The climate is the weather conditions of a region over time. The climate affects the rum ageing process because it can change how quickly or slowly the spirit matures. Climate has an effect on rum by controlling two very important factors; temperature and humidity levels. These two factors have a huge impact on determining when,Does Climate Play A Role In Rum Ageing? Articles where, and how long distillers age their rum, and it also affects the look and taste of each bottle.Factors that influence the aging processFactors that affect the ageing process of rum include such Elf bars.
The season also plays a role in determining when barrels are filled with new make. A barrel is usually only used once before being thrown away because rum tends to pick up tannin from wood during ageing, which would affect its taste if reused too soon afterwards. However, they will use the same barrel over again for dark rums as this type of rum picks up more flavour compounds than white ones, due to their extended period spent inside oak casks where less alcohol vapour escapes through evaporation. This means that darker spirits have greater contact with organic material inside the cask, making them darker and fuller flavoured than the lighter white rums, which extract less flavour compounds.
The temperature has a profound effect on the maturation of alcohol. In general, the hotter it is, the faster a spirit will mature because heat speeds up chemical processes and reactions in all organic materials including those that make up alcoholic beverages. Maintaining a perfect temperature for storing bottles can be challenging but most spirits cellar with an aim to maintain a constant year-round humidity.
Humidity is another factor that affects the ageing process of rum. Humidity affects the ageing process by encouraging the extraction of esters and aldehydes from oak. This affects the general flavour of the rum.
In terms of humidity, a higher-than 70% relative humidity can be too high for rums aged in American oak barrels because it encourages microbial growth which affects the ageing process and gives off an unpleasant aroma to the spirit. Additionally, a very dry climate would not allow moisture from within the barrel or liquid evaporating into the air to remain due to low levels of relative humidity. This may cause cracks on wooden casks that could affect their performance during maturation as well as affecting their outward appearance over time, this is called “cask checking”.
Distillers know how important temperature and humidity in their warehouses can affect the flavour of products. In order to achieve good results, rum producers have been experimenting with different climates as well as water sources for many years now. The climate has an effect on the ageing process because it is one of several factors that contribute to maturation rates as well as final flavour profiles. Rum producers are always looking for ways they can improve their product, so whether or not weather affects rum production remains unclear, but we do know that craft rum is made using traditional methods which involve careful monitoring during every stage of development, including aging, by experienced professionals who will continue pushing boundaries until they find what works best.
How geographic location can impact a spirit’s flavour profile
Because the climate has a huge effect on this process of making rum, the geographical location can have an impact on the final flavour profile. Rum distilled in warmer climates will have a sweeter, more mellow taste as opposed to colder climates which will produce a refreshing and more crisp drink. There has been some research done on the effects of geography on rum production but it remains inconclusive.
As with most things in life, you can’t please everyone so this might help explain why there’s such an array of different flavours available today. Some people swear by their dark rums while others prefer lighter variations; just remember that when trying something new, always go slow and have fun experimenting.
Why some spirits are aged in barrels while others are not
You may think that all spirits are aged in barrels, but in reality, they are not. While some are aged in barrels, others are not. Some examples of spirits that are aged in wood include bourbon and whisky.
When a spirit is actually inside the barrel, it is called ‘barrel ageing’. In this case, most of the flavour from the wood itself will make its way into what you are drinking, giving your drink an oaky taste, which can be either harsh or smooth depending on how long it was left to age for. For example, some oak-aged drinks like scotch may take up to four years while other distillers aim for two years at maximum. Just remember, if there isn’t any kind of mention about where (or how) their products were matured then chances are that they weren’t.
Some distillers use casks; made up of different types of wood (like American oak, French oak etc.) to get a more selective flavour profile. Others use wine casks which gives their drinks that same fruity quality you can find in sherry or port wines.
What factors affect how long it takes for rum to age? There are three main things; temperature, humidity and the type of container used to hold the drink while it is ageing. Whilst there isn’t much research done on climate-controlled environments when it comes to making spirits like rum, we know that warmer climates speed along whatever process is occurring within your beverage whereas colder climates slow down this process due to lower temperatures. Lastly, glass containers will keep out light better than say wooden barrels and will make the rum age more slowly than if it was in a wooden container.
