The first distillation of rum took place on the sugarcane plantations of the Caribbean in the 17th century. Plantation slaves discovered that molasses, a byproduct of the sugar refining process, could be fermented into alcohol. Later, the distillation of these alcoholic byproducts concentrated the alcohol and removed impurities, producing the first true rums.

Interesting fact: The grades and variations used to describe rum depend on the location where a rum was produced. Despite these variations, certain terms are frequently used:

Dark rums are distinguished by their colour. They are typically aged longer, in heavy charred barrels, giving them a richer flavour. Hints of spices can be detected, along with a strong molasses or caramel overtone.

Gold rums, which gain their colour from ageing in wooden barrels, are medium-bodied and can be considered midway between light rum and the darker varieties.

Light rums, also referred to as ‘silver’ or ‘white’ rums, have very little flavour aside from a general sweetness. They are sometimes filtered after ageing to remove any colour, resulting in a milder taste.

Spanish-controlled distillers in Cuba, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico typically produced smooth rums called añejo. English colonial holdings, including Jamaica, Bermuda and Barbados, made darker rums with more molasses character. In French colonies like Haiti and Martinique, rhum Agricole as it is known is made from sugar cane juice. With pungent botanical aromas, these rums bear some similarity in flavour to Cachaca.