Rum and Bourbon

Rum and Bourbon

Kentucky in the middle of winter is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when we think about aging rum; most people’s thoughts instead turn to warm and tropical settings. But aging rum, the way we’ve learned to appreciate and define it, would not be possible without the world famous “once-used” or “exbourbon” barrels.

Having spent most of January and February in Kentucky this year, I know first-hand how harsh the climate can be, but I am also the first to admit that few beverages can restore the blood flow to one’s frigid extremities as quickly as a glass full of cask-strength bourbon!

Kentucky, blessed by nature with its plentiful grain crops, saw in those grains an efficient replacement for the molasses employed in New England in the production of rum. Grain alcohols were born and, despite the great damage brought upon during Prohibition, the  distillation passion and the associated thirst thrived. The recent boom in craft distilling is not bringing any new ideas to the land: it is barely reminding longtime residents and entrepreneurs what they’ve known all along, that good grains produce good “shine” and that good barrels make even greater Bourbon!

What I find most amusing, but not at all incredible, is that my main reason for being in  Kentucky was rum, not Bourbon! And, in the middle of a wintry Louisville, I was pleasantly surprised to find a rum-themed bar, complete with flaming cocktails and an impressive array of sipping rums from around the globe. Aged rums and Bourbons are, after all, siblings raised under the same oaken roof.

Focusing on what unites us, rather than on what makes us different is so powerful, yet it does not require us to relinquish our individuality. Perhaps there is a larger lesson here.

Cheers,

Luis Ayala, Editor and Publisher