How to choose a rum?
Rum is a spirit consumed all over the world.
Rums come from different regions and each has its own way of production and consumption.
To help you choose the right rum, here are a few tips to help you get to know rum better and give the right gift to your loved ones.
How is rum made?
The choice of rum can be based on the way it is produced.
There are two different categories of rum: agricultural rums made from freshly crushed cane juice, also known as vesou. Traditional” rums are made from molasses, a residue from sugar mills.
Next comes the fermentation stage, prior to distillation. Once distilled, the rum is bottled white, or aged in casks or oak barrels to obtain aged rum.
What's the difference between rhum agricole and rhum traditionnel?
Agricultural rums, of which Bielle is one, are made from crushed sugarcane juice or vesou.
To ferment, the vesou is heated by the steam produced by burning the remains of the sugarcane. This stage is very precise, and will define the rum’s aromatic profile. It lasts between 36 and 48 hours.
For distillation, Bielle uses a Savalle-type column (17 plates, including 3 copper concentration plates). The distillate obtained is around 70 degrees.
All Bielle rums are made from pure cane juice, crushed by hand between mid-February and mid-June, and reduced with rainwater from Marie-Galante.
Traditional rums are made directly from molasses refined from sugar cane. These rums account for 90% of production worldwide.
Three categories of rum
• White rums : White agricultural rum is not intended to be drunk neat. Traditionally, in the West Indies, it is consumed in easy-to-make cocktails such as Ti Punch or Planteur. White agricultural rum is not aged in casks, but bottled directly.
Rhum blanc Bielle 59% is an agricultural rum made by Distillerie Bielle, the last family distillery on Marie-Galante. This excellent white rum is usually drunk as a ti-punch.
Its special plus : its powerful aroma, thanks to the unique terroir of Marie-Galante’s cane and the local rainwater used to make this rum.
Ideal for connoisseurs of expert rums.
• Amber rums :
Bielle 44% amber rum is an agricultural rum aged for several months in oak barrels, giving it its attractive amber color.
On the palate, you’ll find exotic notes with a hint of vanilla.
Enjoy neat over ice.
Ideal for novices and lovers of amber rums.
• Aged rums: Aged rums, of which Whisper is one, are mostly intended for drinking neat or on the rocks. They are tasting products, showcasing the expertise of each distillery.
Produced on the island of Barbados, in the heart of the Caribbean, Whisper is a light rum in the English tradition. It is a blend of rums aged for 5 and 8 years respectively in oak casks that previously contained Whiskey, in which Whisper develops its fragrances.
Ideal for connoisseurs of traditional English rums.
Our Punch
A traditional winter drink, punch originated in the Caribbean. While popular myth has it that pirates and other sailors drank pure rum, in reality they cut it with water and added all manner of spices and fruits gleaned from their Caribbean voyages. A source of sugar and citrus juice were added to the rum to sweeten it, along with any other available ingredients.
Punch Whisper Honey is made from molasses rum aged for 2 years in old Bourbon casks on its island of origin, ANTIGUA, to which honey has been added.
Ideal for making grogs or cocktails (Daïquiri).
