Rum as an Alternative Asset Class
Two Types of rum
Light Rum
Light rum, often clear in appearance, is typically aged for a shorter period or sometimes not at all. It’s known for its subtle, clean flavour and is commonly used in cocktails. The ageing process—if done—is usually in stainless steel tanks or neutral oak barrels to preserve its light color and mild profile. Though less complex than dark rum, it still varies based on the sugarcane and techniques used by the distiller.
Light rum is a go-to for mojitos, daiquiris, and mixers.
Dark Rum
Dark rum is aged longer, often in charred oak barrels, which gives it its deep color and richer, bolder flavor profile. The ageing process imparts notes of caramel, spice, vanilla, and molasses. Some producers may add coloring or sweeteners to deepen its tone and taste, but the complexity generally comes from the barrel. Dark rum is ideal for sipping neat or in spirit-forward cocktails. Countries with long-standing traditions, like Jamaica or Barbados, often produce premium aged dark rums.
Why are barrels used for rum aging
Barrels have been used to age spirits for quite some time, and it has become central to the flavors of a number of spirits, including whisky and rum, not to mention a large percentage of wine. The practice originated from when barrels were used to transport spirits on ships. People found that spirits not only took on the characteristics and color of the barrels, but that the spirits were more rounded, with fewer harsh elements, after some time in oak, one of the types of barrels used to age rum.
Over the years, the practice became more established, with distillers using various types of barrels to age rum and other spirits, including white oak barrels, either from Europe or the US. Often these include barrels that have been used to age something else. In all of these cases, the specifics of the barrel influence the final spirit.
The types of flavors that oak imparts to a spirit – vanilla, sweetness, spice, and more – all pair beautifully with rum’s intrinsic characteristics.
Different techniques to age rum
There are probably as many approaches to aging rum as there are rum producers, with so many variables that affect the flavor of the finished spirit.
The type of oak, and what it held before, is the most obvious factor here. American oak famously contributes vanilla, popcorn, and gentle toffee notes, while European oak is better known for its nutty influence. And if a barrel previously held another liquid – bourbon or sherry, most commonly – then that has an influence on the spirit too.
But there are various other variables to consider when it comes to oak aging. A significant factor is how temperature affects rum aging, for example. While some spirits, such as scotch, are aged in barrels in temperate climates for extended periods of time, rum is almost always aged in tropical climates, as this is where sugarcane is grown. The higher temperatures, and sometimes the variation between temperatures on a given day, cause the interaction between the oak and the rum to be significantly higher. This means that to achieve the same amount of influence from the barrels, far less time is required.
One of the most interesting approaches to barrel aging comes from Spain, where sherry and brandies go through what is known as the solera system.
How long is rum aged for?
As mentioned above, various elements affect the flavor of the eventual rum, but oak aging is one of the main contributing factors. Further to this, one of the main factors when it comes to barrel aging is the climate where a spirit is aged.
As a result, rum, which is usually aged in countries where sugarcane is grown, which tend to be warm, tropical places, experiences more influence from oak barrels than spirits grown in more temperate climates.
Rum, therefore, is almost always aged for less time than some other spirits that are aged in more temperate climates, because the oak influence is more intense in the warm countries where it is produced.
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