Why Some Rums Have Added Sugar | Rum Knowledge #5

Added sugar in rum.

It’s one of those subjects that can very quickly divide rum drinkers.

For some people, any added sugar is unacceptable. For others, it simply doesn’t matter as long as they enjoy what’s in the glass.

But the reality is a little more complicated.

In Rum Knowledge #5, I’m looking at why some rums have sugar added after distillation and ageing, what producers are trying to achieve by doing it, and why the subject isn’t quite as simple as “sugar is bad”.

🥃 WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY MEAN BY ADDED SUGAR?

Sugar isn’t being added during fermentation to create alcohol — we’re talking about sugar added to the finished spirit.

You may also hear the term “dosage” used when discussing this.

🥃 WHY DO SOME PRODUCERS ADD SUGAR?

There can be several reasons.

Sugar can soften a spirit, alter the perceived mouthfeel, reduce the impression of alcohol and make a rum taste sweeter or smoother.

That doesn’t automatically make the resulting rum bad.

But it can also be used to create a particular flavour profile that consumers associate with smoothness, richness or maturity.

🥃 DOES ADDED SUGAR MEAN BAD RUM?

No.

One of the myths I wanted to address in this video is the idea that a rum containing added sugar must automatically be bad.

That’s simply too simplistic.

But the opposite is also true.

A rum containing no added sugar isn’t automatically a great rum just because nothing has been added to it.

There are excellent rums on both sides of that discussion.

🥃 SO WHAT MATTERS?

For me, a major issue is transparency.

If something has been added to a rum, I’d like the producer to tell me.

As consumers, we should be able to understand what we’re buying and make our own decisions about whether we want to drink it.

You might decide that you don’t care about added sugar at all.

You might prefer completely unsweetened rum.

Or you might happily drink both.

That’s your choice.

But it’s much easier to make that choice when you know what’s actually in the bottle.

In Rum Knowledge #5, I explore added sugar, dosage, some of the reasons producers use it, the myths surrounding the subject and where I personally stand on it.

📺 Watch Why Some Rums Have Added Sugar | Rum Knowledge #5: