There's a lot to learn

Researching Lost Spirits rum (Navy and Polynesian) in advance of their presentation at Tonga Hut's next Rum Rhum Club on August 3rd. There's a lot to learn.

“Raw materials present an opportunity to gain precursor acids. Burnt, caramelized, smoked, or toasted raw materials contain free acids which can do chemistry. All the raw materials contain lignin and hemicellulose. When the lignin or hemicellulose is burned it breaks down into free acids. When the molasses are caramelized they release phenolic acids from the lignin in the sugar cane. Toasting grains, roasting coffee, roasting nuts, all function on the same principal.

Unlike roasting foods, in distilled spirits making we take things a big step forward and take the chemical products of the roasting and then put them back together in a new order that suits our desires (barrel aging). ”
— http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/klwinescom-spirits-blog/2014/2/5/rum-super-geekdom.html