From dark rum to light rum, spiced rum to navy strength rum, English to Spanish to French styled rum – The world of rum can become a bit confusing for someone new to the spirit. In Paste’s most recent Ask the Expert series, resident expert, Jake Emen sheds some light on the 101 of rum by answering the frequently asked question .. What is rum made from?

Rum is a spirit distilled from sugarcane products. Most commonly, that means that rum is made from molasses, which itself is a byproduct of sugar production. . . Turning that byproduct into a more profitable source of revenue that the actual product, sugar, is what earned molasses the nickname “black gold” on its home island of Barbados, where it came to life in the early to mid 1600s.

Rum though, can also be distilled from sugarcane juice itself, as opposed to molasses. The resulting flavor profile is generally lighter and grassier, showcasing more of the actual characteristics of the sugarcane. But flavor is influenced by the style of distillation and maturation, along with a number of other factors. When distilled from sugarcane juice, the result is still rum, but more specifically known as agricole, or rhum agricole.

Check out the full article here!