What Is Spiced Rum Made From
Spiced rum is one of the most popular types of rum to drink. Its particularly popular as a cocktail ingredient but is smooth enough to consume neat.
Like white rum and dark rum, it is produced through a distillation process. However, unlike most premium dark rums, it is rarely aged for more than a year.
While it ages, it is sometimes darkened with colouring agents, which results in a lightly-coloured hue. Afterwards, some of the following herbs and spices are added to the beverage:
- Cassia Bark
- Pepper
- Vanilla
Bear in mind that these arent always natural ingredients and some spiced rums can contain flavourings instead.
Sometimes producers also introduce sugar to give it a sweeter, more palatable and rounded taste. Additional woodiness can be made by adding either oak chips or boise, a wood-based syrup.
On some occasions, spiced rum may feature fruit such as lime, coconut, and pineapple. However, it shouldnt be confused with rhum arrangé, which consists of macerating fruit in white rum.
One of the most popular spiced rum is Captain Morgan. It was initially produced in Jamaica but then moved to Puerto Rico. Today, it operates mostly in the United States Virgin Islands and is one of the largest producers of rum.
For Sipping Neat Or Mixing Into Your Favorite Cocktails
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Liquor / Chloe Jeong
Rum is finally gaining the attention it deserves, and with it, a variety of great bottles to choose from. There are different styles produced in many countries, each with its own unique flavor profile.
This can be confusing at times, as each nation has its own regulations about how its rum must be distilled and aged, but fortunately, a little research can help reveal exactly what is inside the bottle. Here are the best rums to drink for any occasion, from white rums for refreshing cocktails to aged rums for contemplative sipping.
Collecting Your Rum Distillate
Collecting your rum distillate is the most satisfying part of this entire process. This step is a mixture of art and science, as it takes an experienced distiller to get this process just right.; That being said, dont let this deter you if youre a newcomer to distilling.; Everything comes with practice and after you run a few batches with your still youll definitely be able to dial things in by taking notes and making the necessary changes.
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Chairmans Reserve Spiced Rum
Made in the beautiful island of St Lucia, Chairmans Reserve;brings Caribbean warmth to your glass. There are hints of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, allspice, lemon;and orange, with a more moderate sweet side.
At 40% ABV, youre getting a full-bodied spirit that punches way above its weight, whether youre drinking it with your favourite mixer, in a cocktail or with ice and a twist of orange .
Available from:
What Is Spiced Rum
Coming up in this video, I’m taking a quick look behind the scenes at spiced rum. What is is, answering a few questions I’ve been getting. So, if you wanna know a bit more about the whole spiced rum category, stay tuned.
Hey spiced rum fans. I’m Steve the Barman. And I’m hoping these videos will help you drink, serve and enjoy better quality spiced rums. So, if you like the sound of that, drop me a comment below, let me know what your favourite spiced rums are, what your favourite spiced rum and mixer is or cocktail. I wanna know so hit me up in the comments below.
Right then so I’m taking a very quick one video break from doing spiced rum reviews and cocktails and drinks recipes for you because I’ve been getting a lot of question recently about well from gin fans that have been following me wondering why I’ve gone into spiced rum and they wanna know a bit more about spiced rum. What exactly is it? So I thought I’d do a video just to answer a few questions. Why I’ve kind of deep dived into it and what we can expect in the future.
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Best Spiced Rums For Every Taste
Rum is one of the world’s most popular base spirits for drinks, and spiced rum offers a sweetly complex option that may seem more palatable to cautious tipplers who prefer an accessible spirit. Determining the best spiced rum is subjective, but there are a number of spiced rums that have received high critical acclaim, won awards awards, garnered overwhelmingly positive consumer reviews, or a combination of these.
Where Did Spiced Rum Come From
Rum was invented, or was at least commonly known to be produced in the seventeenth century, though there are historical references to a wine sugar which we can reasonably suspect is rum, dating back as far as the thirteen hundreds. Spiced rum however, is just a baby. Yes, ok its kind of the same, but its rare for a spirit to have a sub category as widely embraced as spiced rum. Today there are a number of brands focused entirely on the spiced variety, such is the demand for spiced rum.
Pinpointing when spiced rum first became recognised as a type of rum is difficult, especially when you consider the rules for what qualifies as a standard rum differ depending on where you are in the world, even to this day. Its likely that when The Captain Morgan Rum company started offering spiced rum in the US in 1984 that marked a poignant moment for spiced rum. The huge Canadian owned company founded in 1944 put spiced rum on an unprecedented platform, Morgans Spiced continues to feature behind almost every bar around the world to this day, though now owned by global brand Diageo.
With spiced rum its about appreciating the beautiful painting, less about the craftmanship that went into making the canvas.
If theres one thing were sure of, its that you should enjoy your rum in any which way you see fit. Dark, golden, white, spiced, flavoured, alone, over ice, with a mixer or otherwise.
Cheers!
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How To Make Spiced Rum
Its very easy to make your own spiced rum at home! Start with a 750 mL bottle of any type of rum. We recommend gold rum, so you get that dark, spiced rum color, but mild flavor with room for your added spices to shine.
Next, pick your spices. You really can use anything you like, but dont go crazy the first time. Heres what we suggest for starters:
- Three allspice berries
- Half of a cinnamon stick
- Half a tablespoon of dried orange peel
Place all dry ingredients into a tight sealing pitcher or jug. Fill with rum. Let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 2-3 days. Thats it! Youre ready to drink. Once youve made your first batch, you can experiment with things like rosemary, anise seeds, and herbal teas.
How Many Calories Are In Rum
All pure alcohol will be quite low in calories as much of it is removed during the distillation process. This can be particularly surprising since its initially made from sugar!
Nevertheless, a 1 Oz shot of pure rum should contain no more 64 calories. Of course, the number of calories can increase if youre drinking a spiced rum.
Similarly, some dark rums may feature other additives, including sugar or caramel, which may add to your calorie intake. As we suggested for the carb and gluten considerations, look for high-quality premium rum.
Finally, its important to be mindful of any additional ingredients if youre mixing it into a cocktail!
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Is Captain Morgan A Good Rum
Captain Morgan is a classic choice when it comes to spiced rum, especially if you dont want something too pricey. Captain and Coke is an iconic pairing, so this bottle is great for mixing while still noticing the taste of the rum. For the price point, its a good way to get into more serious rum drinking.
Middle Shelf Spiced Rum
1. Chairmans Reserve Spiced Rum;
Chairmans Reserve Spiced Rum comes in an attractive, unconventionally-sized bottle and its a bright mahogany color. Already, it offers a better presentation than many others and draws plenty of attention.
Beyond that, its a legitimately good mid-level rum thats tasty and sippable without blowing your budget out of the water.;
Like many spiced rums, it has a noticeable flavor of cinnamon and nutmeg on the palate, followed by a unique mix of fruity notes and bubblegum. Its a good one to mix with cola as this calms down the spice a little and brings out notes of vanilla and clove.;
The nose is complex, with cinnamon dominating but noticeable sweeter notes of vanilla, clove, nutmeg on the undertone.;
2. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum;;
Sailor Jerry is named to pay homage to the old ways of a ship captain. They used to take a ladle full of rum and add gunpowder to ignite it and prove the quality and integrity of the rum to their crew. Sailor Jerry carries on this tradition in the way of an unwavering commitment to quality.;
Their spiced rum is created the old-school way, using expertly chosen spices in a high-proof rum. This achieves the perfect balance for the intended purpose of their rum, which is to be an unmatched base for the best mixed drinks around.;
Sailor Jerrys Spiced Rum is one with a smooth texture and rich flavor. The palate offers strong notes of vanilla and oak with hints of cinnamon, clove, and other spices.;
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Spiced Rum Vs Dark Rum
We get it: all the different types of rum out there can get a little bit confusing. That said, when it comes to the difference between spiced rum and dark rum, the distinction is actually pretty similar! It all comes down to flavoring.;
Spiced rum has flavor added to it. It is infused with lots of spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. There are many brands that get creative and play around with the spices, adding in things such as pepper and anise. Those spices are what lead to the darker color of this variety.;
Spiced rum commonly makes an appearance in rum punch, although you can also sub it in for a lighter rum to add a bit of flavor to a cocktail.;
Dark rum, which is sometimes referred to as black rum, can be aged for many years in order to achieve its dark color, which can range from amber to a dark brown shade. Dark rum is made in the same way as white and silver rums, but it does not go through the filtration process, so it keeps its color and more intense flavor. True black rum contains extra molasses to darken the color and sweeten it.;
Youll find dark rum as a classic ingredient in a Dark N Stormy, as well as a component in some of your favorite poolside drinks like a Mai Thai.;
That said, be on the lookout when it comes to dark rum: some brands arent truly aged, and instead, just have caramel coloring added to give them those dark tones. This kind of rum can still taste great, but just be on the lookout so you know what youre buying.;
Are Dark Rum And Spiced Rum The Same Thing
Dark Rum has simply been aged longer. The darker the rum, the longer its been aged. People will also add caramel or molasses to darken the color. Spiced Rum is different in that ingredients other than sugars are added to create a spicy and deep flavor. Its great paired with Coke!
See the recipe card below for details on How to Make the Best Spiced Rum Recipe. Enjoy!
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Rum Made From Sugar Cane Juice
Rhum Clément
Not all rum production depends on molasses. Indeed, former French colonies are celebrated for their rhum agricole, which uses the sugar cane juice instead.
As France has produced its own sugar from sugar beets since 1811, the French Caribbean market crashed and its sugar refineries quickly fell into debt. Therefore, they quickly adapted by fermenting the primary ingredient rather than the byproduct.
As we explain in our guide to the different types of rum, rhum agricole features a distinctively herbaceous flavour profile and lighter body thanks to its use of sugar cane juice.
Initially, French rhum was regarded as inferior compared to its British and Spanish peers as it had previously been banned to protect the French brandy market.
However, after a phylloxera outbreak devasted French vines in the mid-19th century, rum production significantly improved as its demand boomed.
Finally, some craft rums may be made from turbinado sugar. Similarly, an ingredient best avoided is dehydrated sugar cane juice, which is sometimes used to make cheap rum.
Notes For Making Homemade Spiced Rum
Since these recipes for homemade spiced rum require that you infuse the ingredients for about twenty-four hours, using fresh spices and fruits and grinding, slicing, or crushing them yourself will give you the most robust flavors in the end. In addition, you’ll want to grab a sealable jar – a mason jar works well – to steep your batches in.
- 4 cups gold rum
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How Molasses Is Used To Make Rum
Old Sugarcane Press
Today, any grade of molasses can be used to make rum and distilleries may use a combination of them depending on the flavours that they wish to produce.
The molasses is then mixed with water and yeast so that it may ferment. Usually, the yeast is of a certain strain but occasionally wild yeast is used instead by artisanal producers. For instance, Jamaican rum will often use dunder, a yeasty foam that can be taken from previous fermentations.
Slow fermentation will ensure a greater amount of byproducts and impurities that contribute to more complex flavours. Meanwhile, fast fermentation will result in crisper, lighter properties often desired in white rum.
The syrup then undergoes a distillation process using either column Coffey or pot stills after it has properly fermented. We cover these steps in our guide to how rum is made.
What Is A Good Spiced Rum
So what are popular brands of spiced rum? Whether you’re looking for a great bottle for spiced rum cocktails, spiced rum and Coke, spiced Captain and Coke, a spiced Cuba Libre drink, or any of a thousand other spiced rum drinks, there are many great brands of spiced rum worth considering. These include Kraken rum, Captain Morgan, Sailor Jerry, Bacardi, Admiral Nelson, Blackheart rum, Oakheart rum, Blue Chair Bay Spiced rum, Black Magic rum, and many others.
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Whats So Special About Spiced Rum Compared To Other Drinks
Spiced rum is a very versatile spirit. One can enjoy spiced rum on its own or with a wide range of cocktails, both hot and cold. Brands incorporate spiced rum into their expressions, often using botanicals and flavors that capture the flavor of where its made.
The appeal of spiced rum and in some cases, the hate towards it comes from its ability to mask the essence of rum. A lot of people enjoy rum with strong vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon flavors, even to a point where rum can no longer be discernible. But for others, thats an abomination. The good thing is that there are now some higher quality spiced rums you can get hold of where the spice isn’t there to completely mask the alcohol.
How To Make A Spiced Rum
Its important to note that alcohol is a solvent. Not all ingredients are safe or legal for infusions. Before you start to make your own spiced rum, refer to Cocktailsafe.org to make sure any spices and botanicals that you use are safe for consumption.
Also, spiced rum isnt an exact science. Its more of an exploration of flavor, so embrace the creative process and trust your palate.
The recipe below is only a template, so feel free to make it your own. Here are a few steps and tips to get started.
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How Do You Drink Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
Captain Morgan is a versatile spiced rum that can be added to a lot of cocktails. The rum is distilled from sugarcane, and Caribbean spices are added to it while it is aging.
Instructions