Rum, the Ozarks, and Copper Run

The whiskey movement is taking the country by storm, but it’s the other dark spirit that tugs at our heart strings. In addition to being the original American spirit, rum has a sweetness, complexity, and mystique that is often overlooked and underappreciated. When the idea for Bully Boy Distillers was hatched, we made a commitment to craft truly delicious rum. It was this mandate that brought us to Copper Run Distillery, a remote outpost in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Copper Run is operated by Jim Branson, a lifelong brewer who uses techniques handed down from the old Cognac distillers. It’s Jim’s unique approach to rum and whiskey production that sets his products apart, and it’s Jim’s singular dedication to producing insanely delicious rum that brought us to the Ozarks.

After hopping a puddle-jumper in Memphis, we landed in Springfield Missouri, the nicest, most empty airport in America. I have to imagine Jim was a touch unnerved when an oversized, white mini-van (a free “upgrade” from Hertz) pulled up in front of his house, but Jim met Will and I with an enthusiastic handshake. We immediately began working on Jim’s 150 gallon pot-still, which is pictured below. One of the techniques that creates Jim’s unique rum is his use of traditionally discarded “heads” and “tails,” collectively called “feints,” to add complexity and character to his spirits. The “feints” are analogous to marbling in a good steak; their absence can lead to a bland, soulless product, but you have to know what to keep and what to eliminate. The line between a sweet, full-bodied rum and one that smells like Will’s dog Foggy is a fine one, and we spent countless hours learning how to walk that line.

Another critical component of any dark rum is the aging process, which over time eliminates harsh congeners that can make your rum taste like, well, Bacardi. Rum is typically aged in used wine barrels, but there are myriad decisions about the variety of cask and duration of aging that can have a dramatic effect on taste and hue. After waxing poetic about rums we enjoy and rums we loathe, we decided upon a plan of attack for aging our rums. Without giving away too many recipe secrets, when we launch, fans of Bully Boy can look forward to a white rum and an aged dark rum to follow. Alongside the rums, we’ll also be aging a wheat-based whiskey, which will accompany the introduction of un-aged “moonshine” whiskey. We’re especially excited about our white rum. Unfortunately, the taste of most white rums has been hollowed out by large-scale production techniques (Most of the white rums on the market are essentially glorified vodka products). Our white rum will have a taste profile more similar to dark rum, but it will mix beautifully, elevating the taste of traditional drinks like the “Mojito.”

Check out the pictures of Dave and Will in Missouri below.