As he speaks, Nelthropp is against a backdrop littered with more evidence of the family-fix it philosophy. The control board for the still room is riddled with scribbled notes in Sharpie, pencil marks for precise alignment, label strips with more notes and more, all conveying the feeling of “Dad’s workshop.”
Among the many things that can and often do taint rum are fusel oils, a natural occurrence in the distillation process. These oils are often left in rums and can be noticed as an alcoholic, almost antiseptic, note because not all distillers take the time to remove them entirely. Nelthropp shows a beaker filled with an early stage distillate and points out the noticeable oil slick floating on the top – these are fusel oils and cannot be taken out, but only masked in the aging process – and it makes you wonder exactly what you’re drinking half the time. Cruzan makes a point to remove imperfections from the distillate prior to barreling and the finished product side-by-side with a few other rums make it clear that this extra craftsmanship is worth the effort.