Spiced Rum

The brand Captain Morgan is synonymous with spiced rum, but the category has recently seen a surge of activity in the form of new brands both mainstream and artisan. Spiced rum is rum flavored with a selection of spices which vary from producer to producer, but which generally include cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and/or vanilla. Spiced rum is commonly barrel aged, at least for a time, and usually features added sugar and caramel for additional color. It is most commonly served in a tall drink, mixed with cola.

Top Spiced Rum Posts:

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
Bumbu Rum
Spytail Black Ginger Rum

Review: Koloa Hawaiian Rums and More, Complete Lineup (Updated 2025)

By Christopher Null | August 29, 2025 |

The tiny Hawaiian island of Kauai is home to Koloa Rum, a small operation with a surprisingly robust line of rums, a coffee liqueur, and ready-to-drink cocktails. All five rums are made from the mash of raw cane sugar, double distilled in a copper pot still, and cut with filtered water from Mount Waialeale. That said, there’s…

Review: Thrasher’s Rums – Green Spiced, Relaxed, Coconut, and Spiced (2024)

By Drew Beard | June 19, 2024 |

Todd Thrasher got his start behind bars in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. before turning to distilling in 2018 and opening the Potomac Distilling Company in DC’s riverside District Wharf neighborhood. He produces a Guyanese-style rum in a variety of expressions, all of which form the bulk of the backbar at his distillery’s in-house tiki…

Review: The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum

By Christopher Null | June 15, 2023 |

After a sleepy decade with no new products, The Kraken has suddenly awoken from its slumber. A coffee-and-spice flavored rum hit in 2020. Now a new gold spiced rum has arrived. The concept seems pretty obvious: Spiced rums from the likes of Sailor Jerry and Captain Morgan are lighter in color and perhaps less daunting…

Review: Canerock Jamaican Spiced Rum

By Christopher Null | March 16, 2023 |

Do you like your spiced rum sweet? Well, have I got a rum for you. Canerock, coming to us from the folks at Maison Ferrand (which owns Plantation), has an incredible pedigree, sourced using 100% aged Jamaican rum (5 to 10 years old) from Long Pond and Clarendon, two of the most renowned distilleries on…

Review: Zaya Rum – Cocobana and Alta Fuerza

By Christopher Null | July 15, 2022 |

Zaya rum — made in Trinidad and Tobago — recently dropped two new unusual expressions — the first line extension for the brand, ever. Both are blends that include rum up to 16 years old, and one is lightly flavored. We received them both for review. Thoughts follow. Zaya Cocobana Rum – Flavored with banana,…

Review: Cotton & Reed White Rum, Dry Spiced Rum, and Allspice Dram

By Drew Beard | April 10, 2021 |

Cotton & Reed opened its doors in 2016 in Washington, D.C.’s trendy Union Market neighborhood, becoming the first rum distillery ever in the District. The distillery prides itself on making interesting rums with flavors specifically geared toward cocktails, although neat sipping is encouraged, as well. They also promote a “restrained approach to sugar,” meaning these…

Review: Bacardi Spiced Rum (2021)

By Christopher Null | January 15, 2021 |

Bacardi Spiced Rum isn’t exactly a new product: Bacardi launched it back in 2011 as Bacardi Oakheart. For whatever reason, the brand is relaunching the product, dropping “Oakheart” and revamping the packaging with a more classical, refined look. It’s still a Puerto Rico-distilled product, aged rum blended with natural flavors and spices — and priced to…

Review: The Kraken Black Roast Coffee Rum

By Christopher Null | October 19, 2020 |

The Kraken has been a big player in the spiced rum space since it launched in 2009, owing variously to its evocatively maritime bottle, dark black color, and exceptionally high quality. Now, The Kraken is launching a curious line extension, a coffee-flavored version of its rum, available as a limited edition. The Kraken Black Roast…

Review: Chairman’s Reserve Original Rum and Spiced Rum (2020)

By Christopher Null | July 20, 2020 |

Two years ago we took our first foray into Saint Lucia’s Chairman’s Reserve brand. Today we have another round with the Chairman, including both the mainline “Original” as well as the brand’s spiced rum. Both are 80 proof. Chairman’s Reserve Original Rum (2020) Review This is a blend of column and pot still rum, average…

Review: TOPO Vodka, Wheat Whiskey, and Spiced Rum (2020)

By Drew Beard | March 16, 2020 |

We tasted the clear spirits of Top of the Hill Distillery (TOPO), including their white whiskey, way back in 2013. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based distillery has been hard at work tweaking, adding new products, and barrel-aging their whiskey since then, so we thought we would check in on their latest offerings. TOPO is one…