Rum Aficionados Geek Guide
Imagine all the answers on one page for a thorough quiz; you don’t have to read 10 books to find out.
Welcome to our Rum 101.
We’ve created a list of the most burning rum questions and their answers.
Something for everyone; newbies to rum nerds can use this swot guide for your next pub quiz or rum tasting.
Now the pressure is on, how many will you get right?
Get ready to dive in and feel the brain flex. Are you prepared for production, history, brands, cocktails, largest rum distillery, oldest rum distillery, how many, and other quirky facts? It’s time to unravel the mysteries and get straight to the point.
Here’s to expanding our rum knowledge together.
For clarity, these answers are at the time of print and could change.
Sugarcane
Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico.
Mount Gay Rum, Barbados, founded in 1703, the oldest surviving deed.
Tanduay Rum from The Philippines
The USA, approx. 500-600 distilleries produce rum
Puerto Rico
Barbados
Zacapa distillery, Guatemala 2,300 meters (7,545 feet)
Appleton Estate in 1749
Ron Bermúdez in 1852.
A 15-litre bottle of Mount Gay Rum until it was smashed on a P&O ship
Sunset Very Strong Rum from St. Vincent. At 84.5% abv (169 proof)
The Rockley Still (reconditioned in 2022) WIRD Barbados, 1780.
Lamb Holm, 0.15 square miles, The Orkney Islands, Scotland – J. Gow Rum Distillery
In 1664, on Staten Island, New York
Florida, with 50+ rum producers
Dictador Colombian rum, M-City Golden Cities Series $1.5 million
1780 vintage distilled in Barbados Harewood estate
First distillation
George Washington
Cuban rum
20g per litre
Dropworks distillery, England (their claim)
Romero Distilling Co.
Islay rum distillery, Scotland
Tahiti, French Polynesia – Mana’o Rhum
A distillers cut between the heart and the tails.
Aged at least 4 years, bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) and at a single distillery.
Guadeloupe
AOC Martinique
54.5% ABV, not 57%.
Venezuela (Santa Teresa in 1992)
A measure of dissolved sugar, in grams per 100 (e.g. 18°Bx)
Maestra or Maestro Ronero
In 2023, Louisiana
One, Trinidad Distillers
South Africa, 20+
English, French and Spanish
Proofing or Proofing down
The proof of the rum is 151, or 75.5% ABV
It’s produced from a single distillery and distilled in Pot Still with molasses
Añejo is Spanish for ‘aged’
This barrel-strength rum contains over 50% alcohol by volume, often 50-70% abv
Madeira, currently has 6 rum producers
Copalli rum
Column Still
Pot Still
Kō Hana Rum Distillery in Kauai
Crossfire Hurricane
Diamond Distillery
Santiago de Cuba
6 years and over, however, Mount Gay XO is from 5-17 years
It’s a secondary maturation where rum is transferred to another barrel type for a while to develop further flavours.
The Mai Tai
In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig as James Bond ordered a ‘large Mount Gay and soda’.
If you got this far, well done, raise your glass.
So, how did you get on? Which ones surprised you? Feel free to share it with your friends or win the bragging rights yourself.
To stay updated on the growing number of rum distilleries in every country with our constantly updated Rum Regions Map
Facts were sourced online and verified by cross-referencing with multiple reputable sources. If they change, we may update this from time to time.
