Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Luis Ayala- Rum Consultant
Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Of Oak and Tannins
Tannins are an abundant substance found throughout the plant kingdom. Their existence is attributed as a form of self-defense for plants to fend off nibbling insects, thanks to their inherent bitter and astringent taste. It is ironic to me, then, that the largest predator of all, has found so many practical uses for these tannins that those plants rich in them are specially cultivated and harvested.
In the early days, tannins were valued for their ability to tan animal hides, thus their name. Soon after, their use as an oxygen scavenger was exploited by the wine producers, since it was determined that oxygen was the main culprit responsible for the undesirable transformation of wine into vinegar. Nowadays, wine producers also cherish tannins for their color fixation properties.
The role of tannins in the aging of spirits has been the topic of numerous discussions, many by yours truly, so I’ll spare you from having to read it once again here. Suffice it to say that tannins have played an important role in the quantification of qualification of aging statements and procedures and have also been brought up inside courthouses in cases where it has been important to differentiate original products from illegally-made counterfeits.
The medical establishment has also spent considerable time and resources exploring the curative properties of tannins, with valuable results coming out of the fields of bioavailability and carcinogenicity.
Making rum is all about alchemy, starting with the extraction of sugarcane juice from a tropical graminea, followed by the conversion of those sugars into desirable alcohols, then the concentration and separation of those alcohols through distillation and finally refining the rum into a superb final product through careful aging. What makes the end product even more enjoyable, is that neither the cane nor the oak tree were designed by nature to easily give up their bounty, it required thirst, imagination, savvy and a hefty dose of hard work to create an industry out of all these disparate elements.
Well oxidized tannins are a true delight. I’m thankful none of the smaller creatures out in nature have developed a taste for them!
Cheers,
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher