How Rum is Made

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  The process of making fine rum can be compared to the magical practice of alchemy, where the alchemist claims he can turn base metals into gold. While the alchemists of old were never successful in making gold, the rum-making process in the Caribbean has been an unqualified success for over three hundred years. In the case of rum, the base product is molasses, the magic is the action of yeast on the molasses, and the gold is the glorious amber spirit we know as rum.

  Making fine rum is an exacting process that combines good quality molasses, a special strain of yeast, a copper still for extracting and distilling alcohol, and the knowledge and art of an experienced master blender.

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  There are four separate stages to the making of fine rum. The molasses must first be diluted with water and fermented with yeast to produce a mild alcoholic solution. In the second stage this solution is run through a still, where the alcohol is separated from the rest of the liquid and cooled, causing it to condense into a strong spirit. The third stage is the maturation or aging period, where the spirit is stored in oak barrels and set to rest for a period of time. During this period the interaction of the spirit with the oak barrel brings special flavours to the fore, and the resulting aged spirit can at last be called rum. The fourth and final stage is the blending process.

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  The success of this process depends on the genius of the master blender, who must select each barrel for the batch to be blended, always seeking to balance the trace elements detected by laboratory analysis in order to blend complementary flavours, while diluting the rum to the correct strength for bottling.
  
  At ADL, each of the four stages of this process is dedicated to building fine flavour and mellowness in their rum. This is the goal and the promise of Antigua Distillery Limited.