A favourite of sailors and pirates, rum is distilled from sugar, meaning it was a cheap export. So, when pirates attacked ships, they discovered they were often laden with this heady concoction. But, despite its exciting history, we are all still waiting for its big breakthrough moment. Whilst the best rums can be expensive, some even reaching well into the thousands of dollars, you can still pick up some more affordable, yet delicious options.
So why does this highly-spirited spirit not receive the same buzz as whiskey does? Perhaps, because it has a reputation for being unregulated, with many bottles advertising meaningless numbers that confuse people?
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There are, however, specific rules on producing rum, but as they vary, it can be challenging to figure out precisely what you are buying. A carefully made and matured rum can deliver a complex drink full of flavour, bringing competition to its dark spirit rivals. With many flavour profiles and styles, it can be challenging to pick the best rum in the world, and it would be unfair to do so. So, instead, we are giving you ten and some great ways to drink them too!
Here are some of the best rums in the world:
- Sailor Jerry
- The Kraken
- The Real McCoy
- Diplomático Planas
- Mount Gay Eclipse
- Appleton Estate 8-Year-Old Reserve
- Goslings Black Seal
- Equiano
- Plantation XO Barbados
- Flor de Cana, 18-year-old rum
Best spiced rums
Sailor Jerry
This rum has a very unique story and one which I insist you read. Sailor Jerry, born Norman Collins, was a remarkable man who wanted to live life off the conventional track. A renowned tattoo artist and Navy soldier, this delightfully spiced rum has been crafted in honour of Sailor Jerry.
It is a dry, sweet rum with notes of spices and black pepper—a brilliant staple for your home bar and one of the best rums for cocktail making.
The Kraken
The story suggests that a ship carrying spiced rum was attacked by the legendary sea monster – The Kraken. With only one ink-covered barrel surviving, they named it after the beast.
Kraken spiced rum, distilled in Trinidad and Tobago, is blended with 13 different spices giving it a dark, rich flavour full of yum. One of my all-time favourites, it is a versatile rum great for cocktails or mixing with ginger beer. As one of the best rums in the world, it will always have a spot in my bar.
Best white rums
The Real McCoy
This bright-tasting white rum is aged for three years before being filtered through charcoal to remove the colour. Distilled in Barbados’ Foursquare Distillery, you can expect consistent quality with this rum. The Real McCoy range is named after the nickname used for spirits sold by Bill McCoy, a legendary Prohibition-era smuggler.
Being such a flavoursome rum, with notes of fruits and pepper and hints of nuts, this is one of the best rums for a tasty cocktail or simply to drink with a splash of your favourite fruit juice.
Diplomático Planas
This Venezuelan rum is aged for up to 6 years and gets its name from its location. The Diplomático Planas is smooth, with fruity flavours and tropical aromas, making this one of the best rums to try if you want to get a little more serious about drinking this tipple.
Drink it neat, turn it into a daiquiri, or if you like Pina Coladas (and getting caught in the rain…), then this is the rum for you.
Best rum for mojitos
Mount Gay Eclipse
This delicious golden rum has been around for some 300 years in one form or another. However, Mount Gay Eclipse was named for the double phenomenon of a total solar eclipse and the passage of Halley’s comet in 1910.
This rounded, fruity rum has undertones of caramel and notes of bananas and spice, giving it the reputation as one of the best rums out there for creating a classic mojito.
Appleton Estate 8-Year-Old Reserve
Appleton Estate was acquired by Wray and Nephew in the early 20th century and stands as the oldest in Jamaica. Due to the country’s law stating that sugar cannot be added to rum, they are not shy to boast about its natural, earthy flavours.
This rum brings flavours of honey, toffee, spices and nuts to the table, making it the best rum for cocktails such as Mai Tais, Old Fashioneds and of course, the humble mojito.
Best rum for mixed drinks
Goslings Black Seal
The perfect Dark ‘n Stormy should (technically) always be made with Goslings Black Seal rum (The Bermuda-based brand actually owns the trademark of the drink’s name). This delight is distilled using a combination of the best rums from both pot and continuous column stills.
The name comes from black wax that was once used to seal the bottles, but now there is an actual black seal on the label. A dark, quite sweet rum, herbally balanced but with a crisp taste and hint of spices, make it a fine tipple on its own or used as Bermuda’s national cocktail—the Dark ‘n Stormy.
Equiano
The world’s first African Caribbean rum combines liquor from Barbados’ Foursquare and Gray’s Distillery of Mauritius. The liquid from Gray’s distillery is matured in French cognac casks, while the rum from Foursquare is matured in American white oak, then both are mixed in ex-bourbon casks.
Named after Olaudah Equiano, a freedom fighter who played a crucial part in the abolition movement, Equiano Rum donates 5% of its annual profits to ground level equality projects each year in his honour.
The rum is rich in chocolate and butter notes with a hint of ginger, making it a great pairing with ginger beer or as a base for an Old Fashioned.
Best sipping rum
Plantation XO Barbados
Plantation Rum is a French-owned producer, bottling in the Caribbean and shipping some back to France for a cognac cask finish – including this one. The Plantation XO bottle alone makes me want to buy it, as it is one stunning looking decanter.
This rum is perfectly balanced with a lovely long finish giving notes of chocolate. This smoothness makes it one of the best sipping rum choices. I mean, what’s not to love?
Flor de Cana, 18-year-old rum
A well-aged expression, this Central American beauty from Nicaragua was awarded Double Gold medals at the 2006 and 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Flor de Cana’s golden rum is smooth and mellow with flavours of nutmeg and caramel. One of the best rums for sipping on the rocks or neat to allow this fair-traded, carbon-neutral, sugar-free liquor to shine as it should.
How rum hasn’t seen its big breakthrough moment, where everyone is hopping on the bandwagon, is really quite baffling! The difference in rums, their stories, flavour profiles and even down to the bottles they arrive in is truly spectacular. So, next time you go to a bar, try one of these 10 best rums in the world and see if you agree with my choices!
