Share
The first step in the production process is fermentation, in which the yeast turns the sugar into alcohol. After that, the liquor is distilled and left to age in oak barrels, where it takes on its distinctive brown hue and nuanced fragrances. The flavour is further enhanced by the ageing process, which might take several years.
A significant component of the brown rum's taste and quality is its storage in hardwood barrels. Following distillation, barrels with an alcohol level of 75% to 95% are filled with the rum undiluted. The duration of this barrel ageing might range from a few months to several decades. The rum's flavour is rounded out and given more fragrances by the wood in the barrels.
American ex-bourbon barrels are typically used to hold brown rum after it has been distilled. The rum gets its distinctive brown colour and flavour enhancement from these oak barrels. The longer these spirits are stored in wood, the darker their colour usually becomes. However, the addition of caramel, which must be disclosed on the label, can also change the rum's colour.
Another method for maturing brown rum is the "solera process." The barrels are arranged in a pyramidal pattern, four rows deep, for this purpose. The oldest lower row of barrels is emptied and replaced with barrels above to contain the rum that will be bottled. The end product is a dark-coloured, consistently high-quality rum that is rather old. Now that you know about brown rum, try these brands!
Brown Rum Brands You Need To Taste
John Watling’s Rum
The John Watling's Distillery in downtown Nassau is located on the historic Buena Vista Estate and has a view of the bay. Situated at the highest point on New Providence Island, the 1789 estate, which derives its name from the word "beautiful view," captures direct sunlight and occasionally wafts of Angel's Share. After being exposed to the Caribbean heat for up to eight years, the rum is hand-blended into three distinct flavours: caramelised Buena Vista Rum, nutty Amber Rum, and woodsy Pale Rum from John Watling. There's even a special phrase for Atlantis Paradise Island, which sits nearby.
Appleton Estate
With over 265 years of experience perfecting its intricate rum-making, Appleton Estate is the oldest sugar estate and distillery in the nation, located deep within Jamaica's Nassau Valley. The temperature and terrain of the valley, which consists of limestone hills covered in deep forest, promise a range that is unmatched in the Caribbean. While the 12-Year-Old Rare Casks is an excellent combination of complex flavours like dark chocolate, delicate molasses, orange peel, rich vanilla, and roasted coffee, the Appleton Estate Signature is a youthful, fragrant expression with touches of dried apricot and fresh peach.
Ron Barcelo
Being the first "green" rum in the area and the world's top exporter of dark rum are two distinct rewards. Ron Barceló of the Dominican Republic takes home the big prize(s), having made the transition to a 100% carbon-neutral rum-making process at its facility, Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos, in 2018. The distillery employs waste materials as biomass fuel, captures its carbon emissions, and purifies and reuses all water byproducts. For a long, seductive aftertaste, it is matured for six years in former Bourbon barrels (with a “heavy char” rating).
Don Q
Produced at Destilería Serrallés since 1865, this multigenerational family brand of rum is the recipient of two local awards: the best-selling rum in Puerto Rico and the oldest distillery on the island that has been in continuous operation. Its name comes from Miguel de Cervantes's renowned Spanish novel from the 17th century, Don Quixote of La Mancha, which symbolises the pursuit of an ideal society (or the art of crafting the perfect rum).
A minimum of one year must pass in a barrel for the sugarcane-based spirit to qualify as "Puerto Rican Rum." This is especially true for brown rums, such as Don Q Cristal, which ages in American white oak barrels for 1.5 to 5 years in order to add flavour.
Cruzan Rum
The lively history links colonialism, Hurricane Maria in 2017, and some competition with the previously stated "Captain." Nevertheless, Cruzan continues to explore the ancient Estate Diamond sugarcane farm ruins, experimenting with burnt barrels and liquid blends.
The Single Barrel Estate Diamond is a special one-barrel product, in actuality. In order to release delicious oakiness with a warm, buttery finish, a combination of vintage rums is matured for a further six to nine months in a freshly charred new oak barrel. The rum is inexpensive and goes straight from barrel to bottle.
Rhum J.M.
Since the 1790 estate known as Habitation Fonds-Préville is protected from the marine layer and experiences extreme humidity throughout the year, the estate-grown sugarcane for Rhum J.M. balloons in a full twelve-month cycle and are harvested in the spring. This is the world's most exclusive microclimate for sugarcane. The taste and perfume of the tropical terroir are still present even at 70% alcohol.
The Rhum Agricole is left in stainless steel tanks for three months. During this time, it is either diluted with volcanic mineral water from their estate spring to bottling strength or diluted to 60% ABV and left to age in barrels of charred oak located deep in the cellar.
Mount Gay
Barbados, like Jamaica, produces its rum using old-fashioned copper pot stills. Barbados, as opposed to Jamaica, is the home of the first recognised "pot still house," making Mount Gay the oldest rum manufacturer in the world. The distillery of the same name pays tribute to Sir John Gay, a trailblazer who developed the exceptional rum brand in 1703.
To make the Mount Gay rum selection, only the best sugarcane molasses and spring water extracted from coral-stone soil are still hand-picked and poured. The core blends of Mount Gay "blend" the sophisticated palates of connoisseurs of great brown spirits with the brand's devoted following.
Black Tot
Not to confuse anyone, but this rum strikes a balance between the full-bodied characteristics of Guyanese rum (made with native Demerara sugarcane), the powerful funk of Jamaican rum, and the fruity, honeyed notes of Barbadian rum. All three styles are noticeable in just one drink.
The British Navy uses rums from the most prestigious islands to create the Finest Caribbean expression, which is a blend with notes of dark chocolate and roasted coffee that evokes the scents of the jungle. Black Tot is still investigating the complexity, diversity, and bequest present in the many varieties of Caribbean rum today.
