Rum tasting: How to taste and evaluate Rum?

How do you taste rum?

Rum tasting follows four steps: observe, smell, taste and finish. Do it in a well-ventilated room, away from strong smells such as paint, coffee or perfume, and avoid gum or smoking beforehand. Drinking a little water before and between samples helps reset your palate.

What glass and temperature should you use?

Use a tulip-shaped glass. The narrower rim gathers the aromas. A small sample is plenty. Aim for room temperature, about 18 to 24 degrees C (64 to 75 degrees F), the range where one tasting guide says aromas are fully released. Skip ice, which numbs flavor and hides aromas.

Step 1: Look

Tilt the glass and check the color, clarity and how the rum runs down the glass. Color deepens with time in the cask, but some producers add caramel coloring, so a dark rum may not be old. Unaged rum can be clear.

Step 2: Smell

Take a quick sniff, then come back for a longer one. Aromas come from the sugarcane, from fermentation (often fruity) and from the cask (vanilla, toast, spice). Smell more than once, because the aromas change as the rum sits in the glass.

Step 3: Taste

Take a small sip and let it coat your mouth. Notice the sweetness, the texture (silky, thin, oily, creamy) and the flavors you can name, such as toffee, banana, dried fruit, coffee or spice.

Step 4: The finish

After you swallow, note how long the flavors last and whether they turn sweet, dry, warm or bitter. Persistence and depth are what you are judging here.

Should you add water?

A drop or two of soft, low-mineral water after the first taste can open up the aromas. Do not add enough to dilute the rum.

How do you compare rums?

• A common approach is to taste lighter rums before heavier ones, so strong flavors do not drown out delicate ones.
• Take notes on color, nose, palate and finish.
• Score each from 1 to 5 yourself if you like, but remember this is personal, not an official rating.
• Check the label for added sugar or flavor, which changes how sweet a rum tastes.

How should you store open bottles?

Keep them upright, sealed and away from light and heat.