Nomenclature Question

[woody9six]

Not sure where to put this...so I'll err on the side of caution and put it in the "General" section...

What differentiates a sugar cane rum (such as Mount Gay Sugar Cane Rum) from a rhum agricole? Is there a difference in distillation? Or in the raw product it starts out as...or is this a Champagne/sparkling wine kinda thing?

TIA

[Scottes]

Agricole follows some very strict rules about production, and is certified with a French Appelation d’origine Controlйe.

This article (http://groups.msn.com/DrinkBoy/spirits.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=14017&LastModified=4675617018114518695), actually comparing Agricole & Cachaca, may offer some insight.

And this thread (http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39) may also offer more insight.

[Berbician]

In spite of its name, Mount Gay Sugar Cane Rum/Brandy is made from molasses and not sugar cane juice. As far as I know, all rum made in Barbados is molasses based. Indeed it's very difficult to find any "Rhum Agricole" in any of the anglophone Caribbean countries.

Incidentally, I've just started a bottle of Mount Gay Sugar Cane Brandy which I bought in Antigua a couple of weeks ago. Unlike other Mount Gay products, the Sugar Cane Brandy is unavailable here in London - I've always assumed that this is because European Union regulations insist that any product labelled "Brandy" has to be real brandy and not rum. Is this correct, or is there some other reason?

[Scottes]

In the US it's labeled as "Mount Gay Sugar Cane Rum" because it's not a brandy by US laws.