Post #694448 by AdOrAdam on Tue, Sep 24, 2013 12:12 PM

Ministry of rum has a good thread on oxidisation: http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=455

As a side note: Ministry Of Rum is a good site. The focus is more on the quality of rum with a bias towards sipping rums. Agricoles do feature quite a lot, lots of historic threads. Ed Hamilton is a gent & posts / replies to feedback quickly. Worth a lurk or joining up. Traffic is a bit slower than TC.

On 2013-09-23 14:06, djmont wrote:
All spirits start to lose flavor (and alcohol content) once they're open, due to oxidation. The longer its open, the more it oxidizes...

I thought one of the 'things' that makes rhum agricole different is the field to factory process having to be shorter so the sugar cane doesn't oxidise. A quick google of 'rhum agrciole oxidisation' says about the necessity of speed in production but doesn't mention post bottling.

Im kind of used to the idea that flavour comes from the still & the molasses as that is what people talk about regarding jamaican & demerara rum. Maybe the freshness of the cane plays more of a role in agricole, creating the grassy flavour more than the stills?

On 2013-09-23 19:37, AceExplorer wrote:
Take one of your low-end rums... and let it sit out overnight. You'll be surprised how much of the flavor disappears in just one night....I would say that as much as 90% of the flavor disappeared...

I decided to experiment with 2 tablespoons of the Appleton 12 / Saint James Amber mix (mentioned earlier in this thread). I left it on the side open to the air for about 10 hours while I was at work... the flavour isnt all the way lost (most likely as I used 50:50 jamaican / agricole). but AceExplorers statement is true... oxidisation isn't a myth!

I have bottles of spirits a year or more old that have no perceivable ill effects. I maintain it's not really a factor for most spirits (given an appropriate cap or cork) but maybe it is a more of a factor for agricoles.

At the weekend I spoke to a french bar manager, I had been hoping to see him & ask specifically about agricoles.

He said Trois Riveras good but expensive, La Mauny good, JM good, Depaz good, Saint James not good, Barbancourt the 15 was good the others he didn't know. His recommendation of an everyday mixer or sipper was Clement all the way :)

Im going to UK rumfest in 2 weeks & Im not buying anything between now & them so I can buy a few of the rums I think are 'best in show' - it's harder than expected!