Rum is an alcoholic drink which is extracted from sugar cane juice or molasses. These are often left for aging in barrels, which adds to the taste of these drinks.
The types of rums are distilled either directly from sugar cane juices or molasses and left to age. The ones who have aged over time are often consumed neat while the freshly prepared ones are added to various other cocktails.
Rums are not just divided into its various types but also innumerable brands. Rum odyssey should be one aim in everyone’s bucket list. It is not just any alcohol, but its limited consumption can be beneficial for you apart from the pleasant high it will take you in.
Types of Rum
The various type of Rum available are:
1) Cuban
Cuban Rum is usually white that is the Cuban rums are not usually aged and have a white or silvery hue. These are a common beverage of the Puerto Rican people, Brazilians and people in the Bahamas.
2) Guyana
The demerara sugar is used to get this rum. Since Guyana is famous for its extremely humid and hot climate thus, the fermentation of this rum is a unique and yet a very complex process.
3) Barbados
Unlike the other rums whose flavors are complex but sugary, the Barbados Rum is known for its elegant fruity taste.
4) Jamaica
The rums made in Jamaica go through a distillation process which is much lower in strength than the rest of the varieties. They are white with bold aromas and flavors like tropical fruits and dark rums with a bold nut-like taste.
5) Dark or Aged Rum
Caramalised molasses are used to make the dark rum, which is then left for aging in charred barrels to achieve the strong and robust flavors and the dark color.
6) Overproof Rum
No alcohol has hit you hard, well then this is a real strong rum, a strong liquor with its alcohol content ranging anywhere between 60- 84.5%. It shows instantaneous results like blurring and throat burns.
7) Spiced Rum
This rum is very much similar to the dark rums in its physicality and flavors. But, spices and caramel flavoring are added to these rums to bring in a unique taste to it.
8) Light Rum
These light colored almost white rums are light as they are filtered time and again and even distilled more than once to make sure all color and dirt are removed from the rum.
Also, to make sure no color develops these rums are not aged at all. These are also called White Rum or Clear Rum.
9) Amber Rum
Don’t enjoy a light rum and the dark ones are too bold?
Well, then this is the rum that will perfectly quench your thirst for a rum that is just moderately bold. These are frothed only in oak barrels to get the perfect color ranging anywhere from gold to amber. These rums are also called Gold Rum or Pale Rum.
10) Blackstrap Rum
There is a class of molasses called the blackstrap molasses. The rum extracted from these molasses is usually super dark and bold, deep and rich in its flavor.
11) Rhum Agricole
The fresh juice of sugar cane is extracted to make this rum. Since the juice used is fresh thus, this rum boasts of freshness like that of herbs and foliage.
12) Cachaca
Very similar to Rhum Agricole but a native of Brazil where it is also a part of their national cocktail called the caipirinha.
It is further available in three variations which are:
- Aged: It is usually the variety which has been aged for anywhere between 2 – 12 years in oak barrels.
- Unaged: The Cachaca which is bottled after spending a year in oak after their production.
- Yellow: The yellow Cachaca is also unaged but has edible food coloring added to it.
13) Black Rum
The deep, dark and heavy bodied rums are the black ones. These rums have the sweetness of the molasses which is almost caramel like. These are mostly preferred for addition in desserts.
14) Navy Rum
These rums have a long-lost relation with the royal navy of the British. It is a blend of the rums from various British territories, namely, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad.
15) Vintage Rum
Vintage rum mostly is from the French islands. Boutique brands associated with rums are bringing in these vintage rums into the limelight. These are often sold at high prices to connoisseurs of rum.
16) Aguardiente
The simple process of distillation involved in the production of aguardiente helps in maintaining the flavor of its ingredients. Thus, these have bold flavors which boast of vegetal characteristics.
17) Flavoured and Spiced Rum
Many aroma rich spices are added to rums to help enhance its fragrance and provide the rum drinker a zesty and tangy taste. These spiced varieties have also been used in medical history.
Some commonly added ingredients like the roots of the ginger plant, seeds of vanilla or just simple cinnamon are added to add flavor and enhance the spicy kick in the drink.
18) Premium Rum
The premium rums which have luxurious brand names are often called premium rums. They come at a hefty price and have been aged for years. A lot of time and detailing is done during the fermentation of these premium rums.
Another such quality of premium rums is the Premium Aged Rum in which these highly priced alcohols are left foraging which helps them garner an even darker, deeper and richer texture.
19) Syrup Rum
One of the oldest known rums which age from around the 19th century. This rum is directly taken from the concentrates of the sugar syrup
20) Agricultural Rum
The fruity aroma of these rums is there easy distinguishing feature. They are often defined as elegant rums which have some hints of vegetal tastes.
21) Traditional Rums
Rums from certain areas around the world have been known for producing unique tastes which are limited to them only.
Two such traditional rum versions are seen in:
- English: Rich and high-quality rums of Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana fall under this category.
- Spanish: These are usually white rums from Trinidad, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
Conclusion
If we go by facts, rum is the most consumed distilled alcohol in the world today. Make yourself happy because it has amazing benefits to offer like its anti-inflammatory properties, a cure for common cold and flu or simply in maintaining a healthy heart.
But, it is still very much alcohol and should always be consumed judiciously and in the limit. Also, don’t forget do not drink and drive.