5-Day Rum Course - 2020

The 5-Day course will guide attendees through the financial, marketing, production, aging, and blending of rum, so each person can leave with a complete understanding of how rums can fit into the economic landscape. The course will offer a great combination of theory and practice, making it the ideal learning tool for anyone whose livelihood will depend on their ability to properly produce and commercialize excellent rums.

STRUCTURE

Day 1 – The Business of Rum

• Overview of the rum market in the USA and Europe
• Overview of stills and the rums they produce: start with the end in mind
• Overview of the rum market in the rest of the world
• USA and subsidies, who is getting them, who is not
• Cost increases through the supply chain
• Marketing and promoting rum: options, costs, budgets
• Business Plan: Phased approach vs. “all in”
• Compliance

Day 2 – The Classifications of Rum

Classifications of rum based on:

• Raw material
• Fermented method
• Distillation method
• Age
• Blending technique
• Style
• Added flavors
• Alcohol strength
• Color
• Marketing hype

Day 3 – The Art of Rum Making

• Exploring the basics of fermentation
• Customizing a fermentation plan based on business restrictions and needs
• Year-round fermenting: how to diminish the effect of a changing climate
• Pot still distillation
• Column still distillation
• Aging warehouse setup
• Aging rum: how long is long enough?
• Workplace safety

Day 4 – History and Science of the Barrel

• The Art of Cooperage
• Why oak?
• Physical properties of oak
• Chemical properties of oak
• Understanding tannins
• Curing the wood
• Components and manufacture of the barrel
• Toasting vs. Charring
• Rum transformations inside the barrel
• Oak alternatives: acceptable and unacceptable approaches
• Soleras, single barrels and specialty barrels
• Choosing the perfect barrel for your rum

Day 5 – Essential Rum Laboratory, Introduction to Rum Blending

• Best practices for safety
• Essential glassware
• Essential equipment
• Basic laboratory tests
• Defining the target
• Organoleptic dimensions of rum
• Best practices for blending basic rums
• Understanding additives and their use
• Blending exercises:

• White Rum
• Spiced Rum
• Standard Aged Rum (2-3 year old)