Solera System for Rum: What is It?
Rum drinkers and enthusiasts are often well-aware of the fact that the flavor profile of different rums can vary drastically from bottle to bottle. Since rum is produced in over 70 countries using hundreds of different techniques and methods, it’s no surprise that the spectrum of flavors is so vast.
If you pay attention to labels and industry news for rum, you’ve likely come across the word “solera”. Solera refers to a distinct (and sometimes controversial) method of aging that’s used by a small number of largely South American and Central American rum makers according to Bevvy. While this quick definition gives us a glance into what this means, and the process behind the method, we’ve broken it down even further below.
Solera aging process explained
One of the best descriptions of the solera process of aging liquids is given in an article on Liquor.com by Dani DeLuna, a rum educator, Cane Club Collective founder, and rhum runner for Boukman rum. “Imagine a room full of barrels. You make a spirit and put it in the first barrel, then you empty almost all of the first barrel into the second. Rinse and repeat until you’ve gone through all the barrels in your solera. Then you make a second batch of the spirit and do the same thing over again. Meaning, there’s something from the first batch in every barrel but only a minute amount.”
While most consumers expect the number shown on a spirits’ label to depict how long it was aged in a cask, it is not always as transparent as it seems. The solera technique offers the opportunity for distilleries to avoid giving true age statements. For example, if the solera aging process has been used for 30 years, the distillery can technically include that number on the bottle even when the particular rum in the bottle is much younger.
Why transparency matters with labels
Consumers have come to depend on the label of a spirit to tell them the most important factors including the age. Premium spirits often give even more information and clearly state indicators that signal to consumers just why their products are worth investing in. Because labels are often one of the biggest influences when it comes to selecting a bottle on a shelf to take home and add to your collection, consumers could be duped by companies that use loopholes and deceptive terminology in their labeling. Since spirits that have been aged using the solera technique can vary drastically in age, this is one term that can be considered a deceptive loophole on labels to those who are not familiar with the term.
Rums from Glass Revolution
At Glass Revolution Imports we are passionate about importing exceptional spirits from passionate distillers and top-notch distilleries across the world. It is due to that passion and dedication to importing quality brands that we only import rum that has true age statements and therefore do not import any solera rum. By selecting rums that offer transparency and true age statements, we believe we are doing our part to elevate the reputation of rum and bring greater transparency to the category.
With incredible rums in our portfolio including the award-winning Amrut Two Indies and Amrut Old Port it’s clear we have turned our goal of sourcing the best of the best into a reality. Click here to browse our portfolio of rums and make sure to sign up for our newsletter and become a Glass Revolution Dram Hunter so you’re always the first to know about exclusive tastings, brand-new spirits, and eye-opening industry news.