How is Rum Made & What is it Made From?
How is Rum Made & What is it Made From?
For five generations and over 130 years Brugal have pushed the boundaries of rum making to produce the best rum possible and bring out the very best of our special rum. But how exactly is rum made and what is it made from?
Our rum production process starts with sugar cane molasses which is then fermented, distilled and expertly aged in our finest casks. Our Maestros Roneros have mastered the cask aging process, and we believe the complexities of our hand selected casks are what makes our rum so special. Our master rum makers at Brugal then blend and craft these aged rums to create the different flavor profiles in our unforgettable rums.
Explore and discover how rum is made step by step…
Ingredients behind the craft: what is rum made of?
Sugarcane is the raw ingredient at the heart of every rum – just like barley is for whisky, agave is for tequila or grapes are for cognac.
Over 130 years ago our founder Don Andres Brugal recognised the potential of our home island to produce superior rum. The Dominican Republic is one of the few rum producing countries with a sugarcane harvest large enough to support its own local rum production.
Sugar Cane can be processed into 3 key ingredients for rum making; sugarcane juice, cane syrup and a dark, treacly substance called molasses. A single or a customised combination of these can be used in the rum making process, depending on the style of rum and the heritage of the region where the rum is made.
We use molasses, sourced locally from 100% Dominican sugarcane, for the creation of our spirit. By keeping it local we support local production and maintain flavor consistency, as different variants from different parts of the world have an impact on the final spirit’s flavor.
How is rum fermented?
Fermentation is where the base flavors for our rum start to be created. After testing the sugar content of our molasses, we then add water, nutrients and yeast and leave this to ferment. After 40 hours the rum fermentation completes, and all sugars are converted into alcohol. The final fermented mash has a strength of around 8.2% alcohol content, which is similar to a strong beer, and we are ready to move onto the next step of the rum making process: distillation.
How is rum distilled?
Distillation is the process in which the alcohol created in the fermented mash is concentrated to create a high ABV (Alcohol By Volume) spirit. There are two main types of distillation used within rum production: pot still and column still. The type selected will depend on the style of rum the producer would like to create: light, medium or heavy.
At Brugal, our Maestros Roneros and team have meticulously designed and crafted our distillation process to create the exact specification of spirit to create our rum’s signature style. We distil in column stills to a strength of 95%, which results in an elegant, light, flavor profile in our rum. This leaves in the spirit only the very precise aromas and flavors we desire. If it does not meet our Maestros meticulous specification and quality standards it is rejected, and not used for our aging and maturation.
Expanding flavor: cask aging rum
We believe the primary flavor notes in rum should be derived from the aging process in casks and have meticulously designed our spirit to help bring out the best notes from our wood.
Around 85% of Brugal’s flavor profile comes from casks. We use white American oak casks and Oloroso sherry casks. Every cask has its own story – the complexities of the wood along with using one of the most exclusive casks in the world is what allows us to bring out the best in every rum we create.
Over 130 years, five generations of Maestro Roneros have used their mastery to design every part of the aging process, considering everything from length of time spent aging, to the temperature of our aging warehouses, influenced by the warmth of the Dominican sun.
Our breakthrough approach to double aging every bottle of Brugal 1888 means that we can combine the rich flavors of bourbon and sherry casks to create our superior yet accessible taste. Aging is at the heart of Brugal, and we invite you to discover more about our innovative approach to double aging rum.
Rum making: the final product
Every bottle of Brugal 1888 has been carefully crafted by hand. At the end of the process, every bottle is quality tested by our Maestros Roneros then is hand-finished, signed and sealed to preserve the exquisite double-aged rum inside. An exquisite liquid and bottle of the highest quality. Savour sip by sip.
