FLORIDA MERMAID RUM OVERPROOF RUM | OCALA FL

Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses or juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Most rums are produced in the Caribbean, North and South American countries, and other sugar-producing countries, such as the Philippines and Taiwan.

At NJoy Spirits Distillery, we grow sugarcane on our property. We use sugarcane from Florida to make our Mermaid Rum.

Rums are produced in various grades. Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, whereas “golden” and “dark” rums were typically consumed straight or neat, iced (“on the rocks”), or used for cooking, but are now commonly consumed with mixers. Premium rums are made to be consumed either straight or iced.

NJoy Spirits Distillery Mermaid Rum is a premium rum that tastes great straight up, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. It is 100-proof (50 ABV), whereas most competitors are 60-proof (30 ABV). Our higher ABV gives a better flavor when drunk straight up or on the rocks. At 100-proof, our Mermaid Rum will enable you to “taste the rum” when mixed into a cocktail. Being 100-proof is one reason our Mermaid Rum stands out.

Rum is found on most islands of the West Indies, the Maritime Provinces, and Newfoundland in Canada. The beverage is famously associated with the Royal Navy (mixed with water or beer to make grog) and piracy (consumed as bumbo). Rum has also served as a popular medium of economic exchange, used to help fund enterprises such as slavery (see Triangular Trade), organized crime, and military insurgencies (e.g., the American Revolution and Australia’s Rum Rebellion).

FERMENTATION

Most rum is produced from molasses, which is made from sugarcane. A rum’s quality depends on the quality and variety of the sugar cane used to create it. The sugar cane’s quality depends on the soil type and climate in which it was grown. Within the Caribbean, much of this molasses is from Brazil. A notable exception is the French-speaking islands, where sugarcane juice is the preferred base ingredient. 

Yeast and water are added to the base ingredient to start the fermentation process. While some rum producers allow wild yeasts to perform the fermentation, most use specific yeast strains to help provide a consistent taste and predictable fermentation time. Dunder, the yeast-rich foam from previous fermentations, is the traditional yeast source in Jamaica. Distillers that make lighter rums, such as Bacardi, prefer to use faster-working yeasts. Using slower-working yeasts causes more esters to accumulate during fermentation, allowing for a fuller-tasting rum.

DISTILLATION

As with all other aspects of rum production, no standard method exists for distillation. While some producers use pot stills in batches, most rum production uses column distillation. Pot still output contains more congeners than the output from column stills, so it produces fuller-tasting rums.

AGING & BLENDING

Many countries require rum to be aged for at least one year. This aging is commonly performed in used bourbon casks but may also be performed in other types of wooden barrels or stainless steel tanks. The aging process determines the color of the rum. It becomes dark in oak casks, whereas rum aged in stainless steel tanks remains virtually colorless.

Due to the tropical climate, which is familiar to most rum-producing areas, rum matures much more than whisky or brandy. An indication of this higher rate is the angels’ share or amount of product lost to evaporation. While products aged in France or Scotland see about a 2% loss yearly, tropical rum producers may see as much as 10%. In the warm Florida climate, in 3-1/2 years of barrel aging, we can lose up to 20%.

After aging, rum is usually blended to ensure a consistent flavor, the final step in the rum-making process. Light rums may be filtered during blending to remove any color gained during aging. For dark rums, caramel may be added for color.

While aging in wooden casks, primarily American and French oak casks, rum undergoes six processes contributing to its final flavor: extraction, evaporation, oxidation, concentration, filtration, and coloration. Extraction, in particular, results in rum acquiring several compounds, including aldehydes and vanillin, vanillic acid, and syringaldehyde. Distillers sometimes age their rum in whiskey barrels (we do) to impart particular flavors.

PACKAGING

Most rums are sold at or near an alcoholic strength of 30% abv  – although the strength can vary, and cask-strength rum may have as much as twice that alcohol percentage. Our Mermaid Rum is 100-proof (50% ABV), making it a rare rum worldwide.)