The best rums by country and region

Long Pond & Clarendon Plantation XAYMACA Special Dry

Fruity nose, dry finish, easy Jamaican mixer

Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum Overproof

Funky, fruity Jamaican with real punch

Velier Hampden Pagos Sherry

Funky Hampden softened by sweet, drying sherry

Rhum J.M XO

Balanced, cask-forward gateway agricole

Neisson Profil 105

Young, peppery agricole between white and aged

Rhum J.M Terroir Volcanique 2021

Easy, woody agricole with prunes and vanilla

Saint James Les Ephémères - N°1 2001

Deep, dry, wood-driven old agricole

HSE Black Sheriff One Shot

Bourbon-leaning starter agricole, a bit watery

West Indies Plantation Grande Réserve

Sweet, easy Barbados entry sipper

DDL El Dorado 15

Sweet, caramel-rich Demerara starter sipper

Albion El Dorado Rare Collection AN 2004

Rich, oily Demerara: chocolate, caramel, oak

Skeldon El Dorado Rare Collection SWR 2000

Rich chocolate-caramel Demerara, dangerously drinkable

Enmore El Dorado Rare Collection EHP 1996

Complex tropical-aged Enmore, dark fruit and glue

La Maison & Velier Caroni Navy Rum 100th Anniversary „Replica“ HTR 2000

Softer, workshop-style Caroni for beginners

T.D.L Planteray One Time Limited Edition Trinidad TDL 2003

Fresh minty Trinidad, easy 22-year sipper

Velier Caroni 100% Trinidad Rum 17 HTR 1998

Dirty, balanced Caroni with tar and dried fruit

Savanna Rhum Traditionnel Le Must

Mild, fruity Savanna entry, a touch thin

Habitation Velier Savanna White HERR 2018

Wild bubblegum-and-berry white rum bomb

Savanna L'Absolu 2023

Dark, woody Savanna blend with port depth

Swell de Spirits Savanna HERRLINE (Selected by Swell de Spirits) HERR 2009

Wild, fruity high-ester Savanna at its best

Bielle Canne Grise

Fresh, mineral cane-juice agricole for Ti Punch

Bielle Brut de Fût 2014

Citrusy, spicy cask-strength agricole that needs air

Damoiseau VO

Easy, mild agricole starter, a bit thin

Velier Bielle Rhum Rhum PMG Blanc

Fresh, grassy agricole that hides its 56%

Damoiseau 1995

Dark, smoky, high-proof Guadeloupe sipper

Velier Bielle Rhum Rhum Libération Integrale 2017 2010

Dry, wood-forward agricole with chocolate depth

A.F.D. Ron Barceló Imperial

Sweet, easy Dominican sipper, light on depth

Matusalem Gran Reserva 15 Años

Light vanilla-caramel everyday sipper, simple

Brugal 1888 Doblemente Añejado

Sherry-and-oak Spanish sipper, lightly sweet

A.F.D. Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx

Light, woody Dominican sipper that fades fast

Matusalem Gran Reserva Solera 23 Años

Easy, sweet caramel-vanilla daily sipper

Brugal Añejo Superior 5 Years

Light, woody Dominican mixer for cola

Bumbu XO

Woody, coffee-caramel entry rum, less sweet than Original

Companero Ron Panama Extra Anejo

Very sweet, cocoa-bomb dessert rum

Abuelo 12 Años

Sweet, caramel-heavy easy Panama sipper

The Demon's Share La Reserva Del Diablo

Sweet, candied-orange rum, Don Papa style

Abuelo XII Two Oaks

Woody, smoky Panama sipper with sweetness

Abuelo 7 Años

Sweet, smoky Panama everyday mixer

Diplomático Mantuano

Light, sweetish everyday sipper, thin-bodied

Pampero Aniversario

Sweet, easy entry rum for cola

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum

Mild, sweet vanilla-caramel everyday sipper

Diplomatico Seleccion de Familia

Rounder, less-sweet Diplomatico for easy sipping

Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera

Soft, caramel-vanilla solera for easy sipping

Don Papa 10 Years

Very sweet, candied orange-vanilla, liqueur-leaning

Don Papa Sherry Cask 2012

Dry, sherry-driven Don Papa, love-it-or-not

Tanduay Double Rum - La Caña de Azúcar

Sweet, orangey, easy Filipino sipper

Grays Lazy Dodo Single Estate

Soft, sweet vanilla-cocoa transition sipper

Gold of Mauritius Dark Rum

Sweet, soft banana-vanilla entry sipper

Blue Liquors Ltd. Blue Mauritius Gold

Sweet, nutty, dessert-like rather than classic rum

Arcane Extraroma Grand Amber

Very sweet, banana-coconut cane sipper

Grays New Grove Emotion 1969

Fruity, chocolatey Mauritian sipper with menthol finish

Grays New Grove Bourbon Cask Rum

Mild, bourbon-cask sipper that runs thin

Bielle Canne Grise

Fresh, mineral cane-juice agricole for Ti Punch

Bielle Brut de Fût 2014

Citrusy, spicy cask-strength agricole that needs air

Damoiseau VO

Easy, mild agricole starter, a bit thin

Velier Bielle Rhum Rhum PMG Blanc

Fresh, grassy agricole that hides its 56%

Damoiseau 1995

Dark, smoky, high-proof Guadeloupe sipper

Velier Bielle Rhum Rhum Libération Integrale 2017 2010

Dry, wood-forward agricole with chocolate depth

Velier Casimir & Vaval & Sajous & Le Rocher Clairin Communal Blend des Quatres Communes

Easy, grassy intro to Haitian clairin

Havana Club 7 Años Añejo

Woody, spicy Cuban mixer, plain neat

Eminente Reserva 7 ans

Soft, sweet Cuban with coffee and vanilla

Havana Club 5 Años Añejo Especial

Sweet, light Cuban built for cola

Havana Club Añejo 3 Años

Light Cuban mixer, not for sipping

Havana Club Selección de Maestros

Woody, spicy Cuban, easy sipper or mixer

Legendario Elixir de Cuba

Very sweet, more liqueur than rum

Ron Zacapa Centenario XO Solera (3. Edition)

Soft, sweet dessert sipper for slow evenings

Les Bienheureux El Pasador XO

Soft, sweet, easy Guatemalan sipper

Botran Ron Añejo Reserva 15 Years

Easy, woody Solera sipper, light on complexity

Ron Zacapa Edición Negra

Sweet, dessert-style Zacapa with a smoky edge

Botran Anejo Sistema Solera 18

Soft, sweet solera with a short finish

Chairman's Reserve The Forgotten Casks

Warm, easy oak-and-vanilla sipper, slightly thin

Chairman's Reserve Legacy

Funky, fruity Saint Lucia everyday sipper

Chairman's Reserve Original

Woody, spicy everyday blend, a touch thin

Admiral Rodney HMS Princessa

Smooth, woody sipper that plays it safe

Admiral Rodney HMS Royal Oak / Extra Old

Smooth, oaky St. Lucia sipper, a touch thin

Chairman's Reserve Spiced Original

Sweet, orange-and-cinnamon spiced holiday sipper

South Pacific Plantation Isle of Fiji

Sweet, banana-forward entry into Fiji rum

TCRL South Pacific Fiji 2014

Funky, glue-forward young Fiji sipper

South Pacific Plantation Fiji Vintage 2009

Mild, caramel-and-glue Fiji, splits opinion

South Pacific Plantation Fiji One-Time 2005

Sweet, vanilla-forward easy sipper, low complexity

South Pacific Plantation One-Time Limited Edition 2009

Soft, sweet Fiji with a thin palate

South Pacific Rum Artesanal Fiji Rum 2001

Rounded, fruity Fiji ester bomb at cask strength

Pusser's Rum Gunpowder Proof (Black Label)

Dark, spicy navy-strength Demerara sipper

A.H. Riise Non Plus Ultra Very Rare Rum

Very sweet, liqueur-leaning orange-vanilla sipper

A.H. Riise Royal Danish Navy Rum

Very sweet, caramel-orange dessert sipper

A.H. Riise XO Reserve Rum Superior Cask

Very sweet, spiced, liqueur-leaning dessert pour

Cane Island Beenleigh Australia

Young, whisky-like Aussie with a solvent edge

Velier Beenleigh Fine Australian Rum 2015

Pear-forward Australian that rewards air

Velier Beenleigh Fine Australian Rum 2006

Fruity, spicy Australian with a drying finish

Killik S.B.S (Single Origin Rum) Australia <KLK>

Strawberry-yoghurt ester bomb, daiquiri star

Beenleigh Plantation Australia 2007 (One-Time Limited Edition)

Floral, funky Aussie with a Cognac twist

Travellers Belizean Blue Signature Blend

Mild, coconut-caramel Belize, a bit thin

Travellers Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 38 Belize Rum 2006

Coconut-and-chocolate Belize, hot but rewarding

Travellers Rum Artesanal Belize Rum MBT 2007

Rounded coconut-and-toffee Belize sipper

Travellers Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 41 2008

Rich, chocolatey Belize with real cask-strength power

Travellers Plantation Belize 2015 Cherry Liquer Cask

Sweet, roasty Belize sipper with gentle cherry

Swell de Spirits Travellers Co-bottling series #3 Bar 1802 2008

Sweet, cookie-dough Belize at cask strength

Dictador 12 Years

Sweet, coffee-and-walnut dessert sipper

La Hechicera Fine Aged Rum

Mild, dry chocolate-and-oak everyday sipper

Dictador 20 Years

Sweet coffee-and-chocolate sipper, thin body

Hacienda Coloma 8 Años

Sweet, coffee-led easy sipper

Dictador XO Insolent / Platinum

Sweet coffee-and-toffee sipper, soft at 40%

Dictador XO Perpetual / Aurum

Soft coffee-and-chocolate sipper, lightly sweet

MHOBA Select Reserve French Cask Rum 2019

Wild, funky South African cane rum at cask strength

Habitation Velier MHOBA 2017

Funky, buttery cask-strength South African pot still

Velier MHOBA FAQ Plastic 2017

Wild, funky cane-juice rum with yoghurt and glue

MHOBA Bushfire

Liquid barbecue: bacon, smoke, grilled meat

MHOBA American Oak Aged Rum 2019

Gorgeous nose, lighter palate, unusual character

MHOBA Strand 101

Funky South African pot-still, wild nose

Bacardi Carta Blanca

Thin, neutral white built for mixing

Bacardi 8 Años Reserva Superior

Mild, sweetish column-still mixer

Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez Aged 10 Years

Light, woody, the best of the Bacardis

Bacardi Cuatro Añejo 4

Light, mild mixer, thin on its own

Bacardi Carta Negra

Sweet dark mixer, flat when sipped neat

Bacardi Reserva Ocho Rare Gold Rum 2011

Light, sweetish caramel-oak everyday sipper

Flor de Caña 12 Años

Dry, oak-forward everyday sipper

Cane Island Nicaragua

Woody, bourbon-leaning daily sipper

Flor de Caña 7 Años Gran Reserva

Dry, bourbon-like everyday mixing rum

Flor de Caña 25 Años

Smooth, sweet coffee-and-caramel sipper

Flor de Caña 4 Años Extra Seco

Dry, light column rum best for mixing

Cihuatán Indigo

Sweet, chocolatey easy-drinking entry rum

Cihuatán Cinabrio Ron 12 Años

Orange-forward, sweet, a bit thin for 12 years

Cihuatán XAMAN XO 2004

Soft, sweet Salvadorean sipper with a woody twist

Cihuatán Nikté Limited Edition

Soft, sweet marzipan-and-chocolate dessert sipper

Cihuatán Sahumerio Aged Rum 2006

Spicy, sweet chocolate-chili sipper

Ron Colón High Proof

Fruity, ester-heavy blend that shines in cocktails

Habitation Velier Privateer New England Single Rum 2017

Young, bourbon-style rum, hot but flavorful

Hemingway Rum Papa's Pilar Dark Rum

Sweet, dessert-leaning dark rum for casual sipping

Captain Morgan Private Stock

Sweet spiced rum, best in a mixer

Koloa Rum Company Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 30 (Hawaiian Rum) 2017

Coconut-heavy Hawaiian cask-strength curiosity

Hemingway Rum Papa's Pilar Sherry Finish

Sweet, raisiny sherry-cask everyday sipper

William Hinton 5 Casks Edition (24 Days Of Rum Advent Calendar 2022)

Young, woody Madeira rum, hot and unbalanced

William Hinton 3 Years

Young, woody Madeira agricole, simple and direct

O Reizinho Aged 6 Years 2015

Woody Madeira agricole with a sulphur streak

Engenhos do Norte 970 Single Cask Edition Selected by RA 2015

Complex Madeira agricole, cane meets dried fruit

Engenhos do Norte 970 Reserva

Easy Madeira agricole, a little flat

Engenhos do Norte 970 Cask Strength Edition (Madeira Brandy Cask) 2016

Complex, brandy-cask Madeira agricole

El Ron Prohibido Habanero Solera 12

Sweet, spirity mixer rather than a sipper

Paranubes Oaxaca

Savory olive-and-tomato cane juice, made for daiquiris

El Ron Prohibido Gran Reserva 15

Very sweet, coffee-chocolate cola mixer

Licores Veracruz Villa Rica Single Barrel Rum

Woody, mildly sweet, pleasant but thin

Deadhead 6 Years

Sweet cocoa nose, thin and medicinal palate

Licores Veracruz Mocambo 20 Years Edición de Arte

Chocolate-and-sherry sipper, a touch thin

Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial

Very sweet, dessert-leaning easy sipper

Millonario Solera XO

Sweet, woody solera — a smooth dessert sipper

Cartavio XO

Soft, sweet Spanish-style sipper with nutty depth

Millonario 10 Anniversario Reserva

Very sweet, soft, dessert-leaning easy sipper

Cartavio Ron Antiguo de Solera 12 Años

Sweet, soft Peruvian caramel-and-oak sipper

Cartavio Plantation Peru 2006 (One-Time Limited Edition

Soft, honeyed Peruvian sipper, drier than expected

Velier The Antigua Distillery Heavy Traditional Rum 2012

Powerful yet rounded, Foursquare-style Antigua

English Harbour High Congener Series 2014

Chocolatey, coconut-rich Antigua at cask strength

English Harbour Port Cask Finish (Batch 002)

Dry, woody port sipper with a hot edge

English Harbour High Congener Series (2nd Release) 2014

Coconut-and-chocolate sipper, big value

English Harbour Reserve 10 Years

Dry, oaky, whiskey-leaning everyday sipper

Razel's Peanut Butter Rum

Very sweet, dessert-style peanut butter liqueur

Franz Wild GbR Brennerei & Weingut Wild Blackforest Wild Rum

Very sweet, vanilla-heavy spiced dessert dram

Razel's Choco Brownie Rum

Very sweet, liquid chocolate-brownie dessert dram

Bimmerle AG Schwarzwald Rum Wood stork 2018

Sweet, ginger-heavy spiced rum, love-or-hate

Simon's Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 48 2013

Spicy, wine-like German rum with a short finish

Kikusui Shuzo Ryoma Rhum Japonais

Sake-like Japanese oddity that splits drinkers

Velier Nine Leaves Last Drops 2023

Distinctive white rum, all cane juice and herbs

Nine Leaves Rumclub Berlin Private Selection

Armagnac-finished Japanese rum, wine-cask complexity

Velier Nine Leaves Russian Virgin Oak 2017

Herbal, medicinal Japanese rum with a wild streak

Helios Kiyomi White Rum

Floral, briny, sake-like Japanese white

Velier Nine Leaves Bourbon Barrel 2017

Herbal, bourbon-cask Japanese sipper

Ableforth's Rumbullion!

Sweet, heavily spiced Christmas-in-a-glass rum

VS Distillers J. Gow Spiced Rum

Cinnamon-heavy spiced rum, more mixer than sipper

Charles Merser & Co Rum Merchants Double Barrel

Soft, fruity vanilla-and-oak everyday sipper

William Grant & Sons Discarded Spirits Banana Peel Rum

Very sweet banana-candy rum, best mixed

VS Distillers J. Gow Revenge

Funky, rubbery Scottish rum with Jamaican leanings

Velier Sangsom Shakara 12 Years Old

Sweet, bourbon-like easy sipper from Thailand

Phraya Deep Matured Gold Rum

Easy vanilla-coconut sipper, a bit flat

Château du Breuil Pathum Thani Rum Explorer Thailand

Nice nose, woody and hot palate

Cane Island Thailand

Woody, tobacco-and-coffee sipper that stays mild

Flensburg Rum Company Thailand (Special Bottling for 12th German Rumfest)

Foursquare-style profile, gorgeous nose, hot palate

Thai Beverage Marketing Sangsom Special Rum

Thin, sweet mixer, not for sipping

Naga Siam Edition

Soft, sweet sipper with a short finish

Naga Edition Anggur

Sweet, red-wine-heavy rum oddity

Naga Pearl Of Jakarta Triple Wood

Sweet, cherry-honey Indonesian oddity

By The Dutch Batavia Arrack

Dry, smoky arrack, best split in cocktails

Naga Java Reserve

Sweet, licorice-driven, easygoing Indonesian sipper

Naga Shani PX Cask Finish

Rich, raisin-heavy PX-finished sipper

Velier River Antoine Rivers Royal Grenadian Rum

Wild, smoky Grenadian cane-juice powerhouse

Habitation Velier Renegade 2020

Wild, rubbery, medicinal Grenada oddity

Grenada Distillers Six Saints

Easy, coconut-vanilla everyday sipper, slightly young

Renegade Pearls- Études 2021

Salty, vegetal young Grenada agricole

Renegade Études New Bacolet (Upper Combe) 2021

Young, grassy cane-juice rum, alcohol shows

Renegade Rhum Blanc Pre-Cask New Bacolet

Grassy, citrus-driven white cane rum

Centenario Fundación 20 Años Reserva Especial

Soft, sweet everyday Costa Rican sipper

Centenario Fundación 25 Años Gran Reserva

Soft, sweet coffee-and-caramel solera sipper

Centenario Fundación 30 Años Edicion Limitada

Very sweet, creamy dessert-style solera

Centenario 12 Años Gran Legado

Mild, sweet, easy-going Spanish-style sipper

Centenario 9 Años Conmemorativo Reserva

Mild, simple, better as a mixer

Centenario 18 Años Reserva de la Familia

Mild chocolate-vanilla sipper, a touch flat

A.H. Riise Santos Dumont XO Super Premium Rum

Very sweet, dessert-leaning coconut-honey sipper

A.H. Riise Santos Dumont XO Elixir

Very sweet, dessert-style rum liqueur

A.H. Riise Santos Dumont XO Palmira

Very sweet, dessert-leaning honey-raisin sipper

Santos Dumont XO Gewürztraminer

Very sweet, coconut-forward rum liqueur

Santos Dumont LLC Heritage Hors d'Age

Sweet, vanilla-and-coconut sipper that divides people

Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 34 2011

Cinnamon-heavy Brazilian, Amburana all over it

Licores San Miguel SA Ron San Miguel Solera 1952 Añejo

Spicy, woody, cinnamon-heavy with an alcohol bite

La Maison & Velier Equalikor S.A. El Amparo Rum Carlos Baque Zorrilla

Grassy clairin-style cane rum, born for daiquiris

Romero & Sons Solera Especial

Hot, spirity, more fruit-brandy than rum

Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 60 Galapagos 2015

Spiced, fruity cane-juice rum, easy but simple

Zhumir Ron Canuto Superior Rum

Sweet, simple, slightly chemical column rum

Canuto XO

Spirity, spice-forward sipper that divides drinkers

Habitation Velier Takamaka 2018

Herbal, fiery young cane-juice rum

Trois Frères Distillery Takamaka St. André 8 Years Old Rum

Nice nose, thin and mild palate

Trois Frères Distillery Takamaka Bay Zepis Kreol

Takamaka PTI Lakaz

Bajan-leaning, woody-fruity, easy but slightly thin

Takamaka Dark Spiced

Sweet spiced mixer, better in cola than neat

Château du Breuil Ron Aldea Rum Explorer Canaries

Light, spicy honey rum, alcohol runs hot

Ron Aldea Maestro 2006

Light, sweetish cane-juice rum, a bit thin

La Palma Distillers Constellation's Rum Polaris

Hot, thin, wood-heavy neat sipper

Arehucas Carta Oro

Thin, sweet airport mixer, not a sipper

Planteray Spain (PX Cask Finish) 2012

Sweet, sherry-soaked and a bit thin

Lidl France Las Tres Santas Rhum

Soft, easy raisin-and-coffee everyday sipper

Isautier Arrangé Gingembre Citron

Ferroni Rhum Ambre Noir

Easy, sweet caramel-coconut everyday sipper

Fine Spirits Rum of the World

Les Rhums du Sud Rhum ESB des Antilles Française 2023

Triton Rhum Agriculture Biologique

Goslings Black Seal Rum

Sweet, dark molasses rum built for mixing

Goslings Old Rum („Family Reserve“)

Dark, chocolatey sipper that thins out

Goslings 151 Proof Black Rum

Molasses-heavy 151 for Zombies and dark rum cocktails

Bacardi Spiced

Sweet, thin vanilla-cinnamon cola mixer

Bacardi Reserva Limitada

Soft, sweet, one-note Bacardi sipper

A Clean Spirit Skunk Rum Hooded

Smoky, spirity, tequila-like pot-still oddity

A.H. Riise Pharmacy Liquorice

Thick, sweet black-licorice liqueur

A Clean Spirit Hooded Skunk Rum 2022

Hot, fruity cask-strength rum for mixing

Fanoe Skibsrom Havmanden

Soft, lightly sweet spiced sipper

Fanoe Skibsrom Havfruen

Sweet, spicy Danish sipper, thin body

Romdeluxe Fary Lochan Distillery Series Rum No. 4 (Denmark) Forsyth 2020

Whisky-like, musty, very specific pot-still rum