was preserved in rum after his death at Trafalgar. Sailors reportedly drank from the barrel, hence rum being called 'Nelson's Blood.' (It was actually brandy, but the story stuck!)
The Rum Line
During Prohibition, a line of ships sat exactly 3 miles off the US coast (international waters), selling rum to small boats. This 'Rum Row' led to the term 'the real McCoy', after Captain Bill McCoy, known for selling unadulterated spirits.
Solera Isn't Age
Some rums use 'solera' aging, a fractional blending system from sherry production. A 'Solera 23' doesn't mean 23 years old; it means the youngest rum in the blend touched 23-year-old stock. The average age is much younger.
Tropical Time Machine
A 5-year rum aged in the Caribbean can taste like a 15-year Scotch due to tropical heat accelerating extraction from the wood. It's sometimes called 'tropical years.'
The Funk Factor
That distinctive funky, overripe-fruit nose in Jamaican rum? It's from esters, flavor compounds formed during slow fermentation. Some Jamaican distilleries intentionally breed 'dunder' (fermentation leftovers) for maximum funk.
Ready to Explore Rums?
From light Caribbean whites to funky Jamaican overproofs, discover your next tropical adventure.