Are these still the standards?

[GregS]

As I think I've said in ever post so far, I'm new to rum. I really want to see just what the world of rum has to offer. I started with a bottle of Mount Gay XO and have since been picking up bottles that are rated well and seem to be a decent price.

But I got to thinking that I need to develop a plan of sorts instead of just winging it. So I think that I need to get a good representative bottle of each style of rum.

So I went back to the Rum Project page and Chapter 2 lists these as the standard rums. However on some other pages I see that the prices are different than the current prices I'm seeing online and in the store. It got me wondering if these are still seen as being the standards.

1. The Original, Barbados/Bajan: Mount Gay XO
2. Jamaican Aromatic: Appleton Extra
3. French Agricole: Clement Cuvee Homere or Barbencourt Five Star
4. Demerara Style: El Dorado 15
5. Cuban Light: Havana Club Anejo 15 Anos or Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva

Also, are these still good representatives of the styles? Or are there "better" examples of the styles out there?

[Capn Jimbo]

Unfortunately those "standards" (a) were only suggested by moi and (b) were way, way, WAY before the sugar testing program happened.

With that in mind you can forget about the ED12, as - gulp - the once revered El Dorado was shown to be one of the great cheaters. Check the sugar section for the ED's as some of the younger ones were less altered, but for the Demeraran style you'd be far better to find a good independent issue, which are, in general, less likely to be altered.

The Master Sugar List reveals all...

[GregS]

The Master Sugar List reveals all...

Maybe so, but I have no idea what I'm looking at in the master sugar list. I briefly looked at it, but I'm going to need to be in the right mindset to really see what's there.

So what would you consider the standards?

[Capn Jimbo]

The Master List is actually pretty simple. It summarizes over 700 sugar tests made by Finland, Sweden, and a number of independent testers from around the world. The rums are listed in alphabetical order, and reveal the number of grams of added sugar per liter of that particular rum.

A score of 0-3g indicates a rum relatively free of secretly added sugar. Any rum scoring 5g or more has been altered by adding sugar - an illegal act if not so labeled. Surprisingly it's often the so-called "premium" rums that have been the most altered and tricked up to be artificially smooth, even syrupy and sweet.

In addition, it is fair to assume that many of these fraudulent rums are also adulterated with artificial flavorings, glycerol and even cheap wine.

Understanding and using the Master List is essential for anyone wanting to purchase, taste and appreciate real and pure rums. Keep in mind that almost all whiskies - Canadian, Scotch, Irish - and bourbons are pure and legal.

Do go back to the list and look up a few rums to see if they have been secretly altered. Those that have been are truly a waste of money. Most altered rums begin with cheap, thin and relative harsh products that are made palatable by tricking them up with additives - then selling this cheap stuff in fancy bottles, with made up stories and at inflated prices.

[Capn Jimbo]

Here's my short list:

1. Bajan: MGXO or Seales Ten\
2. Jamaican: Appleton Extra
3. Cane Juice: any Barbancourt, buy all three, the white, the 3-star and the 5-star
4. Demeraran: most independent bottlings. But avoid El Dorado.
5. Cuban: the 43% Heritage Edition by Bacardi.

The idea is not that these are "standard" in the sense you may be thinking. To the contrary, these are good "reference" rums that do a good job of representing the five basic styles. The idea is that newbies have a way to learn the five basic styles, then to taste other rums of those style, and last to develop their own "standards".

As you taste additional rums from each category you may well come to prefer another rum of the same style. For example you might start with MGXO, but decide that one of Seales' rums tastes better to you and becomes your own "standard" to beat.

I strongly suggest you click on the "frog" on the top of the page, which will take you to the old main site where you will find a series of posts on this subject, tasting, glasses, etc.

[GregS]

Here's my short list:
The idea is not that these are "standard" in the sense you may be thinking. To the contrary, these are good "reference" rums that do a good job of representing the five basic styles. The idea is that newbies have a way to learn the five basic styles, then to taste other rums of those style, and last to develop their own "standards".

This is exactly what I was going for. You had the list labeled as standard in the posts. Thanks for this.

I strongly suggest you click on the "frog" on the top of the page, which will take you to the old main site where you will find a series of posts on this subject, tasting, glasses, etc.

I've read all your pages on the site. You are actually the one that brought me to rum. I did your suggestion of drinking a bottle of MGXO first before moving on to other rums.



As for the sugar list. I've thought about it for a bit and it finally occurred to me how it's done. I was confused as to why you guys would think it's added sugar. Then it hit me that it's because the sugar is fermented out, then on top of that it is distilled and any sugar in the beer (is it called beer?) would be left behind in the still, not distilled into the bottle. (yes, I know it doesn't go into a bottle at this point)

Do I have this right?[/b]

[Capn Jimbo]

You have it EXACTLY right, congrats!


Sadly, way too many rum drinkers believe that because the raw material for rum spirits is either sugar cane, sugar, sugar syrup, molasses or other products of sugar cane - then surely the end product - rum - must somehow contain sugar and be sweet.

Au contraire. You are absolutely right - no distillation of a spirit transfers any sugars whatever to the final distillate. Only the alcohols and other such vaporized component make it to the condenser.

Sugars, and other heavy molecules do not vaporize and are left behind.


A word about aging...

To be fair, the toasted barrels do contain a bit of wood sugars (some carmelized by the heat), and any spirit that is aged in wood will - over the years - pick up just a hint of sweetness. This includes all aged spirits, for example Scotch/Irish/Canadian whiskies and/or bourbon. To believe that rum as distilled and aged is somehow "special" and "sweeter" is simply not true.

How much wood sugar may be present. Richard Seales estimates about 1-2 gram/liter, which is why we state that aged rums that test out at 0-3g should be considered pure.

Again - good on you - most rum drinkers fail to understand this point. Any rum of 5g or heaven help us - some "premiums" at 30-40g (!) are total frauds. This sugar is secretly added to smooth and sweeten a product unnaturally and yes, illegally.

[GregS]

Why is it illegal?

Because it's not labeled as an added ingredient?

I've never looked for ingredients on a rum bottle, but do they list water as an added ingredient? Unless it's cask strength, they water down the rum when they bottle, don't they?

Just trying to learn, not really arguing in favor of the additions.

[Capn Jimbo]

Check out:

http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtop ... s+identity

More than you will ever want to know. Flavorings - which obviously include sugar - may be added to any spirit (eg whisky, bourbon, rum, vodka, etc), but if so the label must clearly identify that product as "flavored" and must list the primary flavoring ingredient.

A rum loaded with 40g (say 13 teaspoons) of sugar might thus be legally labeled as "Sweetened Rum" or the like, to distinguish it from an unaltered, unflavored "Rum".

[GregS]

Any chance you can put a post at the end defining the amount of sugar that is expected in unadultered rum vs spiced/flavored, etc.

[Capn Jimbo]

See above.


The consensus of knowledgeable testers, distillers and writers is 0-3g, depending on aging. A new white rum - like Bacardi's 43% white/clear/new rum should be close to 0g/L. Compare to an aged rum which might - over time - pick up a tiny bit of sugar or solids from the barrel, say 1-3g.

Any rum testing over 0-3g should be considered secretly and illegally altered. Oddly, many of the so-called "super-premiums" test from 25-45g/L! That is a TON of sugar. And why?

Simply because many distillers have cheated for so long that the drinking public has come to associate forced sweetness and smoothness created by added sugar, glycerol, etc. that they now equate these unnatural characteristics with quality.

The distillers - now trapped by their own devices on that slippery, smooth and syrupy slope - are thus forced to add even more sugar - astounding amounts - to so-called "premiums".

A farce... and an expensive one...

[edgarallanpoe]

Everything the good Captain said is right on point...obviously. I would only add that Smith and Cross is the benchmark I would use for Jamaican aromatic rums. JMHO Appleton is a little more mainstream and certainly worthy of being considered a benchmark.