Rum
Rum is a distilled spirit traditionally made from sugarcane juice or molasses and typically aged in oak barrels, although experimentation with other barrels also takes place. Rum is most widely associated with the islands of the Caribbean and Latin American countries, but it is made in many countries around the world, including Scotland, Sweden, and the U.S. In Spanish-speaking countries rum is called ron, though no one knows for sure where the word “rum” itself was born. White or silver rum is either unaged or is lightly aged, then filtered to strip out the color; it is generally intended for use in cocktails. Gold or amber rum is aged in oak barrels, though there are no agreed upon standards on how long this term, nor any real distinction between the terms. Dark rum is usually made from caramelized molasses, aged for a longer period of time, and usually in barrels that have been more deeply charred. Overproof rum can hit up to 160 proof and is intended for use in cocktails, including the Volcano, where the overproof rum is floated on top and ignited. Spiced and flavored rums are also quite popular.
Top Rum Posts:
Havana Club Tributo 2017
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
Bacardi Anejo Cuatro 4 Years Old, Reserva Ocho 8 Years Old, and Gran Reserva Diez 10 Years Old Rum
2024 was another embarrassingly great year for rum, perhaps further evidence that we should all be paying closer attention to the category when it comes to ultra-premium spirits. Alas, rum’s ascendance, while forecast for at least a decade, continues to be “coming soon,” with the tropical spirit still not getting the respect it deserves. You…
Guatemala-based Zacapa is well-known for its iconic Zacapa 23 (and Zacapa XO) expressions, but less commonly seen is this third bottling, the “black” Zacapa Edición Negra. It’s made from a blend of rums aged 6 to 24 years, and is “inspired by the natural elements of Guatemala including the dark fire of its volcanoes.” Some of…
Ron Barcelo recently dropped a new addition to its Rare Blends Collection, which is also part of the Imperial line (denoted by the oversize decanter). As the name suggests, this rum, made from Domincan sugar cane, is aged in oak barrels with different degrees of toasting, then finished in 10 year old Tawny Port casks.…
When asked to name a rum distilled in Puerto Rico, the world thinks of Bacardi. Undoubtedly, Bacardi has corned the marketing of Puerto Rican rum on the world stage, but not in its own backyard. Located in Ponce, Destileria Seralles’s Don Q outsells Bacardi by a wide margin domestically. In 2023, Destileria Seralles was awarded…
Ho ho ho! Forget milk and cookies, what Santa needs this year is a shot of good, hard alcohol to help get him through whatever 2025 has in store for us. Shopping is tough, so if you’re considering a special bottle for a special someone in your life, look no further. We have you covered…
Hampden‘s end-of-year seasonal rum release is here, as always providing a powerful look at the very best that this essential Jamaican distillery can produce and blend. The sixth edition is, as always, a different blend of rums than in prior years (this one hails from three different vintages), but it’s still a total banger.…
As the story goes: “Roaming Road Spirits is not your garden variety ‘pick a barrel and sell it to consumers and trade’ type outfit.” Yes, it’s an independent bottler, but it’s not just leaning on Scotch or bourbon. Rather, Roaming Road and founder Mike Gilmore is scouring all types of spirits to bottle, including whiskey…
Holmes Cay is best known for its vintage-dated, single cask rum offerings, but with the new Infinity Cask, we’re getting something entirely different: A blend of aged rums from 13 distilleries in 7 countries, ranging from 20 to a whopping 47 years old. (Production took place between 1976 and 2003.) How this rum came to…
The Dominican Republic’s Brugal is back with round two of its Colección Visionaria line, Edicion 02, Coffee. Like the Edicion 01, Cacao release, this rum uses Brugal‘s unique “Aromatic Cask Toasting technique” to infuse barrels with flavor without actually dosing them with a physical liquid or even a solid additive. The secret is toasting coffee…
Sugarfield Spirits makes its home in Gonzalez, Louisiana and is the official vodka of Louisiana State University Athletics. However, rum is the true calling of this southern distillery. Louisiana is the top sugarcane producing state in America as it produces more than 2 million tons of raw sugar per year. As the American whiskey industry…