Luis Ayala, Editor of "Got Rum?" magazine, Rum Consultant and Founder of The Rum University.
Luis Ayala with Snifter of Rum
Luis Ayala, Rum Consultant
On Judging and Appreciating Rum
When we deliberately examine a rum, our bodies perform a highly critical appraisal before the rum is eagerly accepted and swallowed. We typically assess rums visually and then olfactorily, then we put them in our mouths where we perform gustatory tests to determine their flavor.
Once we swallow, we expect the aftertaste to be characteristic of what we have seen, smelled and tasted. If the aftertaste confirms our expectations, then we experience aesthetic pleasure.
If, on the other hand, it does not conform to the preconceived image, we sometimes repeat the evaluation in order to confirm or disaffirm our acceptance of the product. We’re also very likely to repeat the process numerous times if we enjoyed the rum!
“Rum dissipates melancholy, rejoices the heart, purifies understanding and lights up the spirit” (J. G. Guillaume, “Le Rhum”)
While it is very easy to describe the physical attributes of rum (such as its color), describing the organoleptic characteristics is an entirely different issue. These properties can be exceedingly difficult to measure objectively because they are perceptions of reality and as such are distorted by the organs used to perceive it: taste buds may be saturated, the nose may be fatigued (or ill), our emotions may be playing with our adrenaline levels, etc.
Organoleptic evaluations are based on human responses which can and do vary from one person to the next. Factors that contribute to the variability of the experience include: time, location, health and many other psychological influences.
If you try a rum that fails to please you, pause for a minute or two and reassess the variables. Are you using the proper glass? Have you cleansed your palate properly? Are you wearing a perfume or lotion that may be interfering with your sense of smell?
I’ve often re-visited rums I thought I didn’t like only to find out that they are much better than I gave them credit for.
Cheers!
Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher