Alcometer Testing

Testing the Alcohol by Volume (abv) can be a contentious issue. Usually it is a very basic way to tell if a particular bottling has had anything added to it post distillation. This could be anything really but usually the additives are along the lines of sugars, syrups, puree’s, liquid glucose, or even where barrels used for ageing may still be “wet” ie. possibly still some sherry, muscat etc left in the barrel.

There are many reasons why a producer might do this. Sometimes to ‘Smooth” out the profile of the rum or sweeten it. It could also be that it has additives to make a poor distillate more palatable.

Talking about additives is a whole subject in itself. Personally I prefer unadulterated rums and will always research whether a particular rum that I’m about to purchase is unadulterated or not.

Some people are quite happy with sweetened or adulterated rums which is fine if that is their preference, however there is a movement in rum circles that argues that producers should at least be honest about the practice and declare what is in the bottle on the label.

So, by using an alcometer you can get an indication as to whether anything has been added. This is done by comparing the declared abv on the bottle’s label with the reading on the alcometer.

Additives will generally be indicated if the alcometer reading is lower than that on the label. As a disclaimer, I am not a scientist and my testing does not take place in laboratory conditions. The optimum temperature when testing is 20 degrees C. Any wild variations to this can make a difference to the readings. When testing I try to control the conditions with air conditioning but I can’t guarantee that my results are 100% accurate and they should be taken with a pinch of salt and for interest only.

Having said that, when I do my testing I “calibrate” with a rum that I know is accurate to start with.

So far I have tested all the rums currently in my collection. It’s a relatively meagre amount and you can find some much larger and more comprehensive result lists either at The Fat Rum Pirate or at Drecon

#	Rum	Bottle ABV	My ABV
1	Adelphi Single Estate Hampden 15	54.3	55
2	Appleton Rare Blend 12	43	43
3	Appleton Signature Blend	40	40
4	Appleton Joy 25yr	45	45
5	Arcane Extraroma	40	35
6	Archie Rose Virgin Cane Spirit	50	50
7	Barbancourt Reserve de Domaine 15yr	43	43
8	Bacardi Gran Reserva 8	40	40
9	Bacardi Carta Blanca	37.5	37.5
10	Baker Williams Single Barrel	65.3	65.5
11	Baldwin Distilling Co. Rum	45	49
12	Beenleigh 5yr old Double Barrel	40	35
13	Black Gate Single Cask rum. Cask #017	51	51
14	Black Gate Single Cask rum. Cask #019	40	40
15	Black Gate Port Cask #023	40	40
16	Black Gate Ranga Rum	51	51
17	Bristol Classic Rockley Still 1986 Sherry Finish	46	43
18	Brix Distillers White	40	40
19	Bundaberg Blenders Edition 2015	40	40
20	Bundaberg Blenders Award Winning Edition	40	40
21	Cadenhead Cask Strength Foursquare 11yr	60	62
22	Damoiseau Rhum Vieux Millesime 1989	58.4	58.5
23	Depaz VSOP Reserve Speciale	45	45
24	Diplolmatico Reserva Exclusiva	40	32
25	Doorly’s 8yr	40	40
26	Doorly’s 12yr	40	40
27	Doorly’s XO	40	40
28	El Dorado 8yr	40	37
29	El Dorado Single Barrel PM	40	40
30	Far North Queensland Rum Co Iridium	40	38
31	Flor de Cana 18	40	40
32	Foursquare ECS Port Cask Finish	40	40
33	Foursquare ECS Zinfandel	43	43
34	Foursquare ECS Dominus	56	56
35	Foursquare ECS Premise	46	46
36	Foursquare ECS 2004	59	59
37	Foursquare ECS 2005	59	59
38	Foursquare- Velier Triptych	56	56
39	Foursquare- Velier Principia	62	62
40	Foursquare- Velier Destino	61	61
41	Goslings Black Seal OP 151	75.5	75
42	Habitation Saint Etienne Tres Vieux Rhum VSOP	45	45
43	Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos	40	40
44	Hoochery Distillery Ord River Rum Premium	40	36
45	Hoochery Distillery Ord River Rum Straight Barrel Proof	64.9	69
46	Hoochery Distillery Ord River Rum OP 3yrs	56.4	57
47	Husk Distillers Pure Cane (2016 Harvest)	40	40
48	Husk Distillers Pure Cane 50	50	50
49	Husk Distillers 1866 Tumbulgum Rum	42.5	42.5
50	Husk Distillers Spiced Bam Bam	40	38
51	Husk Distillers Triple Oak	44	44
52	Illegal Tender Distillers Cut	45	45
53	Inner Circle Premium Rum OP	75.9	77
54	La Maison & Velier Long Pond 2003	63	65
55	La Maison & Velier Hampden Estate Pure Single  Rum OP	60	60
56	La Maison du Whisky Caroni 17 yr	55	55.5
57	Lord Byron Distillery Silver Rhum	40.3	40.5
58	Lord Byron Distillery Silver Rhum OP	63	63
59	Lord Byron Distillery Promise Aged Rum	40	38.5
60	Kirk and Sweeney 23	40	40
61	Lark Distillery Quiet Cannon	50	50
62	Matusalem Gran Reserva 15 Solera	40	40
63	Milton Rum Distillery Spiced Cane Spirit	42	26
64	Mount Gay Eclipse	37.5	37.5
65	Mount Gay Black Barrel	43	44
66	Mount Gay Extra Old (Older version)	43	43
67	Mount Gay XO	43	43
68	Mount Gay 1703	43	43
69	Pampero Aniversario	40	38
70	Penny Blue XO Batch #004	43	43
71	Pere Labat 8 ans	42	42
72	Phantom Spirits Vanilla Shake Cask	43	38
73	Pirates Grog No 13	40	38
74	Plantation Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple	40	34
75	Pussers 15 yr Navy Rum (Nelsons Blood)	40	34
76	Pussers British Navy Rum	40	40
77	Ratu 5yr Dark	40	40
78	Rhum J.M XO	45	45.5
79	Rhum J.M 2002	46.3	46.5
80	Rhum J.M Cognac Cask Finish Serie No 2	41.2	41
81	Riverbourne Distillery 1st Release	48	48
82	R.L Seale’s Finest Barbados Rum 10yr	43	43
83	Ron Abuelo Centuria	40	35
84	Saint James 12 Ans	43	43.5
85	Sansibar Premium Panamanian Rum 20 yr	51	51
86	Silver Seal Whisky Company Uitvlught Demerara 18 yr	50	50
87	Smith and Cross Jamaican	57	57
88	St Lucia Distillers Admiral Rodney	40	40
89	St Lucia Distillers Chairmans Reserve Forgotten Casks	40	40
90	St Lucia Distillers 1931 1st Edition	43	44
91	St Lucia Distillers 1931 2nd Edition	43	43.5
92	St Lucia Distillers 1931 3rd Edition	43	38.5
93	St Lucia Distillers 1931 4th Edition	43	43
94	St Lucia Distillers 1931 5th Edition	46	46
95	St Lucia Distillers 1931 6th Edition	46	46
96	Stone Pine Barrique Rum	40	40
97	Tamborine Mountain Distillery Gold Rum	40	40
98	Tamborine Mountain Distillery Sugar Cane Spirit	40	40
99	Tamborine Mountain Distillery Spiced Gold Rum	40	40
100	The Grove Dark Rum	40	39.5
101	The Kimberley Rum Company Canefire No5	40	40
102	The Kimberley Rum Company Canefire No9	40	39
103	The Kimberley Rum Company Canefire No14	40	40
104	The Real McCoy 12 yr	40	40
105	The Real McCoy 12yr Ltd Madeira & Bourbon Cask Aged	46	46
106	Transcontinental Barbados 2012	46	46
107	Turquoise Bay Amber Rum	40	38
108	Velier The Antigua Distillery Heavy Traditional Rum	66	66.5
109	Velier Clairin Communal	43	43
110	Velier Clairin Casimir	48.3	48.5
111	Velier Clairin Sajous	54.3	54.5
112	Velier Clairin Le Rocher	46.5	46.5
113	Velier Diamond H (Hampden Estate)	62	63
114	Velier Last Ward 2009 Barbados Pure Single Rum	59	59
115	Velier Mount Gilboa 2008	66	66
116	Velier Forsyths WP 2005	57.8	58
117	Velier Foursquare 2013	64	64
118	Velier Royal Navy Very Old Rum	57.18	57
119	Velier Foursquare/ Hampden Veritas	47	47