How Does Rum Taste?
This usually depends on how the rum was fermented or distilled; but typically rum is said to have a sweet taste. Other types of rum that have been fermented or distilled in a different way than normal rum can have various tastes like earthy, funky, grassy, and much more.
Rum is such a versatile beverage that you can drink it straight up, mixed in Coke, or make it into a tropical cocktail. Vodka is mostly tasteless, making it perfect for cocktails, and rum is best enjoyed on the rocks. Clear spirits such as vodka are typically distilled several times, meaning its flavors are much more nuanced than those of rum.
It is not yet rum, but will be when it goes through distillation, the process that separates alcohol from the fermented liquid. Depending on the rum, it might undergo the distillation process a second time, raising the alcohol levels further. After it is aged, rum is blended with other distillates in order to create a balanced, consistent product.
During the ageing process, compounds from the barrels in which the rum is contained may also make their way into the blend. As a result, it is quite possible that a rum aged a couple years in freshly burnt oak will emerge from its barrel as dark amber, whereas a rum aged for 15 years in used barrels will emerge pale, straw-gold. Some aging rums that are darker can be filtered through charcoal in order to remove color. For example, aged rum in freshly-charred casks contributes a darker color far more quickly, whereas aged rum from used casks contributes far less–one of the reasons that caramel color is also sometimes a hot-button issue with Scotch, which is aged almost exclusively in used casks.
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That is why you might see a darker Caribbean rum that is aged only for three or five years, whereas a North American rum with a similar color and oaky flavors might have been aged for about 10. The color of the rum is not always a sign of if it is been aged, nor is it an indicator of its flavor profile. The differences between these two types are the color and flavor, and the rums color changes as the aging process goes on. Some brands of rum just add caramel or coloring to it in order to alter the color, without the need for ageing.
| Types of rum | How rum is made? |
| Cachaça (Brazilian rum) is one of the most popular rum in Brazil. | Rum is made by taking molasses, fermenting it, then distilling it into oak barrels. |
| Dark ‘N’ Stormy is one of the most classic cocktail drink made with rum. | Rums are stored in wooden barrels so that they could take on its colors and natural flavors. |
The second, and more common, reason why rum can taste sweet is because the distiller or the company behind the brand has added flavouring agents to produce a desired taste for their brand. For instance, a Rum finished in a sherry cask would have a sweeter profile compared to one aged in used Bourbon casks alone. The flavor notes of such rums may be just as complex as those found with whiskey, yet they will still deliver a smooth, rich spirit. Use may bring a certain base whiskey-like taste to a rum, something you will find with a lot of tequilas, too.
Spiced rums, along with some darker ones, will combine different flavors to create a desired experience. You can also incorporate a few spices to create spiced rums, with coconut and spiced rum being among some popular varieties, among others. Many commercially produced flavored rums will use both man-made and natural ingredients to give a desired flavour to a base of white rum. Many golden rums are a smooth sipper, and may substitute for lighter rums in certain darker cocktails.
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The darker colour is achieved by heavy use of caramel coloring, and most often contain added sweeteners (especially unfermented molasses) which are intended to impart an especially sweet, rich, sugary flavour, making these rums particularly suitable for mixing into tropical cocktails or classic mixed drinks such as The Dark and Stormy. In addition to adding rich, sugary flavors to cocktails, dark rums are favored as a sipper amongst the family of rums, particularly the finer grades such as Angostura 1824. Meanwhile, dark rum is a broad, varied category, that can include well-aged drinks, but also some flavored to make this impression. Cakes and pastries capitalize on dark rums sweet, tangy notes during their baking processes.
This type of rum has the predominant flavor of sweet anise — a flavouring agent that is quite similar to black licorice. Rum is a lot sweeter than vodka, which is no surprise since it is made with molasses, a byproduct of sugar. Rum is made by taking molasses, a sugar by-product, fermenting it, then distilling it into oak barrels. Rum is distilled alcohol made either from molasses (what is left over when sugarcane is crystallized) or sugarcane juice, if molasses is unavailable.
Most rums use either fermented sugarcane crystallized or molasses, but this does not guarantee the spirit will have a sweet flavor. The Brazilian rum known as cachaca is different from others as it skips molasses, and instead uses the sugarcane juice straight through the distillation process. For example, rums made with molasses typically will have a round, bold flavor, while ones made with sugar cane juice can feature an herbal quality.
The climate and the soil will influence the flavor of the rum that is produced, so that rum made with Barbados molasses would have a different flavor to one made with Dominican molasses, even though both were distilled at the exact same location using the exact same methods. The vast majority of rum distillers use molasses for making rum, but not all molasses are created equal. The vast majority of the rums you see on store shelves, and the taps in bars, are made by fermenting and distilling molasses–the same molasses used in making brown sugar, and your grandmas cookies. As with every other element in the distillation process, your choices here will impact the ultimate flavor of the rum.
In fact, the process of ageing, along with the kind of oak barrel used, will greatly affect the final flavor of rum. The aging process will typically result in the rum developing flavors such as spices, tobacco, and even candied fruits. Because aging rums are in contact with the woods over an extended period, they will naturally take on barrel flavors and colors.
An excessively sweet 12 year Old rum has had sugars or other additives added to it in order to help offset the heavier flavors from the wood and other natural flavors found in the spirit. The amount of sugar or other ingredients used in fruit juice, syrup, or mixers creates a super-sweet beverage, which is an abomination for the drinker, who will complain about Rum being too sweet afterward. Primarily used on rums made with molasses or sugarcane syrup, rums that are made using the technique of flavouring them with spices or tropical ingredients–such as coconut–have become more and more popular.
Does rum taste like vodka?
When drunk neat, rum is a smoother, sweeter alcoholic beverage. This is because rum is created with sugarcane, which gives the spirit a sweeter flavor. On the other hand, rye or wheat are used to make vodka, and some individuals like the more neutral flavor that this offers vodka.
Is it OK to drink rum straight?
According to Vida, adding ice or a dash of water will smooth out those stronger rums so the alcohol fumes don’t overshadow the delicate flavours. I’d say 45 percent [ABV] or lower you should drink it plain, but anything above that you may appreciate better with dilution, according to his general rule.