CigarsLover Magazine I 2023

liters. Furthermore, in making a cask, the cooperage regulates
all aspects according to the planned purpose.
For instance, the thickness of the staves can be varied,
influencing in a subtler way the rum’s contact gradient
with wood and oxygen. By the same token, both
the grain of the wood and the toasting it undergoes are
important as well. American oak has a rather coarse,
uneven, and tight grain. It contains a lot of vanillin and
lactones. Limousin oak is coarse and unever too, but it
also has very large pores that facilitates oxygenation
and the chemical interaction between spirits and wood
tannins. These days, toasting is one of the most important
aspects in defining the flavor profile of a new cask:
the various degrees of toasting and charring impact
on the wood/liquid exchange, develop (or inhibit) certain
aromas, and provide an active carbon that filters
out certain substances such as sulfur. It is also partly
responsible for the darker or lighter color of the rum. A
light toasting develops fresh and spicy notes by releasing
the vanillin contained in the oak. A more intense
burning stimulates nuances of nuts. If the wood’s surface
is properly charred, it will add a lot of color and notes
of caramel, smoke, and roasting.
The nature of the wood essence and the preparation of
the cask determine the molecular composition of what
will interact with the rum. Among the most important
elements we can find hemicellulose, lignin, tannins, and
lactones. Hemicellulose is a polysaccharide that undergoes
the Maillard reaction when heated above 140 °C:
that is, the caramelization of superficial wood sugars
that can later release aromas of nuts, butter, maple syrup,
#1-2023 CigarsLover Magazine
59