Dark Rum Flavoring and Aging

[Johnnywhiskey]

I just graduated from sugar washes and am trying a rum wash for the first time (2 gal. fancy molasses, 5 lbs. brown sugar, 10 gal total).

My goal is to make a dark rum like Kraken or Meyer's Dark Rum and I could use some advice.

First, I take it that aging on charred oak is the way to go for color? Do I have to worry about too much oaky flavor? I have oak chips and was thinking about aging with 20g of charred chips per liter of cask strength rum (~120 proof). Yea, I'm all over the place with English and Metric.

Second, what are you experiences with additives? I have read a couple recipes on HD and they really diverge here--(1) carmelized sugar (caramel coloring), (2) molasses, (3) dunder or (4) aged dunder. Going back to my goal, I would like a very dark rum with a rich caramelly or even buttery flavor without adding much sweetness to the rum.

I would love to hear what additives have been used, in what amounts, and what the resulting flavor was like.

Thanks, JW

[bearriver]

This says the big boys often use molasses: http://www.examiner.com/article/rum-101 ... -black-rum" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I think you would enjoy the Buccaneer Bob's Rum recipe to get darkness without the sweetness of molasses. They just added it to the T&T section.

There is a specific method detailed there that you can add to any of the other wonderful rum recipes for your dark rum. Or simply follow the original recipe from Buc

[frozenthunderbolt]

1+ on B.B.'s dunder essence. Needs about 3 months to balance out fully after adding it though. I use it in conjunction with heavy toast, light char oak

[MDH]

Many dark rums are flavored with a similar set of spices to rootbeer; sans the evergreen herbs (such as mint or spruce). Think caramel, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla.

[bearriver]

Larry?

[frozenthunderbolt]

Larry?

Yep his (I believe) daughter's spiced rum recipe is the good one.
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 11&t=24301

[bearriver]

I meant to say...

LWTCS?