TRANSPARENCY AT MONTANYA DISTILLERS
We believe strongly in full disclosure of how, where and from what ingredients our products are made. We believe our customers want to know this information and we believe, like you do, in high-quality, traceable products. We welcome visitors to come and see our process and understand the truth and authenticity of what we do every day at Montanya.
SUGAR CANE: Montanya Distillers buys our sugar cane from Hawaii from HC&S, a family-owned cane producer primarily based on Maui. The cane is harvested by members of the United Cane Workers Union. The company generates its own power from biomass and has a strong committment to preservation and community support through philanthropy. The cane comes to us in a raw, unrefined form and it has never been separated into its elements such as refined sugar and molasses. The cane
looks a lot like brown sugar when we receive it in 50 lb. bags. Unlike the brown sugar we consume in America, the molasses and cane juice have never been separated and refined. One of the benefits of raw cane is that no sulfur is produced during fermentation. Sulfur can contribute to the bitterness present in some molasses-based rums.
WATER: Our water is drawn up by a well from an aquifer 350 feet below Crested Butte, CO in Gunnison County in the West Elk Mountain range of the Rockies. The water we use is very minimally treated before it reaches our bottling line. There are no heavy metals or trace elements that are not welcome during bottling. The water percolates through ground minerals, which add body and flavor to the water, and it has a slightly basic pH which is perfect for making a great rum. There is no mine drainage or other effluent contaminating our water source and it is remarkably plentiful! Tests are carried out quarterly to assure the highest quality at all times.
FERMENTATION: All fermentations are carried out at Montanya Distillers in our own facility in Crested Butte, CO. We do not use any Neutral Grain Spirits sourced from any other company at any time ever. Our fermentations last about 7-8 days in closed tanks. We use a proprietary yeast that is from the US.
DISTILLING: All distilling of Montanya rums takes place in our distillery in Crested Butte, Colorado. Between August 2008 and October 2011, all distillations took place in Silverton, Colorado. All aged rums made in Silverton were bottled by November, 2011 but some bottles that were distilled and bottled in Silverton may remain in the market for some time to come. All rum is clearly marked with the location where it was distilled, aged and bottled.
AGE STATEMENTS: Montanya rums are aged for about 1 year in American Oak barrels that previously held Stranahan's Whiskey. Early on, we used some Buffalo Trace barrels but we retired them all in 2009. Early on, we also brought some rum to market that was younger than a year, and we anticipate doing this again in early 2012 due to a growth of demand and the delay in bringing our new Crested Butte facility on line. We are committed to bottling only mature Montanya Rum and not sacrificing quality for quantity and to speed up the process. Occasionally a barrel matures the rum more quickly, and occasionally a barrel takes longer than usual. We taste test on a daily basis to monitor the barrels. Every bottle of Montanya rum is marked with a barrel number. If you ask, we can tell you precisely how many days that rum spent in the barrel.
BOTTLING: We carry out all of our bottling and labeling by hand in Crested Butte, CO. We package our case boxes by hand as well. Our packaging is free of plastics. Our bottles are made in Mexico. Our labels come from the Northwest.
MADE IN THE USA! It is true, Montanya rums are an American product, which is rare in the world of rum. Although our glass comes from Mexico, every ingredient inside the bottle is sourced, fermented, distilled and aged in the USA. We take pride in being an American rum!
WOMAN-OWNED AND OPERATED: Unlike most distilleries in the USA, Montanya Distillers is co-owned and operated by a woman. The whole environment is filled with women who are actively involved in every process from distilling to bottling to management, bartending, quality control, bookkeeping and sales. Come check out the vibe a world of hardworking women can bring to the micro-distilling industry. It is a different scene for sure!
We welcome your questions, comments and feedback!