Raw material

The raw material used to produce rum is alcohol from sugar cane. Two products can be extracted from cane: cane juice and molasses considered a by-product of sugar production.

This is a residual thick liquid that remains after the crystallization of sugar from cane juice.

Molasses contains between 48% and 52% of sugar.

Sugarcane juice extraction

Sugar cane is harvested twelve (12) months after being planting.

This allows the plant to reach the maturity necessary to achieve the highest possible sugar content.

Cane harvesting can be done manually or automatically. The type of cut will depend on each producer and the type of soil in which the plant grows. The stems that remain planted, regenerate and allow the growth into new stems.

Once grown, the cane is transported on carts to the distillery.

Afterward, it is compressed in some mills to extract the juice, which will be fermented and distilled to obtain the alcohol.

The residual fiber obtained in the mills is known as bagasse and is used as biomass to generate energy.

Once the extraction is complete, the cane juice is ready to go through the fermentation process.

Fermentation

It is a biochemical process, where the yeast acts on the sugars in the juice (sucrose) or molasses to be transformed into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

During this process, conditions such as temperature, the concentration of sugars, and nutrients are carefully controlled in order to guarantee the good performance of the yeasts.

The final product of the fermentation stage is the must or wine, which contains an approximate alcoholic strength of 7-8% Alc./Vol.

The fermentation time will depend on the type of alcohol you want to produce: the shorter the fermentation time, the lighter alcohol will be obtained.

Distillation

Pot Still Distillation

This is the oldest and most traditional way.

Today it is used to make special products with certain characteristics. The must is placed in a copper pot, to which heat is applied and over time it begins to evaporate and is then condensed.

Continuous Distillation through Columns

It is the modern method of distillation, developed in the Caribbean in the 19th century, and the most widely used due to its efficiency.

The must obtained from the fermentation is distilled to obtain the alcohol. This must enters the distillation column where the vinasse and low-grade alcohol are separated. This low-grade alcohol passes through 3 additional columns to carry out the processes of hydro-selection, demethylation, and rectification respectively.

In the end, rich and balanced alcohol of up to 95% Alc./Vol is obtained.

Aging

After distillation, the alcohol is aged in oak barrels to extract its rich characteristics and notes, for different periods of time according to the needs of each recipe or formula.

Depending on the legislation and the country, it must remain a minimum time in barrels to be claimed “Rum”

In the Dominican Republic, the minimum time in barres is continuously for 1 year.

There are different types of oak barrels, and the most used are American and French oak. In addition, the barrels can be toasted with different intensities providing different flavors and aromas to the rum.

Filtration, Blending and Bottling

The rum is diluted and filtered before bottling, to remove remaining particles from the aging process.

Each rum has its own aging time according to its recipe. This time provides specific characteristics in terms of its notes, and flavor, which is what makes it become a unique formula.

The Master Blender is in charge of this function and formulates and develops each commercial product and blends according to each customer and consumer, with their characteristics.