OnTap Magazine

FEATURE THE ART OF DISTILLATION The alchemy begins as the wash is heated in the still to separate the alcohol from the water. Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water and boils off first. The evaporated alcohol is cooled through a condenser and the resulting liquid is rum. Care is taken to remove the high volume of heads (spirits from the beginning of the run that contain a high percentage of compounds such as aldehyde and ethyl acetate) and cut deep into the heart of the spirit (the desirable middle alcohols of your rum). It is crucial not to cut too deep into the tails which contain a high percentage of fusel alcohols at the end of the run. When the cuts are made with an expert hand, the distiller is left with a clean, fresh and flavourful spirit, with the essence of the sugarcane that it is distilled from. The distilled white rum, now at between 75 and 79% ABV, is then left in glass demijohns for at least six weeks and up to 12 Although not yet on a par with the gin revolution, rum is predicted to become the Next Big Thing in craft spirits.Keep an eye out for small-batch rums from these South African distilleries. TAPANGA DISTILLERY Near Mtunzini, KwaZulu-Natal On the Windermere Sugar Estate in Zululand this barrel-aged rum distilled from freshly cut sugarcane has a prominent vanilla nose with a well- balanced, dry flavour. BRACKENHILL CRAFT DISTILLERY Waterfall, near Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal Double distilled from molasses fermentations made from sugarcane grown on the KwaZulu-Natal East Coast to produce a full flavoured spirit with a natural sweetness. DISTILLERY 031 Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Using the traditional Brazilian process to distill from fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses, this local Cachaça is crafted in small batches with KwaZulu-Natal sugarcane to give it grassy, earthy and citrus notes. INVERROCHE Stilbaai, Western Cape A distinctive, full-bodied sipping rum with lush aromas of toasted oak, caramel, nuts and orange zest. Dried fruit, marmalade and vanilla notes are followed by subtle hints of cinnamon, butterscotch and spice. DE VRY DISTILLERY Near Heilbron, Free State Notes of cigar smoke and oak have helped win De Vry’s Die Warm Rasta Rum a number of local awards. MHOBA DISTILLERY Malalane, Mpumalanga Produced from sugarcane juice, the rum is aged in toasted American white oak to add colour, aroma and flavour after the distilling and filtering processes. DURBANVILLE DISTILLERY Cape Town, Western Cape By avoiding conventional boiling temperatures this small batch rum is cold distilled to help retain the flavour profiles of the base product. Sugar Baron distillery At the moment, Sugar Baron only produces one type of rum, but an aged version is on its way KEEP ON SIPPING 24 | Summer 2020 | ontapmag.co.za