Whereas darkish spirits have lengthy been favored for vacation gifting, rum is usually ignored.​​ We think about {that a} tragedy, as sugar cane- and molasses-based spirits can convey simply as a lot nuance to the desk as any Pappy Van Winkle or Rémy Martin launch. From the hogo-fueled expressions from the depths of Jamaican dunder pits to the grassy, funky white rums of Haiti and Martinique, there’s a rum on the market for everybody, and VinePair has you coated with our picks beneath.

Hold studying for the seven finest bottles of rum to reward in 2023 and the tropical escapism they could convey.

Finest Price range Rum: Amrut Outdated Port Rum
Finest Splurge Rum: Rhum Clément Cuvée Homère
Finest Rum for Freshmen: Don Q Reserva 7
Finest Rum for Geeks: Clairin Sajous
Finest Rum for Cocktail Lovers: Noël Barrel Aged Rum Tequila Cask Completed
Finest Rum to Impress: Black Tot Aged Caribbean Rum
Finest Restricted-Version Rum: Rhumb Runner Fernandes Trinidad 18 Yr Outdated Rum

Finest Price range Rum

Amrut Outdated Port Rum

Don’t let the $24 price ticket idiot you — it is a beast of a well-rounded rum for bar carts. Made with 100% home molasses, Amrut Outdated Port Rum is distilled, aged, and bottled in its native India. And whereas Amrut is finest recognized for its whisky choices, this phenomenal rum reveals the flexibility of its producer. It’s candy on the nostril with a tropical palate, packing in concentrated notes of pineapple and dried mango. In the event you’re to make a pleasant gesture with out breaking the financial institution, look no additional.

Common Value: $24
Score: 92

Finest Splurge Rum

Rhum Clément Cuvée Homère

Uber-luxe packaging could be a crimson flag within the spirits world relying on what you’re consuming, however this rhum’s gilded stopper is actually emblematic of the high-quality liquid inside. Produced in Martinique — a French island with a deep historical past of rum distillation and the birthplace of rhum agricole — this expression departs from the normal path of Martinique rhums because it’s a mixture of 7- and 15-year-old bourbon-barrel-aged cane rums. Pour it right into a snifter glass and the nostril opens with wafts of sun-baked raisins, a medley of tropical fruits, and a contact of oaky vanilla. The palate, nonetheless, pulls again on the sweetness to permit for drier, extra savory notes to shine by way of. Given the abundance of cloying aged rums available on the market as of late, we perceive some reluctance to fork over a hefty sum for a bottle like this — however relaxation assured, this one delivers stability on all fronts.

Common Value: $120
Score: 94

Finest Rum for Freshmen

Don Q Reserva 7

This Puerto Rican rum is aged for seven years in American white oak, making for a candy, vanilla-kissed nostril redolent of baking spices and caramel. It holds its personal as a standalone sipper and a cocktail part alike, with its taste far surpassing its $25 price ticket. For newcomers to the class who wish to get a little bit style for premium aged rums, it is a good segue bottle. To not point out, this rum works wonders in baked items. Rum cake with Don Q 7? Hell, sure.

Common Value: $25
Score: 90

Finest Rum for Geeks

Clairin Sajous

Hailing from Haiti and clocking it at a whopping 56.5 % ABV, Clairin Sajous is produced at Distillerie Chelo within the countryside of Saint-Michel-de-l’Attalaye, which many think about to be the grand cru of clairin. For these unfamiliar with clairin, it’s a subcategory of rum that makes use of wild sugar cane juice and indigenous Haitian yeasts in its distillation. This explicit expression is constructed from Canne Cristalline cane juice, offering it with a definite sense of Haitian terroir. Notes of grassy funk, tree-ripened stone fruit, and diesel gasoline evolve from nostril to complete. For less than $45, this complicated, still-proof rum provides die-hard spirits geeks lots to nerd out about.

Common Value: $45
Score: 95

Finest Rum for Cocktail Lovers

Noël Barrel Aged Rum Tequila Cask Completed

Noël’s Tequila Cask-Completed rum is definitely a departure from the norm, but it surely’s on no account gimmicky. Bottled within the U.S. and made with molasses-based rums from North and Central America, this expression spends six years resting in white American oak earlier than a ending interval in tequila casks. That final step imparts this expression with a bouquet of inexperienced, peppery agave aromas adopted by a recent and vibrant palate, totally dwelling as much as the expectations set by the spirit’s shiny golden coloration. Be happy to sip this one neat to discover its distinctive character, however we urge you to take it for a spin in a Daiquiri, Margarita, or perhaps a Cuba Libre.

Common Value: $47
Score: 92

Finest Rum to Impress

Black Tot Aged Caribbean Rum

Crafted with a mix of rums from Barbados, Guyana, and Jamaica, Black Tot’s Aged Rum is sort of a multi-island distillery tour in a single bottle. The nostril bursts with wealthy hogo aromas — seemingly from the Jamaican rum affect — exuding notes of brûléed banana, adopted by clove, chocolate and a touch of espresso. On the palate, the Guyanese and Barbadian elements shine with hints of vanilla, baking spice, and black peppercorns. This rum is excellent in each sense of the phrase — even the bottle itself is dressed to impress with its nautical, embossed black label. This rum makes for a decadent after-dinner digestif, but additionally holds its personal when blended in cocktails. Strive it out in a Painkiller or a Kingston Negroni and thank us later.

Common Value: $66
Score: 94

Finest Restricted-Version Rum

Rhumb Runner Fernandes Trinidad 18 Yr Outdated Rum

There are solely 237 bottles of this rum on the market within the wild, however in case you handle to trace one down, you’re in for a deal with. Distilled in Trinidad, aged for 18 years, and bottled at cask power, this unicorn launch flexes its complexity in spades. The nostril hits like a tropical fruit basket, with concentrated aromas of banana, guava, ardour fruit, and mango making up the spirit’s core profile. Because it unfolds throughout the palate, pepper, licorice, and lightweight notes of mesquite BBQ make a welcome look, however don’t upstage the produce promised on the nostril. This rum clocks in at 67.3 % ABV, so be happy to proof it down with a couple of drops of water to unlock its full potential. Be warned: This bottle is already hitting the resale market at an inflated worth, so attempt to get it on the steered $140 whilst you nonetheless can.

Common Value: $140
Score: 96