My rum never tastes like rum

[Distillusioned]

TL;DR: another drunken brain dump. Sorry.

First of all, I'm not complaining because I don't really care much for rum; however, I love my product...have no idea what to call it, though. It's technically rum, but I don't think anyone would identify it as such.

Actually, nothing I make tastes like anything you can buy. I feel like I'd like to put more effort into re-creating commercial spirts...not because I like them, but because I want to know what makes my stuff different from theirs.

The only rums I've had are Bacardi Silver and Kirk and Sweeny 12 year old. The latter is what made me want to try making rum. I rather enjoy that one. Reminds me more of a Scotch than a rum, aside from the sweetness it has.

I've tried a lot of variations, but this is what I've settled upon and have made a crap-ton of. Not sure it this one is "mine" or if I found it somewhere. It's pretty basic, so it's not like it's something unique.

1/2 gallon of molasses
4 pounds turbinado sugar
Water sufficient to make 4 gallons.
Yeast. Either bread yeast or DADY, depending on my mood and which one is closer.

Aged on medium toasted and moderately charred oak (chips! ) to give it a nice spicy/cinnamon flavor.

I looked over this for new ideas, and it's a wealth of information: https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 01&t=73806

I suspect maybe I should venture into some dunder/muck territory if I really want to make rum that tastes like rum (but I don't think that's what I want).

I also looked at a list of rums and the type/amount of backsweetening they have, so maybe that's the issue. I have tried backsweetening a glass at a time, but it doesn't really result in anything more favorable than the unsweetened drop.

Any thoughts as to why my rum doesn't taste like rum? Or is it just because I don't know what rum tastes like?

[Hambone]

Not much molasses in your recipe …all molasses would give a stronger, more “rummy” flavor.

IMO brand new rums don’t tend to impress.

Also, check the T&T. Read Pugirum, SBB, and Buccaneer Bobs. BB also discusses dark rum essence using dunder or wash, which could add significant flavor if that’s what you’re after.

[Distillusioned]

Not much molasses in your recipe …all molasses would give a stronger, more “rummy” flavor.

IMO brand new rums don’t tend to impress.

Also, check the T&T. Read Pugirum, SBB, and Buccaneer Bobs. BB also discusses dark rum essence using dunder or wash, which could add significant flavor if that’s what you’re after.

Thanks, Hambone, I have skimmed most of T&T, and I'll certainly mess around with a lot of those, both rum and otherwise. Too much stuff to try there, for sure.

My biggest issue is that my stuff is lacking whatever key flavor(s) would make it identifiable as rum. Same could be said for my other concoctions.

At the end of the day, I don't care too much. My posts obviously indicate that I enjoy my stuff...perhaps too much.

Edit: and I don't really know what I'm after. I'm certainly no expert on pre-made rum, so that's kind of a hindrance. I reckon I should buy/taste more rums to refine my palate.

[SaltyStaves]

I reckon I should buy/taste more rums to refine my palate.

I think that is a good idea. Rum is a much greater category of spirit than most people realise. I would not put my best sipping rums in a cocktail and I wouldn't sip my best cocktail rums.

[Saltbush Bill]

99.9 percent of all of the worlds Rum is made from molasses, no sugar added. IMO you will get much more rum flavour using it rather than sugar in the wash.

I reckon I should buy/taste more rums to refine my palate.

Excellent Idea, with out trying different rums you wont know what to expect, there are many that taste much the same .....and some that dont.
White Rums and Dark Rums for instance a very different creatures in my mind, and to my tastes.

[Jstroke]

I would just like to affirm your observation that like you, my stuff doesn’t much taste like commercial and I couldn’t be more pleased. Have I reached the pinnacle? Absolutely not. Is it recognizable? Kind of. The problem is people expect harshness and heads etc, so they tell me it doesn’t taste like.... I personally couldn’t care less. It’s part of the delight that it’s “original”

[acfixer69]

Not much molasses in your recipe …all molasses would give a stronger, more “rummy” flavor.

IMO brand new rums don’t tend to impress.

Also, check the T&T. Read Pugirum, SBB, and Buccaneer Bobs. BB also discusses dark rum essence using dunder or wash, which could add significant flavor if that’s what you’re after.

Thanks, Hambone, I have skimmed most of T&T, and I'll certainly mess around with a lot of those, both rum and otherwise. Too much stuff to try there, for sure.

My biggest issue is that my stuff is lacking whatever key flavor(s) would make it identifiable as rum. Same could be said for my other concoctions.

At the end of the day, I don't care too much. My posts obviously indicate that I enjoy my stuff...perhaps too much.

Edit: and I don't really know what I'm after. I'm certainly no expert on pre-made rum, so that's kind of a hindrance. I reckon I should buy/taste more rums to refine my palate.

If you like what you make drink it. If you want it to be different then try something different, if you don't know what you want we can't help you find that.

[River Rat]

Same here boys. I haven't tried many rums and only recently made my first batch of rum, so I'm at the beginning of that journey. But I do know bourbons. Mine tastes nothing like any commercial bourbon - even when I've tried to copy a particular recipe. I think it's still just as tasty but it's definitely different. Nothing wrong with being different.

[Hambone]

Same here boys. I haven't tried many rums and only recently made my first batch of rum, so I'm at the beginning of that journey. But I do know bourbons. Mine tastes nothing like any commercial bourbon - even when I've tried to copy a particular recipe. I think it's still just as tasty but it's definitely different. Nothing wrong with being different.

You’re just missing out on the heads in the commercial stuff. Which is no loss, IMO

[Distillusioned]

Same here boys. I haven't tried many rums and only recently made my first batch of rum, so I'm at the beginning of that journey. But I do know bourbons. Mine tastes nothing like any commercial bourbon - even when I've tried to copy a particular recipe. I think it's still just as tasty but it's definitely different. Nothing wrong with being different.

You’re just missing out on the heads in the commercial stuff. Which is no loss, IMO

Agreed. I know whiskey much better than rum. I add a bit more of the late heads to gain back some of the bite without turning it to swill.

[Distillusioned]

If you like what you make drink it. If you want it to be different then try something different, if you don't know what you want we can't help you find that.

I mostly just want to know what makes rum identifiable as rum and why mine doesn't seem to have it.

[Hambone]

If you like what you make drink it. If you want it to be different then try something different, if you don't know what you want we can't help you find that.

I mostly just want to know what makes rum identifiable as rum and why mine doesn't seem to have it.

Mole asses

[Distillusioned]

If you like what you make drink it. If you want it to be different then try something different, if you don't know what you want we can't help you find that.

I mostly just want to know what makes rum identifiable as rum and why mine doesn't seem to have it.

Mole asses

Fair enough. Next batch'll be 100% molasses for comparison.

[NZChris]

Search the web for the rums you want to emulate and try to find out as much as you can about how they make them.

E.g. a quick search finds that Kirk and Sweeny is made from blackstrap molasses and that their 12yo is aged in American oak barrels for 12 years, (not for a few months on a handful of charred chips).

[Distillusioned]

Search the web for the rums you want to emulate and try to find out as much as you can about how they make them.

E.g. a quick search finds that Kirk and Sweeny is made from blackstrap molasses and that their 12yo is aged in American oak barrels for 12 years, (not for a few months on a handful of charred chips).

Well, I do have some with split oak in them, but it'll be around another 10 years to see if they come out like a nice 12-year-old. lol They do smell nice, though.

Have you (or anyone else reading this) had K&S? If so, what's your opinion of it compared to other rums? Any suggestions for some others to try to expand my knowledge of the flavors?

[Distillusioned]

Search the web for the rums you want to emulate and try to find out as much as you can about how they make them.

E.g. a quick search finds that Kirk and Sweeny is made from blackstrap molasses and that their 12yo is aged in American oak barrels for 12 years, (not for a few months on a handful of charred chips).

Wait...did you edit this to change what it's made from? I'd swear I read it as sugarcane juice or something like that.

[Saltbush Bill]

You’re just missing out on the heads in the commercial stuff

And the hangover.

I mostly just want to know what makes rum identifiable as rum

Molasses and time on oak, preferably in a barrel.
As someone else has already said , that doesn't mean 3 months in a jar with a hand full of chips.

[NZChris]

Search the web for the rums you want to emulate and try to find out as much as you can about how they make them.

E.g. a quick search finds that Kirk and Sweeny is made from blackstrap molasses and that their 12yo is aged in American oak barrels for 12 years, (not for a few months on a handful of charred chips).

Wait...did you edit this to change what it's made from? I'd swear I read it as sugarcane juice or something like that.

Yes. I made a mistake. Most Dominican rums are based on sugarcane juice, but not Kirk and Sweeny.

[NZChris]

BTW, my two favorite commercial rums are made by distilleries that don't use molasses.

Many here have made fine rums using unrefined cane sugar, by it's various regional names, rather than molasses.

See https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A ... CA0&uact=5

[Distillusioned]

BTW, my two favorite commercial rums are made by distilleries that don't use molasses.

Many here have made fine rums using unrefined cane sugar, by it's various regional names, rather than molasses.

See https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A ... CA0&uact=5

Interesting...Hook's (modified) Rum (https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62273) sounds awfully similar to what I've been making, at least recipe-wise. Hell, for all I know, my stuff actually does taste like rum. lol

[River Rat]

Same here boys. I haven't tried many rums and only recently made my first batch of rum, so I'm at the beginning of that journey. But I do know bourbons. Mine tastes nothing like any commercial bourbon - even when I've tried to copy a particular recipe. I think it's still just as tasty but it's definitely different. Nothing wrong with being different.

You’re just missing out on the heads in the commercial stuff. Which is no loss, IMO

Agreed. I've tasted a few commercial offerings that aren't too headsy, but they're all too expensive considering you can just make your own.

[NZChris]

How you ferment and how you distill and choose cuts make differences too. You've said nothing about that. I have tricks I use for all of those to maximize flavor. None of them secret, they've all been discussed in various rum threads by various posters.

[Distillusioned]

How you ferment and how you distill and choose cuts make differences too. You've said nothing about that. I have tricks I use for all of those to maximize flavor. None of them secret, they've all been discussed in various rum threads by various posters.

I usually ferment around 70 degrees F. Fairly constant temperature. Always fermented to complete dryness. The finished wash has a strong molasses smell, and has a pleasant taste (well, for what it is; I don't think I'd bottle it). I always start each batch fresh (i.e. no backset etc.). I haven't measured the SG in a long time, but IIRC think it's a bit on the high side.

I do stripping runs followed by a medium-speed spirit run. I do my cuts mostly by smell, as I find I generally get better results than by taste. Sometimes I let them air out overnight; sometimes not. I don't know how to quantify "smells good" and "smells bad" into objective terms, but I guess I can put numbers on it for some frame of reference. By still output ABV (pot still), I pretty much unconditionally keep everything between 70 and 60 %. I'll selectively keep/reject the later jars down to about 55%. I might take some of the late heads if they strike my fancy. Sometimes I'll throw the previous runs' feints in; other times I'll run them on their own (I fancy those all-feints runs more than the main run a lot of the times).

[Hambone]

A lot of the flavor comes late in the hearts and even early into tails. I’d recommend reviewing kiwi’s guide to making cuts. I’d let samples air one or even 2-3 days.

Do you save the rum oils to add to subsequent runs?

Also dunder in each wash can help add flavor…

[River Rat]

I do my cuts mostly by smell, as I find I generally get better results than by taste.

I would caution against that. I made a single recipe for years and got comfortable with it to the point I only made cuts by smell. Then I decided to get out of the box and try something new. Made cuts by smell as usual and ruined the whole blend. It ended up tasting like a straight tails jar once I proofed it down a little and let it sit a while. Just my $0.02

[Distillusioned]

A lot of the flavor comes late in the hearts and even early into tails. I’d recommend reviewing kiwi’s guide to making cuts. I’d let samples air one or even 2-3 days.

Do you save the rum oils to add to subsequent runs?

Also dunder in each wash can help add flavor…

I've been trying pushing my cuts wider. It's hard to know the results early on, though. Seems like no matter how much I make, I can't keep any around for too long. My oldest rum, while it smells good, still doesn't make me think "this is rum." But I've had much more of my rum than any commercial rum, so who knows.

I did try saving/adding the rum oils once. I didn't notice any real difference, but I've never been good at tasting.

I should try adding dunder, though.

I'm probably over thinking it all. I enjoy my drink, and I reckon that's all that matters. I appreciate all the input, though.

[Distillusioned]

I do my cuts mostly by smell, as I find I generally get better results than by taste.

I would caution against that. I made a single recipe for years and got comfortable with it to the point I only made cuts by smell. Then I decided to get out of the box and try something new. Made cuts by smell as usual and ruined the whole blend. It ended up tasting like a straight tails jar once I proofed it down a little and let it sit a while. Just my $0.02

You're no doubt correct. My smeller is much better than my taster, though. I've tried learning how to taste sprits and identify all the flavors people talk about, but I can't seem to get it. Plus it all tastes more-or-less the same to me before it has time to age. All part of the learning curve, I suppose.

[OtisT]

I do my cuts mostly by smell, as I find I generally get better results than by taste.

I would caution against that. I made a single recipe for years and got comfortable with it to the point I only made cuts by smell. Then I decided to get out of the box and try something new. Made cuts by smell as usual and ruined the whole blend. It ended up tasting like a straight tails jar once I proofed it down a little and let it sit a while. Just my $0.02

You're no doubt correct. My smeller is much better than my taster, though. I've tried learning how to taste sprits and identify all the flavors people talk about, but I can't seem to get it. Plus it all tastes more-or-less the same to me before it has time to age. All part of the learning curve, I suppose.

I started out making cuts by smell and eventually migrated to making cuts by taste for a much more consistent cut point. Just my preference. While I have smelled and tasted some wonderful things during the cut process it is not the good things I am looking for and I did not learn to make consistent cuts by good tastes. I learned how to identify the bad tastes and mouth feel of heads and tails so I know what to cut out. Different spirits have different good flavors and smells but no matter the spirit type you are distilling, they all have ethyl acetate and propanol in them to be cut out. Just another 2 cents worth of advice. Otis

[Saltbush Bill]

I dont think there is a right or wrong way to make cuts, some prefer to taste , some to smell, some do both, I can smell tails a long way before i will ever taste them.

[OtisT]

I dont think there is a right or wrong way to make cuts, some prefer to taste , some to smell, some do both, I can smell tails a long way before i will ever taste them.

Agreed. I guess I can be too long winded some time, because the main point was not about switching him to taste. It was that maybe he should try smelling for what to cut out, not what to keep.