Pot capacities range from boutique stills of 500 Litres (110 Imp.Gal.) to production stills of some 15,900 Litres (3,500 Imp.Gal.).
Column still rum is not distilled above 95% alcohol by volume. Pot still rum produced in the Jamaican type is over 80% alcohol by volume.
White rum may be diluted and drunk soon after distillation, but rum is often aged for at least 3 years in used bourbon barrels. The barrels are stored either horizontally on racks or vertically on pallets.
Caramel is added to give a golden or dark rum. The amount of colouring required should be so tiny that essentially the rum is sugar free.