The facts about cane juice...
1. First it is well to remember that cane juice rums should be attributed to two main origins: the many thousands of cachacas of Brazil, and the clarins of Haiti. Cachaca - now regulated - is distilled to from 38-54%; Clarin - add perhaps another 5 or 6%.
2. While cachacas retain much of this harshness (and origin), for the past 150 years Barbancourt took the next step via their double distillations, using the French Charentais double distillation method (a very selective double distillation using finer cuts and redistillation). In this way the heart of hearts is retained, while low alcohol elements of the hearts (60%) are recycled through the process.
The Charentais method is labor intensive and far more selective than even ordinary double distillation with a pot still. It results in a highly refined, selective and sophisticated cut of the cane juice distillate.
3. Compare to cachacas which are often a single column distillation to 38-54% and which contains some of the harsher elements (all the hearts, and often includes a certain amount of heads and tails as well). Thus unaged cachaca - though certainly identifiable from its profile (which legally may include smoothing sugar) - is not really intended to by sipped, but ends up in the ubiquitous Brazilian caiparinha (with sugar and lots of fresh lime juice).
With tens of thousands of cachaca's available, with all manner of aging (if any) in all manner of woods, do note that most of us will be forced to drink only the big money, highly marketed few that make it here. My Brazilian friends laugh at our shelves.
4. Actually Barbancourt White as currently made starts out as a roughly 60% clarin (that would be VERY similar to cachaca), but then undergoes a second distillation closer to 90% and the heart of hearts. I can tell you that this white is VERY sippable, while still retaining enough of its fresh cane juice heritage to remind you where this refined spirit came from. The Three and Five Stars are aged for a much longer time than almost all cachacas, and most Martiniqean rhums by regulation, in very expensive French Limosin Oak, which has sophisticated and effective subtractive, additive and interactive new esters nearly unique to Barbancourt.
5. Compare to the Martiniquean cane juice rums. While Barbancourt really pioneered the modern cane juice rums over 150 years ago, the AOC method and faux certification only came into existence in the early 1990's. These - like cachaca - are a single column of 5 to 9 plates, with distillation to 65 to 75%. A "vieux" (aged) AOC must only be aged for just 3 years, and may use rather large barrels (up to 650 liters or 172 gallons). This allow much less time, and much less good wood effect than Barbancourt. The AOC does not specify wood other than oak.
Flat Ass Bottom Line
All of the above orginate with cane juice. In terms of distillation refinement, in order:
1. Cachaca (single column) or Haitian Clairin (pot) (38 to 60%), single column (very few pot stills)
2. AOC single column cane juice rums (65-75%)
3. Barbancourt Charentais double-distilled method (column/pot) (90%)
Add to that Barbancourt's extended aging in very fine wood and the sophistication and worldwide acclaim of the labor intensive Barbancourt cane juice rums should not be a surprise. Comparing cachaca to Barbancourt is like comparing moonshine to a fine bourbon. What we have here are three different approaches to distilling and aging cane juice rums, from crude and rather harsh, to quite sophisticated.
That Barbancourt sells for just $20 is truly a miracle and godsend to us all.
Any thought of or comparison to molasses rums are not supported by the actuality of the spirits produced, short of the fact that both (along with whisky) can be well aged in wood (and may share some of the common wood effects like vanillan, raisin, banana, et al). But as for molasses?
Not at all.
*******
Martiniqean Rums-by-Regulation:
http://rumproject.com/rumforum//viewtopic.php?t=21
Charentais process example:
http://www.pediacognac.com/en/la-distil ... arentaise/
http://www.pediacognac.com/en/la-distil ... harentais/
Barbancourt:
http://barbancourt.net/rhum-barbancourt ... ?langue=en
