Distillation

Rum da Madeira is distilled using equipment not tied to a single type under the regulations. What's required is simply gear capable of producing the traditional rum character. That leaves room for both column stills, tall structures with multiple plates, and classic pot stills.

At Engenho Novo da Madeira, home of the William Hinton brand, a small copper column still from the Hinton family legacy is still in use. The house brought it back into operation in 2006. The brand takes its name from an Englishman who settled on the island in the 19th century.

In Porto da Cruz, Engenhos do Norte works with 19th-century machinery. According to the tourist board, the mill runs on steam power and is said to be the only one of its kind still operating in Europe. The house is considered the island's largest rum producer and was formed in 1928 from the merger of around 50 sugar mills.

What first emerges from the still is a potent distillate. Taking only the heart of the run and cutting away the heads and tails produces a cleaner rum. For bottling, the spirit is cut with water to drinking strength, typically between 40 and 50 percent ABV for Rum da Madeira. EU rules set a minimum of 37.5 percent.

The major houses' brands often carry simple names. Engenhos do Norte bottles, among others, 970 and 980, as well as Branca, North, Lido, and Zarco. O Reizinho has been producing since 1982. This has little to do with the still's design and everything to do with the profile in the glass: fresh and fruity in the natural style, rounder and spicier in the envelhecido.