From the Editor
The Congener Conundrum
One of the most common questions I get asked during our Rum University classes, is how to produce a “high congener” rum. Most of the time, the people asking the questions lack the organic chemistry knowledge that is necessary to understand the answer, so I have to impart an abundance of essential chemistry knowledge before I can address their question.
Luis Ayala
Another obstacle preventing us from having an easy, straightforward answer, is that the industry uses the term “congener” to refer to an incredibly large variety of chemical substances, not all of which are desirable by those asking specifically about “high congener” rums.
Take for example, the “tails” in rum: they are comprised of fusel oils and other compounds with high volatile temperatures and low water miscibility.
A “taily” rum (one with a high concentration of tails) is technically a “high congener” rum, but few people would happily accept it as such.
Highly-acidified distillates, produced from rich Carboxylic Acid Blends (CABs), are also “high congener”, but are also probably far from what “high congener” afficionados are looking for.
The term “high esters” is a bit more specific, as it narrows down the type of congener involved, to compounds formed via the Fischer–Speier esterification process. But a very neutral, column-distilled rum that is aged for a very long time can have a high concentration of ethyl acetate (an ester), qualifying this particular rum as a “high ester” product, but likely disappointing those who expect the term to have a different meaning.
Starting with this issue of “Got Rum?”, The Rum University® will explore common alcohols, their aldehydes, carboxylic acids and esters, through a new series called “The Amazing World of Alcohol.” We hope that you enjoy it and that it helps you to gain a better understanding of congeners.
Cheers!
Luis Ayala,
Editor and Publisher
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rumconsultant