The Spirit of Rum by ACC Art Books

T EXT BY Giovanna Moldenhauer

HOTOGRAPHS BY Fabio Petroni

C OCKTAILS BY The Spirit Milano

Etymology of the WordRum

Rum, Rhum or Ron are all the different spellings used to identify this distillate, based on the official language of the country of origin. Originally, the drink was also called Rumbowling or Rumbullion, slang words in English and French that most likely referred to the noises produced by the distillation boilers (from rumble and boil in English and bouillir in French).

According to other theories, the name could simply come from an abbreviation of the scientiﬁc name for sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum. There is, however, another etymological hypothesis that traces the term back to 1655, when the Royal Navy began issuing its crews a daily distillate ration, which inevitably led to a rumble on the main deck. The allotment of rations was formalized between 1731 and 1740, ﬁrst increasing and then decreasing, before eventually being watered down. The Royal Navy continued to give sailors a daily rum ration, known as the “daily tot,” until 31 July 1970, when the practice was abolished, putting an end to a centuries-old association of rum and the British Navy.

By deﬁnition, rum is a beverage obtained by alcoholic fermentation and the distillation of molasses or sugarcane juice. This plant, belonging to the grass family, has been a subject of much interest for centuries, as it is the source of valuable commodities like sugar, which the Arabs, for example, believed had healing properties, and, from the 17th century, this distillate, which took its present name in around the 19th century.

To understand the exciting yet turbulent history of rum, it is necessary to start with the origin of distillation.

WordRum and Its Origins

According to historical studies, the production of fermented beverages seems to have been a custom practiced by populations in ancient India and China. The Travels of Marco Polo , an account of his trip to Asia in the 13th century, mentions an excellent su gar wine served in the region that today corresponds to Iran. The Arabs also discovered the secrets of distillation, but the first records of the distillation of sugarcane juice date back to the 15th century, in England, first using Indian sugarcane and then that from the Americas.

The cultivation of sugarcane in the Caribbean diffused when European settlers created plantations and factories for the production of sugar. It was in the Caribbean, sometime in the first half of the 17th century, that settlers realized the West Indies rum distillery, 1823 engraving by William Clark.

Around the World in 41 Rums

Damoiseau Blanc 40°

Country: Guadeloupe (France)

Producer: Hervé Damoiseau

ABV: 40%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Rhum Agricole

Production: continuous distillation in a single column still, 3 to 6 months aging in Durmast oak casks formerly used for bourbon.

The Damoiseau family, owners of the Bellevue distillery in Guadeloupe, just outside Le Moule on the island of Grande Terre, have been producing a high quality Rhum Agricole since 1942, respecting the Appellation of Origin and tradition of the French Antilles. Leader of agricultural rums in Guadeloupe, Damoiseau distributes over 2 million liters, of which 75% is in Guadeloupe and the Caribbean, with significant success in both these and the French market, where Damoiseau is the most consumed Rhum Agricole. Upon arrival, the distillery checks the state, freshness and weight of the sugarcane, verifying the pH in view of producing a quality product and correct, fair payment to suppliers. The rums in the range are made exclusively with sugarcane juice, which after having been carefully squeezed, is fermented at a temperature of 35° for between 24 to 36 hours, with the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. After distillation, the Rhum Blanc, with an alcohol content of about 70%, is stored with its full alcohol strength for between 3 and 6 months, in wood casks with a capacity between 10,000 and 60,000 liters. During this maturation period, the volatile components evaporate with aeration and mixing. Before bottling, the last stage of the production process, the rum is reduced to 40° with the addition of water.

Tasting

Color: crystalline and clear.

Nose: opens with delicate sweet notes marked by sugarcane, then becoming ﬂoral and slightly spicy.

Palate: dry, balanced, strong ﬂavor with exotic notes.

Finish: delicate and persistent. Ideal: on the rocks.

Domaine de Séverin XO

Country: Guadeloupe (France)

Producer: Marsolle family

ABV: 45%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Rhum Vieux Agricole

Production: continuous distillation in a single column still, 6 years aging in casks formerly used for bourbon, followed by blending.

The Séverin distillery, founded in 1928 by Henri Marsolle, is immersed in the lush greenery of Guadeloupe, in Sainte Rose, in the French Antilles. The ancestors of the Marsolle family arrived in Guadeloupe with the first French settlers in around 1635, and they started producing rum in 1893. Since then, at Domaine de Séverin stories and experiences from the past have been handed down from father to son. The paddle wheel is a symbol of these ancient traditions. Purchased in 1933 to replace the old one from the 18th century, the distillery – the last in the French Antilles – used it to produce energy from the river that flows close to the factory, to process the sugarcane, before being replaced by alternative energy sources in 2010. Séverin, a family-run distillery still owned by the original family, produces one of the best white rums, one of the most authentic in the area, which they bottle themselves.

Tasting

Color: light amber, crystalline.

Nose: elegant hints of vanilla and banana which evolve slowly in the glass.

Palate: smooth, powerful attack with a dominant roasted note, followed by notes of vanilla and sugar.

Finish: round, leaving the palate dry and slightly spicy.

Ideal: straight up.

Reimonenq Cuvée Spéciale Blanc Centenaire

Country: Guadeloupe (France)

Producer: Reimonenq family

ABV: 50%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Rhum Blanc Agricole

Production: made from pure sugarcane juice, column distilled and left to rest in steel tanks for 15 months.

The Reimonenq distillery, founded on the island of Guadeloupe in the French Antilles in 1916, soon specialized in the sole production of agricultural rums, obtained by the distillation of pure sugarcane juice. Today, more than a century after its establishment, Leopold Reimonenq and his family continue the artisan tradition of distillation, facilitated by modern equipment. The property’s twenty hectares of sugarcane crops, together with other local crops, guarantee the smallest distillery in the French colonies an annual production of 300,000 liters of rum. The sugarcane is harvested, cut and ground by electric mills; the juice is left to ferment in tanks that are open to the air for between 24 and 48 hours, after which it is distilled in a special column alembic still that is heated by means of an electrical heat exchanger rather than direct heat: this avoids the unpleasant odors of distillation heads, permits more accurate control over the alcohol content and focuses on the heart of the distillation, the “coeur de chauffe” in French. The white rum leaves the distillation column at 60°/70° and is of the finest quality; it is then left to rest in steel tanks before being aged in wood casks of various sizes. During the long maturation processes, the rum is stirred to obtain a decidedly rich aromatic profile. At the same time, during the 15 months the alcohol content decreases and the rum becomes smoother. This rum was produced to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the distillery, which also houses a museum dedicated to rum.

Tasting

Color: clear and limpid.

Nose: fresh, fragrant, opening with notes of lime and sugarcane, leading to ﬂoral notes and ending with grassy notes, fragrances of myrtle and juniper.

Palate: its powerful character bursts on the palate, with notes of walnut, offering a rich, yet unaggressive ﬂavor.

Finish: dry with sweet notes.

Ideal: on the rocks or in a Leopold Heritage cocktail.

Trois Rivières Cuvée de l’’Océan

Country: Martinique (France)

Producer: B. B. S.

ABV: 42%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Rhum Agricole

Production: pure sugarcane juice distilled in a copper column still, maturation in Durmast oak barrels of different origins.

The Trois Rivières company was founded in 1660 by Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finance under Louis XIV, who awarded himself 2000 hectares of land in the south of Martinique. However, it was only 110 years later, after various changes in ownership, that the company started cultivating sugarcane, opening three sugar refineries, some evidence of which can still be found today. In 1785, the land was bought by Etienne Isaïe Marraud Des Grottes, which started producing rum as well as sugar. In 1905, Amédée Aubéry bought Trois Rivières, modernizing it and deciding to produce just rum. His son enlarged the plantation, moved the distillery and focused production on Rhum Agricole. In 1953, the Marraud Des Grottes family, who owned the Duquesne brand, bought back the property and sold Trois Rivières aged rums under the Duquesne trademark until 1972. Over the following years, the diffusion of Martinique rums at international level led to the expansion of the distillery and the introduction of a second distillation column. In 1994, the B. B. S. company, already owner of La Mauny rum, took over the distillery that two years later was able to boast the production of rums with the Martinique AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). The production of Cuvée de l’Océan begins in February, when the sugarcane, coming from Anse Trabaud in the far south of Martinique, is selected on the basis of sugar content and cut. The sugarcane juice, extracted by pressing and crushing, is filtered and put into fermentation tanks where the action of yeasts transforms it in 24 hours, after which it is distilled in a copper column still. The rum is then matured in Durmast oak casks, where the process is accelerated by the tropical climate, before being selected by the Master distiller Daniel Baudin. This rum does not undergo chill filtering.

Tasting

Color: coloress and crystalline.

Nose: characterized by seductive scents of sugarane ﬂowers and displaying original mineral notes of salt and iodine.

Palate: a powerful rum, rich, thick and displaying great minerality. The ocean, from which it takes is name, is nearby, and the ﬂavors acquired from the sea combine perfectly with the vegetal notes of sugarcane.

Finish: long and expressive, evolving into mineral and salty notes.

Ideal: straight up or in a Papillon cocktail.

Centenario Gran Legado 12 Años

Country: Costa Rica

Producer: ATF

ABV: 40%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Ron

Production: distillation in a multiple column still, maturation in white oak casks formerly used for bourbon.

The creation process for Ron Centenario begins with the careful selection of native sugarcane. Costa Rica’s tropical climate, favored by the volcanic soil, creates the ideal conditions for harvesting this plant. The harvest takes place every 15 months. After the stems are cut with apposite tools, the harvest is taken to the presses to extract the juice, which then undergoes fermentation with yeast. Once the fermentation process is completed, the liquid is then purified using a distillation process that refines and separates all the different parts. The Gran Legado selection is put into white Durmast oak casks, where it left to age for 12 years; the rum is then blended by the Master distiller before being bottled. Gran Legado pairs well with dishes like risotto with shrimps and candied orange or, even better, with typical Creole dishes like marinated pork. It is also ideal in desserts with mascarpone cheese or paired with Sachertorte.

Tasting

Color: amber.

Nose: vanilla, leather, chocolate, ripe fruit like peaches and apricots.

Palate: it opens with a ﬂavor of chocolate and tertiary notes of leather, honey, evolving into notes of ripe fruit with a slight hint of aniseed and licorice.

Finish: sweet but not sickly, warm, smooth and persistent, ending with spicy and toasted sensations.

Ideal: straight up, with a smooth medium-bodied cigar or chocolate with a cocoa percentage of less than 80%.

Ron Abuelo 7 Años

Country: Panama

Producer: Varela Hermanos

ABV: 38%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Ron

Production: multiple column distillation, aged for 7 years in speciﬁcally selected small white Durmast oak casks.

Varela Hermanos S.A. exists thanks to Don José Varela Blanco, a young Spanish immigrant, who in 1908 moved to the new Republic of Panama and opened the first sugar refinery in Pesé L’Ingenio San Isidro. The town, founded in around the mid-18th century, lies in a fertile valley in the heart of Panama. Most of the town’s approximately 10,000 inhabitants earn their livelihood through the cultivation of sugarcane. In 1936, complying with the wishes of his three eldest sons, Jose Manuel, Pliny and Julio, Don José began to distil virgin sugarcane juice to make liquors with. The company has always stood out for the extraordinary quality of its products, and from the onset it has been the leader in the market of distillates in Panama, with 1200 hectares producing approximately 75,000 tons of sugarcane and the distillation of both virgin juice and molasses. Today, Abuelo is run by the third generation of the family, producing approximately one million cases of rum every year, which represents 90% of the national spirit consumption. Ron Abuelo 7 Años is obtained from the fermentation of sugarcane molasses and aged for 7 years in small white Durmast oak casks, specifically selected for this product.

Tasting

Color: straw yellow.

Nose: light hint of wood, with notes of desiccated fruit, including walnuts, evolving into a note of prunes.

Palate: fragrances of caramel, vanilla, followed by dried fruit and ending with notes of smoke.

Finish: extremely balanced and light on the palate with notes of dates and dried fruit, ending with notes of smoke, leather and tobacco.

Ideal: straight up or in a Bocas del Toro cocktail.

Angostura 1919

Country: Trinidad & Tobago

Producer: Angostura

ABV: 40%

Bottle: 70 cl

Typology: Gold Rum

Production: distillation in a column alembic still, aged for a minimum of 8 years in casks formerly used for bourbon, followed by blending, for which the youngest rum used is 8 years old.

The history of the House of Angostura began in 1824, when German doctor Johan Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, Surgeon General of the Venezuelan army, created a blend of aromatic herbs called “Aromatic Amargo.” This product subsequently became famous worldwide as Angostura bitters. There is no doubt that the House of Angostura has remained famous for its bitters, but today it is also well-known for its rums. These authentic Caribbean style products are made with high quality molasses, using the distillery’s own yeasts cultures for fermentation. Distillation takes place in a column alembic still, under the expert supervision of the Master distiller, John Georges. The rums are aged in Durmast oak casks formerly used for bourbon, and then blended. This is how Angostura 1919 is made; created with rums of different ages matured entirely in the climate of Trinidad & Tobago, for a minimum of 8 years. The name refers to the casks of rum dated 1919, which were saved from a huge fire that destroyed the Government Rum Bond in 1932. This rum blend became known as 1919, and Angostura decided to reuse the name.

Tasting

Color: clear and golden.

Nose: the initial fragrances are dominated by vanilla, which then melts into caramel, honey and a buttery note, followed by aromas of ripe apricots, bananas, brown sugar and molasses. It ends with notes of candied orange and sweet spices, which evolve into milk chocolate. Very smooth and gentle.

Palate: on tasting, it has a medium body and is fairly dry, with the orange ﬂavor blending with light tobacco, followed by vanilla, a note of butter, cinnamon and banana-ﬂavored chocolate. Not very complex, yet elegant and enjoyable. Finish: not very persistent, an elegant style with an aftertaste of chocolate, sweet spices, orange and tobacco.

Ideal: straight up or in a Huevos cocktail.