baseline

batch 1.24

this rum is named baseline because that’s exactly what i want it to act as, a baseline for all of our other rums to be compared to. it is a no-frills, straightforward rum with absolutely no additives (except for water to bring it down to bottling strength). it's fermented from 100% baking grade molasses for 16-22 days using the distiller's yeast strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae. it's then double pot distilled to a spirit strength of 75% abv. this is an extremely small batch, yielding only 12.5 gal of rum.

don't let the term baseline fool you, the rum is flavorful and delicious (it has a total congener concentration of 309 g/hlpa). that comes from the choice of quality raw ingredients, the long-duration fermentation, and the pot distillation.

what does it taste like?

on the nose baseline (49% abv) reminds me of buckwheat honey slathered on cinnamon raisin toast and sprinkled with a touch of key lime zest. there's a little bit of a custardy thing paired with some earthiness like leaves and tree branches. when i take a sip, the mouthfeel is creamy and the dried fruit notes come forward immediately. that then evolves into over-roasted cinnamon bark. the citrus note that was present on the nose has transformed into grapefruit.

it’s also available at still strength!

baseline at still strength reminds me of a cheese danish with tons of dried fruits like raisins and figs on the nose. i also get notes of leaves and tree branches with key lime oil and a little bit of roastiness. on the palate, the mouthfeel is so silky and oily. the dried fruit notes come forward immediately. that then transforms into cinnamon bark and some bitter cacao nibs. the citrus note presents as grapefruit.

  • baking grade molasses (20 vol%)

    water (80 vol%)

  • distiller’s yeast (s. cerevisiae)

    150 gal total volume

    16-22 days

  • pot still (55 gal)

    double distilled

    still strength = 75% abv

    12.5 gal total spirit

  • bottled july 12th, 2024

    total bottles (375 mL) at 75% abv = 35

    total bottles (750 mL) at 49% abv = 59

    nothing added (except water for 49% abv rum)

  • *please note, the congener concentration on your bottle is lower than it should be. i've updated the actual concentrations based on the gc/ms calibration units used by the actual lab. sorry for any confusion!

    total congeners = 309 g/hlpa

    • 1-propanol (alcohol-like) = 11.36 g/hlpa

    • acetaldehyde (green apple) = 4.69 g/hlpa

    • acetone (nail polish remover) = 2.28 g/hlpa

    • amyl alcohols (fruity & alcoholic) = 209.79 g/hlpa

    • ethyl acetate (sweet) = 8.56 g/hlpa

    • ethyl butyrate (pineapple) = 0.12 g/hlpa

    • isoamyl acetate (banana) = 0.45 g/hlpa

    • isobutanol (sweet & musty) = 69.34 g/hlpa

    • isobutyl acetate (fruity & floral) = 0.08 g/hlpa

next batch…

dunder

of course, i saved the stillage from baseline (batch 1.24). for dunder, as the name might suggest, dunder (aka stillage) will be added into the fermentation in place of some water. everything else in the process will be kept the same. this will allow us to taste the impact that adding dunder has on the final flavors of a rum.

ps- it’s entirely possible that i change the name to something a bit more creative.