Exclusive Interview with Néstor Alfonso Ortega Sotero, Master Distiller of Santa Teresa Rum

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Q: What is your full name, title, company name and location?

Néstor Alfonso Ortega Sotero, Master Distiller of Santa Teresa Rum, Hacienda Santa Teresa, El Consejo. Aragua State, Venezuela.

Q: I understand you joined CA Ron Santa Teresa in May of 1980, almost 40 years ago, amazing!  How much have the distillation and aging processes/ methodologies changed in Santa Teresa over these 4 decades?

Yes, it is incredible, but true. Undoubtedly and faithful to our spirit of daring to embrace challenges, we strive to learn something new every day about the art of making rum, and that is why I am proud of working in a family owned distillery with more than 220 years of history at the Hacienda Santa Teresa, in Venezuela. 

In fact, to celebrate the bicentennial of the Hacienda Santa Teresa, the 4th generation of the Vollmer family, challenged the team of master distillers, ten years before the anniversary, to create the best-crafted rum in the world. However, developing it involved daring to do things in a different way than we were used to, which implied going beyond the conventionalities of the process and trying different things. Since rum was not perceived as a premium dark spirit drink, and the Venezuelan market was mainly concentrated in whisky, we were willing to develop a rum with a unique sensory profile that could compete with whiskies both locally and internationally. With this in mind, we decided to incorporate the Solera Method to our rum production process, which was traditionally used only for brandy and sherry. The result was an exceptional liquid that we called Santa Teresa 1796®. 

As a Master Distiller, I can say that what makes this liquid so unique, is that it still maintains a portion of the mother rums from its first batch from 1992, because it is mandatory for us to never fully empty the Solera barrels. For this reason, we proudly say that Santa Teresa 1796® is a rum that evolves in every sip. 

Q: Can you describe the different types of alcohols you distill to produce your portfolio of rums?

In order to produce our rum portfolio, we distill two types of alcohols using the continuous distillation process, in which we obtain heavy alcohols with high congeneric in the first column and light alcohols with low congeneric in the fourth column. Heavy alcohols provide a set of flavors and aromas, and light alcohols provide less aromas and flavors but offer a majority content of alcohol. 

In the case of Santa Teresa 1796®, we reactivated our old pot still distillery in order to obtain heavy alcohols with much more aromas from the rest of the liquids, to achieve with a drop by drop distillation, richness of flavor and fruity aromas. 

Using two types of fermentation and distillation (continuous and batch), aging these three different types of alcohol (heavy and light alcohols, and pot still) from 4 years up to 35 years, and then blending them to age again in the Solera Cellar – which provides smoothness, balance, maturity and the perfect marriage of the rums - result in Santa Teresa’s signature for its quality and distinguished flavor. 

Santa Teresa 1796® is the first aged rum to use this method in 100% of its liquid.

Q: How many different rums do you currently produce?

At Santa Teresa we are dedicated to the production of aged rums, which is our core business. We have developed a commercial portfolio (Santa Teresa Linaje®, Santa Teresa Gran Reserva® and Santa Teresa Claro®), but we have specialized in the development of super premium products such as our flagship Santa Teresa 1796®, that is currently sold in more than 80 countries worldwide. We have also developed exclusive liquids for a very specific target, such as Bicentenario®, a rum that contains our oldest and most precious reserves; and Bodega Privada®, a private reserve sold by barrel and each bottle can be personalized.  

Additionally, we also have developed rum based products, which are part of Santa Teresa’s secondary portfolio: Arakú® and Rhum Orange®, that have coffee and orange macerations respectively.  

Santa Teresa 1796® 

A super premium rum with blends from 4 up to 35 years aged in American oak barrels - that were previously used for aging Bourbon. It was created, as I mentioned before, to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Hacienda Santa Teresa. This rounded rum offers a balance that can only be achieved through the artisanal Solera method: it is full-bodied while still delicate, elegant and velvety. As you can see, it is a rum with a complex production process but it is easy to discover.

We say that it is easy to discover due to its versatility. You can enjoy it neat, like ultra-premium whiskies, or in straightforward or classic cocktails, like an Old Fashioned. It is ideal to enjoy individually or in special occasions with close friends, and it can be a perfect, thoughtful gift. 

To produce a rum with a quality such as this requires time and patience. For this reason, we do not use any chemicals or shortcuts to enhance the flavor of Santa Teresa 1796®. It is a very artisanal process, with a final touch of a handmade wax seal, which allows the inspection of each bottle individually.  For all of these reasons, Santa Teresa 1796® has received more than 30 international awards and has been described as the “best crafted rum in the world” by the experts.  

Santa Teresa Linaje® Extra Aged

With a silky body, notes of wood and an intense amber color, Santa Teresa Linaje® is a balanced extra aged rum with blends of young and mature rums aged from 2 years up to 10 years, with undertones of the most precious reserves of Santa Teresa. It is the perfect rum to be used in trending cocktails.  

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva® Aged 

A balanced rum with fruity and mature aromas that evokes sweet sugarcane and an extensive range of notes, from buttery praline to peppery spices. It is a liquid that combines the freshness and subtle firmness of wood. Its blend has medium and mature rums aged from 2 up to 5 years in American Oak barrels, with a dry yet fruity and silky body but firm and smooth to the palate. Santa Teresa Gran Reserva® is ideal for classic and casual drinks like the famous “Cuba Libre”.  

Santa Teresa Claro® Aged

Especially designed for the preparation of cocktails, Santa Teresa Claro® is a bright, golden and dense rum with a distinctive aroma of sugar cane, fruity with notes of apple, banana, pineapple and a light wood fragrance. Its blend has rum from 2 years up to 3 years also aged in American oak barrels. Santa Teresa Claro® is a sweet rum ideal to prepare mojitos and daiquiris. 

Q: You are known for using continuous fermentation, can you tell us how long it has been in place and what some of its advantages and disadvantages are?

The continuous fermentation process was implanted in the year 1979 with the technology from the Austrian company Vogelbush. The principal advantage of this method is that it gives us a must with low congeneric content that will be fermented between 12 and 14 hours. I can say the downside of it is that it is highly demanding because it requires a constant control of each variable during its five stages (active 24/7). 

Nonetheless, in the case of our flagship product, Santa Teresa 1796®, we decided to add to the process the batch fermentation for which we save a volume of fermented must - coming from the continuous fermentation of the molasses -  that will undergo a secondary fermentation process by batch during 2 – 4 weeks. This process will help us generate more aromatic congenerics from the rest and to achieve richness of flavor and fruity aromas.

Q: Can you tell us about the cane juice/molasses you use for fermentation?

We use molasses of high extraction “black strap” and/or B or sweet molasses, depending on the type of alcohol we want to produce. 

Q: Has climate change in recent years affected the duration of the sugarcane harvest and/or the quality/quantity of cane being harvested?

In the case of Venezuela, climate change has not had an impact on the quality of our sugarcane. As we have only 2 seasons during the year (rainy and summer season), I can say that the only difference has been in the timing of each one (our harvest or “zafra” season usually happens between September and December, but sometimes it can begin later between December and March). We believe that all efforts are crucial to address this important issue. For this reason, at Santa Teresa we work constantly to protect our environment with several initiatives such as the preservation of the water fountains that surround our Hacienda and the reutilization of the distillation byproducts, such as vinasses, as a fertilizer or for organic compost. Nonetheless, we are constantly searching for new initiatives to address this matter. 

Q: Approximately how many barrels are in your aging warehouses and what are some of the challenges of managing such a large aging program?

We are confronted with several challenges thanks to the size of our aging program. Amongst the most important ones are: (i) to have lower levels of liquid losses, considering the climate conditions in Venezuela – with very hot days and cold nights – specially in our more aged products; (ii) to replace and repair our barrel lots (including the purchase of new barrels and maintenance of current ones); and (iii) to anticipate how much the market is going to growth in order to attend the consumers’ demand, considering that our rum has blends from 4 years up to 35 years of aging. 

Q: One of your many responsibilities is Research and Development.  Can you share information on any topics you are currently researching or one that has been particularly interesting?

The main particular topic was the implementation of the Solera Method to a rum process, being Santa Teresa 1796® the first aged rum to use this method in 100% of its liquid.

Additionally, we are always looking to improve our processes in general, from the liquids in distillation to the aging process. This includes making constant trials with blends and preparations in our laboratories, pursuing to achieve improvements in our current portfolio and possible new products. This comes with a permanent research and trial of products based on consumer and industry trends and also our capabilities in the rum production process. 

Q: Most large alcohol producers have social programs to “give back” to their communities, but I haven’t seen anything like the Project Alcatraz from Santa Teresa.  Can you share some details with our readers?

In 2003 three young men with guns entered the Hacienda Santa Teresa and assaulted a security guard. The criminals were caught and we gave them the opportunity to make a decision that would change their lives and ours too: they could either go back to the police or, to compensate for what they did, they could work for three months without pay at the Hacienda. They chose the second option, and a week later the criminals were back but with more gang members willing to accept the three month challenge. 

This is how Project Alcatraz was born. It is a program of social reinsertion for former criminals that, through rugby and its values (respect, responsibility, transparency, merit, humility and trust), transforms gang members into team members and former criminals into craftsmen.

This project has succeeded in dismantling ten notorious gangs, without firing a single shot, dramatically reducing the incidence of violent crime in Revenga. It also has a program of penitentiary rugby, which operates in 18 centers in Venezuela with more than 650 inmates playing rugby. Lastly, it has a preventative line through Community Rugby that has incorporated more than 2000 children. Today, some of the members of Project Alcatraz have become ambassadors of our purpose, and they travel around the world sharing their stories of real transformation to inspire others. 

This has been an extraordinary experience, which has changed the vision of the company and has allowed us to find our purpose: “to be a tool of transformation and a source of inspiration, transformation of the challenges we face, by enabling people to reveal the best they have got, inspiration that we share and celebrate with every bottle”. 

Q: Will you be celebrating your 40 years at Santa Teresa with a special edition rum?

We are always working on different projects to celebrate Santa Teresa Rum and rum enthusiasts. I invite you to follow us on social media to find out about our future projects: Instagram (@santateresarum) or Facebook: Santa Teresa Rum.

Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you?

They may reach me through my e-mail address: nortega@ronsantateresa.com  and they can find out more about the company, our rums and our purpose through our website and social media: www.santateresarum.com.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

I would like to invite everyone to find out more about our purpose and Project Alcatraz with this video that was produced by Canal+ “Informe Robinson”: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNyGnfByZO0

Margaret: Again Néstor, thank you so much for this interview and I wish you and your team much success.

Margaret Ayala, Publisher