The red bottle screams gimmick, but the rum inside is legit: Rubi Rey, I’m happy to report, is one of the best white rums on the market, and a good deal, to boot.

Finished in white oak and marketed as a “single barrel” rum, Rubi Rey offers a very clean sugary rum flavor and a light burn (despite being bottled at 86 proof). The taste is reminiscent of really good cachaça, with that spicy, burnt sugar character in the nose and a heavy creaminess on the palate. The delicate essence of wood in the finish is just right for a white rum. I hesitate to say it, but you could actually drink this rum straight, or with a little water and maybe some sugar, something I’d never dreamed possible with a standard white rum. Naturally it shines in cocktails, too.

At just $20 a bottle, Rubi Rey is also an amazing bargain. Sorry, folks, but the Drinkhacker top shelf of white rum just got a new resident. Who will try to dethrone Ms. Rubi?

A / $20 / rubirum.com