The 11 Best Rum Brands in the World
Rum isn’t only delicious in cocktails. Learn all about the complex spirit and discover the best rum brands and styles for sipping neat here.
Most people associate rum with tropical cocktails and tiki drinks — thus, often unjustly labeling it as “too sweet” or “filled with sugar.” While it’s true that rum is produced from sugarcane, that’s not what gives these drinks their sweetness. Fruit juices such as mango, orange, and pineapple, which are commonly used in rum drinks, are the culprit. If you try rum straight off the still, you’ll quickly rethink its oft-maligned sweetness. There are also plenty of elevated and delicious rum cocktails that celebrate the spirit’s unique flavor. We should also note that there are flavored rum and spiced rum on the market. The most commonly flavored rums are imbued with coconut or other tropical fruits that bolster mixed drinks. This article focuses on premium bottles for sipping neat from the best rum brands in the world.
The Best Rum Brands
There are hundreds of rum brands around the world. They primarily come from popular sugar-producing islands such as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, and Cuba. But they also come from African isles, including Mauritius, and the Asian archipelago of the Philippines.
The production and aging process differs from brand to brand. For example, some use a pot still to produce a rich, robust rum, while others employ a column still to produce elegant dark rums. Some brands use a blend of liquids that have been distilled in both a column and pot still. In general, distilling rum in a pot still results in a fuller-bodied rum, while a column still creates a lighter-bodied rum. Here, we focus on the best rum brands with premium price points. They typically have aged in oak casks for several years. If you’re looking for a great, affordable rum for cocktails and sipping, we recommend Ten to One, a blend of Caribbean rums.
How Is Rum Made?
Rum production begins with a sugarcane harvest, most often in sugar-producing regions, such as the Caribbean. Production begins by pressing the sugarcane to extract cane juice that is used to make molasses. Next, the molasses undergoes fermentation; producers mix water and yeast with the molasses, yielding an alcoholic liquid. Then, they distill the by-product by heating and then cooling it in a pot or column still. The final result is a pure rum that is fit for maturation — most often in wooden barrels.
Rum can also be produced directly from pressed sugarcane juice. This is called Rhum Agricole. This style does not use molasses, but rather ferments and distills the pure sugarcane. Rhum Agricole can be unaged or aged. The former has intense grassy notes, and the latter offers tropical fruits and nutmeg spice.
As with other spirits — including bourbon, rye, whisky, and tequila — producers sometimes age or rest rum in different vessels to influence its final aromas, flavors, texture, and color. In fact, brands often rest rum in oak casks that previously housed the likes of bourbon, rye, and whisky. They also use ex-sherry or former Cognac casks. White rum typically matures in stainless steel to ensure the purity of style, which is typically a neutral flavor profile. On the other hand, dark rum typically offers more of the traditional molasses sweetness on the nose with some notes of vanilla but offers a warm spice and freshness on the palate. White rum is more clean tasting and most often used in classic cocktails like piña coladas, mojitos, and daiquiris, but it doesn’t hurt to take your time exploring the many flavor profiles of this style, either.
What Makes a Good Rum?
Though everyone’s palates, and thus preferences, are unique, there are a few guidelines for identifying a “good” rum. At its most basic definition, a good rum is one of quality. Brands produce quality rums by using premium ingredients, aging the spirit longer so it can develop a layered profile, and not using color or flavor additives.
A good rum is usually a blend crafted by a master blender to layer different aged rums as well as rums rested in different barrels; the blend allows for a more complex palate. A good rum can be dry or sweet, but one that falls in the latter style should be naturally sweet as a result of the aging method. For example, a rum finished in a sherry cask will likely be sweeter than if it was aged in a former Scotch barrel. In addition, the longer a rum is aged, the more inherent sweetness will shine through.
A good sipping rum should be served neat and at room temperature to unleash its full flavor.
What Are the Best Rum Brands?
Dictador Rum
Dictador Rum produces one of the most expensive rums in the world: Dictador M-City Golden Cities Series starts at $1.5 million. The Colombian distillery is celebrated for its investment-grade, aged rum that it has been crafting since 1913. Its rum is exquisite. Dictador has a portfolio of extremely rare releases, which results in extremely limited quantities. But also, it has earned a following from art enthusiasts due to its unique collaborations with international tastemakers. For example, Orlinski 5 Decades is one of its art-driven collections with French sculptor Richard Orlinski; the rum is presented in a casted bottle (only 525 are available) in six colorways. There’s also Generations en Lalique, a collaboration that presents a unique blend of rum from 1976 vintages in a clear and frosted bespoke decanter designed by the luxury French glassmaker Lalique (only 300 bottles are available).
Appleton Estate
Appleton Estate’s records date back to 1749 in the karstic Nassau Valley of central-western Jamaica. The brand credits the area’s limestone-filtered water used during fermentation as a key component in its distinct rum range, from its signature series to 8-, 12-, 15-, and 21-year-old rums and exclusive limited releases. The 12-year-old rare casks are an exceptional entry point to the brand; they are premium but approachable. This rum is a blend of pot- and column-still rums for a layered sip of dried fruit, toasted nuts, dark chocolate, orange peel, and coffee notes. The 21-year-old Nassau Valley Casks rums are delectable when served neat or on the rocks. The limited editions are special releases to watch for, including its 50-year rum that’s touted as the oldest tropical, minimum-aged rum available on the global market.
Zacapa Rum
Zacapa is a small town in eastern Guatemala that was founded in 1876. In 1976, Zacapa Rum was established as a centennial tribute to the city’s founding. The brand uses virgin sugarcane, the first press of sugarcane, rather than molasses. It’s also distinguishable for its method of sequential aging. It uses the solera system that’s typical of fortified wines like port and sherry.
Its entire range of styles is impressive. Two notable releases are Zacapa No. 23, a blend of rums aged between 6 and 23 years in former American whiskey barrels and ex-sherry casks, and Zacapa Edición Negra, a blend of rums aged six and 24 years in double charred American oak casks for a unique, smoky characteristic. Its pinnacle rum is Zacapa XO, a blend of reserve rums. Zapaca ages it between 10 and 25 years in a variety of barrels, including former American whiskey, sherry, and Pedro Ximénez barrels. Finally, the blenders finish it in a French oak cask that previously aged Cognac for an incredibly smooth sip.
Ron del Barrilito
This Puerto Rican rum house has produced its sought-after small batches since 1880. The distillery ages its rums in Spanish white oak sherry barrels, which imparts distinct almond and apricot notes in all its quality rums. Ron del Barrilito uses a star system for distinguishing its different labels, ranging from two to five stars. Two Stars is the youngest rum blend, aging for at least three to five years; Three Stars ages between six and eight years; the Four Stars blend ages up to 20 years; and Five Stars is its “one-of-a-kind,” extremely limited blend, aged up to 35 years. The distillery’s name pays homage to its craft, translating to “little barrel” in Spanish — an ode to its portfolio of limited-production rums.
Diplomático Rum
The gentleman on the recognizable Diplomático Rum label is a nod to the Mantuanos. These 19th-century Venezuelan noblemen were respected for their discernment and diplomacy. Diplomático embodies these qualities with its extra-smooth rums, mostly aged in ex-bourbon and ex-whiskey barrels. Diplomático offers the Tradition Range of youthful rums, including a white rum, as well as its Prestige Range. Within the latter category, the brand only produces Diplomático Single Vintage during exceptional years. Recent vintages include 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2007. It is crafted from rare reserves that have aged exceptionally and aggregated into a batch from a single year of distillation. Then Diplomático rests it in sherry barrels to round out the finish. Diplomático Rum Ambassador is a blend of the finest rum reserves, presenting notes of dried fruit, port wine, cigar, and chocolate before a finish accented by toasted oak.
Barceló
This Dominican rum brand creates the most exported dark rum in the world. Barceló is also the only brand from the Dominican Republic that uses 100% sugarcane juice from its estate plantations, rather than sourcing from other farms. Its portfolio includes most styles of rum. It starts with a white rum aged for two years in an oak barrique. The middle range offering is añejo, or old, rums. Finally, there’s the top-tier Imperial line of special releases. Imperial Rare Blends play with the use of different casks, like a Maple Cask-finished expression, as well as the Porto Cask, which is matured in authentic Tawny 10 port wine casks. There are also Imperial Premium Blends that are long-aged. For example, the 40th-anniversary edition is a special blend of Barceló Imperial’s reserves. They matured in both American and French oak barrels with different levels of toast before being finished in European vats.
Brugal Rum
Brugal Rum’s portfolio is rich with legacy, from its signature Brugal 1888 (its founding year) double cask aged rum to the 460-bottle release of Andrés Brugal (named after its founder) that’s a blend of first fill Oloroso sherry and bourbon single casks with two double-aged reserves, to its most recent and exclusive rum category of Colección Visionaria. The first release, aptly named Edición 01, is an expression defined by a distinct dark chocolate and nut quality. This is a result of Brugal Rum toasting its own casks with Dominican cacao beans. The beans infuse the wood with their aromatic properties, which are then transmitted to the young rum as it ages. The first release was inspired by its blender’s childhood memories of walking among the island’s cacao trees, so it’s both personal and specific to a sense of place in the Dominican Republic.
El Dorado Rum
Guyana’s sugarcane production dates back to the 1650s, but El Dorado’s history is more recent. It launched in 1992 and now offers a unique collection of aged rums ranging from three to 25 years old. El Dorado uses sugarcane that grows along the banks of Guyana’s Demerara River — a specific variety that lends itself to Demerara rum. Experts often tout this style as the world’s finest sugarcane due to its smoky characteristics. The most notable expressions in the El Dorado collection are the Special Reserve 21-Year Rum, which boasts a nuanced sip of baking spices, hazelnut, raisins, slight floral notes, and custard, and the 25-Year-Old Grand Special Reserve, which offers a “silky smoothness” that El Dorado likens to an old Cognac.
Don Papa Rum
Don Papa Rum is a premium aged rum brand from the island of Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Its variety of cask-finished rums presents spectacular flavor and quality that put this island on the map right from its founding in 2012. The Rare Cask rum is intentionally aged in over-toasted barrels to produce a fruitier rum with hints of cacao and oak. Its long, wild mint finish is completely singular to the region, which is known for its fertile soils, thanks to the island’s active volcano, Mt. Kanlaon. Another favorite is Don Papa’s Sherry Cask Rum. It ages in ex-bourbon American oak barrels before it’s finished in four different types of sherry casks. The blend is nutty on the nose and fruity on the palate. There’s also Sevillana, finished in Seville’s Orange Moscatel wine casks, as well as straight-aged rums in ex-rye and port casks.
Flor de Caña Rum
This Nicaraguan rum company has been family-owned since 1890. Today it’s celebrated for its Fair Trade certification, carbon-neutral status, and continued sustainability efforts. Flor de Caña Rum produces single-estate rums and ages them mostly in ex-bourbon barrels. While its premium and ultra-premium collections are enjoyable in tropical cocktails or appreciated in its older blends’ early days, the luxury collection, marked by the 25-year full-bodied rum, is where the range of premier quality begins. The ultra-luxury collection includes a rare release of 30-year single-barrel rum from 1988. It features layers of brown sugar and orange citrus, as well as a pepper quality that lingers long after its finish.
Don Q Rum
This Puerto Rican brand is most recognized for its traditional range and flavored rums. But it also has a lot of impressively aged premium rums, too. The Serrallés Collection by Don Q houses a bounty of Gran Reserva, single-barrel releases, and cask finishes that include vermouth, Zinfandel wine, sherry, port, and Cognac. Particularly notable are the Don Q Gran Reserva Añejo XO. This blend of rums aged between nine and 12 years is combined with a selection of solera-aged rums. The resulting rum is exceptionally mellow and smooth. There’s also Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles 20-Year-Old Puerto Rico Rum. It’s the oldest rum in the Don Q range. The brand released just 1,865 bottles (the quantity reflects its founding year) for its 150th anniversary in 2015.
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