The Right Rum for the Job

With its roots planted firmly in the Caribbean, rum is an undeniably popular summer drink. But with so many styles and flavours to choose from, picking the right rum can be a daunting task.

Rum is produced from a base of sugarcane by-products – particularly, sugarcane juice and molasses – by fermenting and distilling them. Normally, the resulting liquid is then aged in oak barrels to enhance the taste, but the aging process differs widely depending on the type of rum.

The most commonly chosen rum is white rum, often referred to as silver or light rum. Often described as the “most mixable” – it is the main ingredient in mojitos, daiquiris and pina coladas – the light flavour of white rum lends itself perfectly as a base for cocktails. Rather than being aged in charred oak casks like most other rums, white rum is aged in plain oak barrels or even stainless steel casks, then filtered before and after the aging process to ensure a light, smooth taste and transparent colour.

Dark or black rums, on the other hand, are reserved for those with more mature tastes. Aged in heavily charred barrels (which provide its distinguishing colour), dark rum boasts a much stronger flavour. It’s not uncommon to find hints of spices, molasses or caramel. Although less flexible than white rum, dark rum is the ingredient of choice in Mai Tais, or simply mixed with Coca Cola.

Far less common in the rum world is overproof rum. The concept of “overproof” was originally derived from an old method of testing alcohol strength, when you would pour the liquid over grains of gunpowder and ignite it. If the alcohol content was high enough, the gun powder would explode, and the rum would be classified as overproof.

Overproof rum usually weighs in at around 75% alcohol content – a point at which any distinguishing taste is usually overpowered by the alcohol. Nonetheless, it is relatively tasteless, which can be perfect for adding some flavour into your tropical summer cocktails without offsetting the volume balance of the original drink.