That means the finished product is a blend of different ages, with the average age increasing over the years to maintain a consistent style and quality. For example, it is not uncommon to see the phrase "Solera aged." The Solera method is an aging process that employs fractional blending.
However, it is the way many of the companies use techniques learned from aging brandy, sherry, and vinegar that helps clearly define the category and what is considered a Spanish style rum. One consistency across all Spanish style rum brands is that they prefer using used American white oak bourbon barrels as part of their aging process. Each brand has its own proprietary methods that help it achieve its unique flavor profile per the specifications of the company's Maestros Roneros or rum masters. This profile is created by fermenting molasses or concentrated cane juice, also known as honey, which, depending on the company, creates a lighter bodied spirit that’s flavor profile is influenced by the barrel(s) that it is aged in. It was not until the late 1800s, with the age of steam and the industrialization of sugar production, that we saw rum production in Spanish territory shift from using pot stills to the new continuous column still. King Charles III of Spain, following the guidance of his counsel, gradually lifted decrees preventing the production of rum and began treating it as an exportable good that, in time, would help increase the quality of life for the Spanish colonists and set the stage for the spirit to become one of the three most dominant rum "styles". The next year, the Seven Year War ended with the Treaty of Paris, and the Spanish government gave up their Florida territory to regain control of Cuba. Now under British control, a fleet of merchant ships descended upon the island from Europe and the North American colonies, bringing 4000 slaves as well as equipment and materials to grow sugarcane and begin producing rum. In 1762, the British laid siege to Havana, Cuba, between March and August as part of their Seven Year War and eventually conquered the city. Compared to the English and French colonies, which embraced early rum production, the Spanish treated early rum production as a threat to the sales of Spanish brandy and wine. This, according to author Dave Broom in his book Rum: The Manual, led to "in 1714, a Royal Decree ordered all rum-making equipment to be confiscated and broken up in order to safeguard the production and sale of Spanish brandy and wine." This decree set back all spirit production in the Spanish colonies and led to internal discord between the territories. To understand the origins of Spanish rums, one must look to the history of the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola.
0 kommentar(er)
