The aging process is considered to be the most significant aspect of the rum manufacturing process because rum improves with age. During aging many changes occur as a result of the oxidation and selective diffusion though the pores of the oak barrel and various chemical interactions. In general, oak wood barrels are used because they do not contribute offensive odors or tastes to the rum during the ageing process.

A.O.C. stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. It's the french translation to EU Protected designation of origin. You can find on this site the "Rhum Agricole Martinique" AOC decree and its description.

The dry dusty pulp that remains after juice is extracted from sugar cane or similar plants. Bagasse is often used as a fuel to provide energy to the facility.

A tall, heavy conical glass with a thick rim, designed to be combined with a Boston tin to form a shaker. It can also be used as a mixing glass for stirred drinks.

C4 plants are plants which use more carbon to grow than average plants. They are hence far more efficient in carbon trapping and require usually more water and heat than C3 plants. Sugarcane is a typical C4 plant.

Seeding method consisting in transferring part of a tank in full fermentation to another tank and completing the two tanks of sweet juice. This method makes it impossible to reseed with new yeasts. However, the yeasts eventually degenerate, it is necessary from time to time to renew them.

Ideal for rum drinks which are served tall, but not very long.

After fermentation, the fermented wash is fed to the still. Distillation is the process of boiling the “dead wash” and condensing its vapor to produce the alcohol that is collected. The distillation process is done to separate and concentrate the alcohol component of the liquid mixture. Puerto Rican rums stand out because of the manner in which the raw material is distilled. Contrary to other European methods, which use the pot still, in Puerto Rico they use column stills, which guarantee consistency and a better final product.

Technical name for alcohol.

Is a vital process. The molasses is diluted with water to reduce the sugar content to approximately 15% and a pure yeast culture is added to the mixture. The yeast cells convert the available sucrose to ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide with the release of heat energy. This mixture is called the “live wash”. The liquid left at the end of the fermentation process (which lasts approximately 30 hours) is called “dead wash” and is used for distillation.

Hectolitres of pure alcohol. Measurement unit used for distillery production or capacity. It measures the alcohol produced and not the volume of spirit produced. It is therefore independent from the dilution of alcohol in the spirit.

A thick syrup left after all the raw sugar has been extracted during the refining process. Its colour usually ranges from light to dark brown. Molasses are the main ingredient to non agricole rum production.

Harvesting techniques which leaves the root system along with part of the stem. This techniques simplifies field management (nor plantation required for fresh plants) and allows a stronger and earlier start of the next season.

In the distillation context, reflux is the part of the condensed vapours that are reinjected into the distillation column on the upper part of the column (in the enrichment section). Reflux reinjection provides better extraction rates for the column, producing spirits with higher concentration in alcohol and aromas.

A starter is a brewery term designing a solution of highly active yeasts which is pitched into the solution to be fermented. A starter reduces the lag time before the beginning of fermentation, hence reducing contamination risks from other strains of yeasts or bacterium.

Tails are the last parts coming out of a distillation process. Tails are made of the least volatile parts of the liquid to be distilled. In alcoholic distillation, tails are usually made of propanol and organic compounds. Tails are highly aromatic though sometimes in an unpleasant way. Finding the separation between heart and tails is a difficult quest between pleasant and unpleasant aromas. Spirits without any or few tails tend to be without any aroma, spirits with more tails have more aromas, the difficult point being to find the right time to stop before unpleasant aromas.

Trays or plates are horizontal devices inside a distillation column. Each tray represents at a different set of temperature and pressure an equilibrium between vapour and liquid. Trays look much like plates with various devices designed to force contact between liquid and vapours.

vin is a generic term used in distillery process to name the the alcoholic liquid which will be distilled. In the rhum context the vin is made of fermented vésou.