Underwater Aging of Rum/Spirits

[CaymanRumBaron]

Hi all,

Down here in Cayman, we have a new micro distillery that claims to age thier rum underwater, that is under the sea. The name of the distillery is Seven Fathoms and age their rum at this depth underwater, which is around 42 feet.

What are your thoughts on this aging process, supposedly its the only distillery that does this type of aging for rum.

My thoughts that it would not age very quickly, reason being that oxidation would not occur as quickly as its underwater.
Another thought is that barrels "breathe" and what would they breathe in underwater? Saltwater?

[MuleKicker]

I saw something on these guys. I know that pressure, and constant temp play a large role.

[LWTCS]

Thought that was you (CRB) that supplied the forum with the link to these guys.

Sounded like marketing to me. I mean, what a logistic hassel it would seem to be to have to hustle all your product out of the sea every time a hurricane rolled through.

Then, just the requisite monitering I assume would be needed to ensure that the process has not been compromised.

Have you seen the entire operation?

Did you know that only a (less than half of total volume) percentage of bottled spring water has to come from an actual spring for these companies to be able to legally call their product "spring water"?

[MuleKicker]

Hey... how about i throw some wiskey in a jug out in the swamp behind my house. "swamp likker" thats what i call it

[CaymanRumBaron]

No LWTCS, This is the first post from me about them.

But I was also thinking along those lines, in a regular warehouse to sample the product, just unbung a barrel and sample away. Makes me think that they dont sample, atleast not regularly or until they are ready to bottle.

And you are probably correct that their product is a blend of regular aged rum and the underwater aged stuff with maybe a small portion ,say half, of thier product actually aged underwater. That being said, the rum is proably not aged very long, just enough to color it. The fact that its made from local grown sugar cane and batch distilled in a copper still would proably make it better than the nasty imported commercial "tourist grade" stuff.

Mulekicker, lol, thats classic. good luck marketing it though, "Whisky with hint of swamp essense" or "Taste the Swamp". lol

I have seen pictures of the underwater cave or rather hole in the coral reef, where the stash is located and it is very small, not much space to expand and the fact that hurricane season is about to start would keep up at night worrying about my stash, not to mention someone finding it with all the diving activity around here.

[LWTCS]

I'm not totally discounting the concept.

Similarly, apparently lots of puerto Ricans burry their rum macerations in the earth.

Mark all the locations accordingly to measure time spent burried.

[CaymanRumBaron]

Me either but logistics, raw materials and batch process aside, I cant really see how the underwater aging process would be better than aging above water, other than being unique and a good marketing ploy.

Pritchards Rum Distillery in Tennesee ages in small barrels, batch distills in a pot still, uses table grade mollasses and ages thier product for atleast 2 years. Their 3 year old rum has the character of a 8 year old rum or so im told. So to me, underwater aging would slow down the aging process and make a older rum taste younger.

[CaymanRumBaron]

I just read that it is retailing for $40 a 750 mls bottle and is only 2 years old.

Also I just confirmed that the underwater process is only "part of the maturation process". They also said the rocking of the waves is beneficial to the aging effect. I still think BS.

[rubber duck]

I just read that it is retailing for $40 a 750 mls bottle and is only 2 years old.

Also I just confirmed that the underwater process is only "part of the maturation process". They also said the rocking of the waves is beneficial to the aging effect. I still think BS.

The rocking does help. I've experimented aging on boats. In the 49er days the best whiskey came around the horn on cutter ships. Even though the trip was fast then the trip on a steamer the whiskey was better partially due to the rough ride. That's the rumor anyway.

[MuleKicker]

Hey baron....... I see you picking up a scuba diving hobby here real soon... Seven Fathoms may be a couple barrels short.......... I wont tell.

[kiwistiller]

Who needs scuba for 7 fathoms?
-FreedivingKiwi

[rubber duck]

Who needs scuba for 7 fathoms?
-FreedivingKiwi

+1 Fish and game won't allow them for abalone, gotta hold your breath.

[kiwistiller]

Same here duck.

Hey so this underwater aging. are they putting a barrel underwater? What is the vessel it is in?

[MuleKicker]

Cut me some slack guys. Im from midwest US, only seen the ocean a few times in my life.

[rubber duck]

I'll give you a pass MK. A guy can get pretty deep with just a weight belt and a good set of lungs.

I would think it would have to be 316 stainless drums and I'll bet they zinc the outside. That's my guess, I would like to know more on this subject.

[kiwistiller]

can't imagine any benefits experienced inside a stainless drum. must be marketing.

[rad14701]

Cut me some slack guys. Im from midwest US, only seen the ocean a few times in my life.

Hey, I'm closer to the ocean than you at roughly 460 miles, and have never been there... You could always replicate the effect by placing your barrel in a [salt] water pressure vessel with 18.5 psi applied... Add a bit of motion to mimic the current pressure and you should be just about there... No seven fathoms required... "Ahrrr... Pirate Rum from the heartland."

[CaymanRumBaron]

Im a certified openwater scuba diver so I might just go take a look see
Our seawater has 200 to 300 ft visibility so if its down there you will see it.

RubberDuck, I agree with the beneficial effect of motion on aging. It been discussed on here before.

The rocking motion creates agitiation inside the barrel which would in turn give the rum more contact with the barrel. The way I see it is that only the rum that is in contact with the barrel can age or get the benefit of the wood which would mean that the rum in the middle of the barrel is not aging as quickly. Of course convection currents inside a static barrel would help move around the rum but not quite as much or as quickly.

All that being said, if the vessel or vessels are tucked away deep in a cave hole, its not the same as if it were out in the open water where the effect of the waves would much more greater. Same idea as being in a cave, at the mouth of the cave theres some wind but further in, the air is static.

[CaymanRumBaron]

Here yall go. A local news story on them with video.

http://www.cayman27.com.ky/news/item/5202" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

@ 0:36 in you will see a shot of the vessels the rum is in underwater. Not quite sure what to make of it. looks like SS but round so it could be a barrel. Maybe one of you guys with sharper eyes could figure it out.

[kiwistiller]

hah spot the home distilling personality in that video. a cake for the first correct answer (with username)

[rad14701]

hah spot the home distilling personality in that video. a cake for the first correct answer (with username)

That would be Pintoshine...

[LWTCS]

Recon that'd be pintoshine.

[kiwistiller]

Rad wins the cake!
Ldub a close second

[rad14701]

Recon that'd be pintoshine.

You snooze, you lose...

[LWTCS]

I do feel like a loozzzzer. Damn.

[MuleKicker]

Thats where I heard of these guys before! Ive seen that video. mmmm, that does look like good cake.....Sherman...

[rad14701]

I'll share... I don't like walnuts or milk...

[kiwistiller]

then you're in luck, because those are pecans and it's mock cream

[cob]

can't imagine any benefits experienced inside a stainless drum. must be marketing.

@ 0:33 "aged in oak casks at 7 fathoms". caymanrumbaron would you buy a bottle so you can report if it tastes salty? cob

[rubber duck]

I'll bet that the main reason they really do this is to avoid the atrocious barrel evaporation rate that would occur if they aged on land. I assume it's hot and humid there. I've heard that there can be up to a 10% loss per year.