If ever there wasa spirit that is enjoying its day in, the sun, it is rum. In the past five years or so, rum’s popularity has skyrocketed as people move on from the thick, dark rums of yesteryear and start appreciating lighter, more complex styles. In the past five years or so, rum’s popularity has skyrocketed as people move on from the thick,dark rums of yesteryear and start appreciating lighter, more complex styles. The popularity of rum cocktails has helped too, with a need for more elegant rums than perhaps were previously available. All you have to do is look at the range of rums available now to see how popular it has become. The emergence of superpremium rums has been another development. Suddenly rum was no longer something you drowned in cola, but something that could be sipped neat like a good malt whisky. The development of rum stems from slave days in the Caribbean, when the slaves, after toiling away in the sugar plantations all day, discovered that they could ferment molasses into rough alcohol. Soon these fermented drinks were distilled into a crude spirit that helped the slaves forget their troubles for a short time. This rough spirit was known as Kill-Devil or rumbullion, from where the current name most likely developed. Rum became a valuable product in the Caribbean and further afield. The first rum distillery set up in Colonial America was in 1664 in Staten Island and it remained a popular drink in America. George Washington ordered a barrel of Barbados rum for his inauguration as president. As the British Empire extended around the world, rum sprang up wherever sugar was grown, although it remains forever connected to the Caribbean. The Caribbean was effectively controlled by two powers, Britain and Spain, and this split gave rise to the different styles of rum that still exist today. The Spanish part produced lighter rums as in those of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras and Venezuela, while the British colonies such as Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Bermuda preferred a darker rum. Rum production is a relatively simple process. Molasses, yeast and water are mixed and fermented before being distilled, often in column stills, although some producers still use pot stills, which produce a fuller-tasting rum with more character. The rums are then aged, either in stainless steel for most light rums, or oak barrels for darker rums. Because they tend to be made in very hot climates, rums age quicker than whisky or brandy and don’t need to spend as long in the barrel. The resultant rums are then blended for consistency. Some white rums are pot-distilled and oak aged before being fined to remove the colour. These rums tend to have a more complex flavour than their simpler cousins. Rum is basically divided into four categories: light rum, gold rum, spiced rum and dark rum. Light rum is the ideal cocktail base, having little in the way of overt flavours. They are also excellent in refreshing mixed drinks such as the Mismo. Gold rums are medium-bodied rums that have been aged in (usually) Bourbon casks, giving them colour and complexity. Flavoursome, rich and smooth, they make good cocktail bases or can be enjoyed alone. Spiced rum is a rum that has been infused with various spices and often a dollop of caramel. They tend to be strongly vanillin in character and can add good flavour to a cocktail. Dark rums tend to be aged longest in charred barrels and may also have caramel added to darken it further. It adds power and colour to cocktails and is the most common cooking rum. And so to this month’s Panel tasting, a collection of 16 rums of all shades and styles. With quite a few rums, we needed a bigger panel, so I was joined by regular Panellists Dave Batten, Bart Burgers and Ben Stuart. We also welcomed two new faces to the Panel, Monin Liqueurs’ Tomas Vikario and writer, blogger and cocktail connoisseur Tash McGill. We were very well looked after by our hosts at Cartel Bar and the Corner Store, and we’d especially like to thank Chris Turner for volunteering to be our bartender for the day. Click here to download the tasting notes as a .PDF