Zacapa rum

[Denizh]

How does a rum like Zacapa achieve the thick heavy body and caramel flavor? They say they use sistema solera and finish it off in a sherry cask.

For those of you familiar with this type of rum, I would love to hear how one can mimic the flavor and body they achieve. Thanks!!

[Moe]

I have a really strong hunch that some of these rum makers are putting either molasses or backset into their finished products. A bottle of Diplomatico Reserva I bought recently would even leave a slightly sticky residue behind when letting the last few drops sit in the glass for a few hours. The colour of some rums is also much darker than I would expect based on ageing in an oak cask.

[Still Life]

There are some great discussions here about rich and Navy rums.
Moe listed great insight on the subject of late recipe additions using backset and/or molasses.

Denizh, I see this is your first post. Have you not introduced yourself in The Welcome Center yet?
If not, please do. We'd like to see a formal introduction from you.
Good Stillin'

[der wo]

Zacapa is made with all the tricks the industry allows:
http://durhum.com/here-we-rum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
They detected huge amounts of sugar, glycerol and artificial vanillin. They only tested those three substances, probably Zacapa contains also other shit.

And the solera method is a trick to write a high number on the bottle without having to age for a long time...

Unfortunately those Rums are the Rums with the highest sales numbers. And even homedistillers are successfully hoodwinked.

[Still Life]

Zacapa is made with all the tricks the industry allows...

All I was finding was the awards Zacapa won. Good catch, Der Wo.

[bluefish_dist]

They recently changed the labeling rules which will make it easier to add stuff to rum. I suspect that most rums have stuff added after distillation.

[der wo]

If they add sugar, then you can measure it with your alcoholmeter. In a Rum without sugar probably is also at least less other additives.
If they use coloring, then they have to write it onto the label at least in my country.
If they write "no additives", then there are no additives allowed. But this is seldom unfortunately. For example Habitation Velier is a brand who claims officially not to use additives. But their Rums are not cheap...

[raketemensch]

Back in the 90s, drummers got into a huge purity war. All of those huge 70s hits were recorded with tape on the drumheads, sometimes tape over cardboard, to muffle the sound, keep the sound from ringing, and get a specific, overall flatter sound. If you listen to Bob Marley recordings it sounds like they’re hitting pizza boxes.

By the 90s there was a revolt, and pure, unadulterated ringing drums were everywhere. You could say that drummers and producers were removing adjuncts. Did it sound better?

Sometimes. It’s all up to the opinions and tastes of he listener.

Same goes with booze. We can fight for purer products all day long, but people are going to buy what they think tastes best.

If people prefer their rum to contain the excretions of the anal sacs of beavers (otherwise known as “natural vanilla flavoring, you can’t make this stuff up), then so be it.

[Moe]

If people prefer their rum to contain the excretions of the anal sacs of beavers (otherwise known as “natural vanilla flavoring, you can’t make this stuff up), then so be it.

Wow, you aren't even kidding!!

From the first article I found on this:

A beaver’s posterior, believe it or not, smells good. Like, really good, according to Joanne Crawford, a wildlife ecologist who told National Geographic that she loves putting her nose down there and breathing it all in.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bea ... f44a9ed259

[der wo]

raketemensch,

yes. But they should know, what it is, what they like. For me a Rum with a fake years number and added aroma and selling words like "Navy" or "original" is a similar fake like "original ol'moonshine" mason jars with headsy new make.

Then, when one says, yes, but I simply like it, perhaps not always, but often I like this special aroma, mouthfeel and sweetness, then it's ok.

You know, I eat way too much cheap sweet candy things. I know it's bad. But I can't stop eating it.

And this thread is not about "hey I like this Rum", it's about how to make such a drink. And the mentioned ideas like adding a fe drops dunder to the spirit lead in a totally wrong direction I think. Dunder doesn't contain vannillin and glycerol.

[NZChris]

I don't have a problem with emulating barrel aging by putting botanicals into the still for the spirit run, or into the finished rum as essence, (as long as I made the essence).
The solera system can be emulated without barrels by recycling dominoes.

Nobody can throw you a 'recipe', Denizh. It takes time, effort and research. Have you got what it takes?

[alohashine]

Zacapa is made with all the tricks the industry allows:
http://durhum.com/here-we-rum/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
They detected huge amounts of sugar, glycerol and artificial vanillin. They only tested those three substances, probably Zacapa contains also other shit.

And the solera method is a trick to write a high number on the bottle without having to age for a long time...

Unfortunately those Rums are the Rums with the highest sales numbers. And even homedistillers are successfully hoodwinked.

Very cool article. I'm a rookie rum maker at best, and my rum is not that good (Yet). However, I wouldn't add any of that garbage to my rum to try to make it better.
But I wouldn't mind a solera barrel!

[Tater]

Tried this rum last april. my rum tastes very similar to it .I use caramelized sugar sherry honey and real vanilla in my recipe

[Bushman]

I stopped at All Star Liquor to check out discounted alcohol at the California / Oregon border. Looked at the various rums thinking I might want to buy a couple bottles for comparison but decided I now have so much rum I didn't need to add more. Tater your added ingredients sound good.

[Havenor]

I've been on a quest for the perfect rum the last 3 years and after messing around with melting sugar, making caramel, toasting it, and slightly burning it, in various combinations I've come to the conclusion it's a combination of the oak and actually slightly burning the sugar. My best find so far is a coconut sugar. It has a lower sugar content and tends to burn once you start heating it. I have no idea how the guys in the Caribbean do it, what type of sugar, or the process, but it seems they gain the color they want, can darken, and it only adds very mild sugar in the process. My best duplication is the coconut sugar, but it's tough to work with. I melt it, as carefully as possible, and then make brittle with it and break off chunks to add to the final product. The end result is a slighty burnt sugar that is much less sweet than regular sugar. You wouldn't want to eat it, but when you add it to the rum it gives great color, it's darker, adds depth, and it barely adds sweetness. I no longer believe in the backset method and I'm firmly convinced much of what the experts do is related to burnt sugars combined with oak.

[Tapeman]

I just finished a spirit run. Pot still with empty column for stripping runs, then same column with Rashi rings and copper scrubbies for some reflux. It went great, stripping started at 60% and I ran it down to about 25%. The spirit run started at 80% and I took it down to the same 25% to collect some tails. The molasses flavor is very pronounced and if I can find some coconut sugar I'll try your idea. Brown sugar scorched on the stove is good but does add a lot of sweetness. Thanks for the post.