Brugal 1888 "Doblemente Anejo" Rum is made from fresh, raw sugar cane, which is hand-cut from plantations across the Dominican Republic's countryside. Once the cane has been harvested, it is pressed and the remaining juice is turned into molasses. The molasses is then fermented for approximately 48 hours before it is twice distilled through Brugal's copper stills.
Following distillation, the rum is aged for six to eight years in toasted, American oak casks before being double-barreled, or finished, for an additional two to four years in casks that were previously used to mature Oloroso sherry (each sherry cask used in the maturation process is hand-selected by George Espie, The Macallan's Master of Wood, and is the same type used to mature The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky). "The big challenge was using a different kind of wood," said Juan Campos, Brugal's brand ambassador in the United States, when discussing how Brugal is differentiated from other rums.