Sugarcane was introduced to the West Indies by Christopher Columbus in 1493. Once established, the sugar industry breathed economic life into the islands, as well as, horrifically, the slave trade. Most rum is nowadays produced from molasses, the icky-sticky, dark brown, sweet syrup that's left behind after sugarcane juice is boiled, clarified and passed through centrifuges. The molasses is then fermented, setting the stage for distillation.
Most rums are unaged, colorless and bottled immediately after distilling.
Some are flavored with ingredients such as citrus, coconut or spices. Small lots are pumped into wooden barrels, usually oak, for further maturation. For virtually all of the 20th century, most worldwide consumers, except for the most fervent lovers of rare spirits, viewed rum as plonk. Then came the late 1980s and 1990s when the search for idiosyncratic and elite alcoholic beverages reached new heights. Like all categories of spirits, some are and others aren't.