Distillation

How is Flor de Caña distilled? According to the house, the alcohol passes through a system of five columns, where it's separated step by step from water and heavy congeners. A pot still, as used in Jamaica, is not part of this setup. The house advertises five-fold distillation; technically, it's a five-column system.

A column is a tall tower with internal plates. The fermented mash flows from top to bottom while steam rises from below. Heavier compounds settle on each plate, while the light alcohol rises upward. Because this happens without interruption, the process is called continuous. A pot still, by contrast, is filled and emptied batch by batch.

Several columns in sequence make the distillate very clean and light. EU regulations require rum to be distilled below 96% ABV. The closer a spirit gets to that limit, the more neutral it tastes; the further below it, the more of the raw material's flavor remains in the distillate.

The result in Chichigalpa is a light, lean spirit with little inherent flavor. The rum gets its character later, in the barrel. Flor de Caña states that it adds neither sugar nor additives after distillation.

The brands in the range differ mainly in aging and blending. These include the Añejo Clásico, the Gran Reserva 7, and the Centenario 12, 18, and 25 bottlings, as well as white rums for cocktails. A distiller working this way prioritizes consistency: a bottle today should taste like one from ten years ago, and that's easier to achieve with columns than with pot stills.