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Rum is a many-splendored thing. Unlike spirits like scotch whisky or tequila, its production isn’t bound to a specific geographical location — rum is distilled all over the world in over 60 countries. Individual countries may have specific laws in place to regulate rum production, but there is no overarching standard for how rum should be made.
With the wide variety of cultures that make rum in different places using different techniques, rum is the most diverse category of alcoholic spirits in the world. Because of the extreme variety within the category, it can be hard to pick out which bottle of rum might be right for you. To help us navigate the wide world of rum we enlisted the help of Wayne Curtis, journalist and author of “And a Bottle of Rum,” along with longtime bartender and cocktail educator Leandro DiMonriva.
Though classifying types of rum is a tricky business, we list our favorites by color because that’s how most cocktail recipes describe the spirit. Based on expert guidance and our own taste tests, here are some of our favorite rums that we think are worth your money. What are the different types of rum?Rum is notoriously difficult to categorize.
Color and country of origin used to tell you how a rum would taste, but now, the diversity of techniques in rum production has blurred the lines. Since it’s still the most widely used way to categorize rums and is the standard for cocktail recipes, color is the simplest way to categorize, whether it’s accurate or not. For more detail on why rum is so hard to classify, check out what our experts had to say here.
White/light rum: Crystal clear rums can be completely unaged, or then aged and filtered. They can be made of both fresh sugarcane juice and molasses. Unaged rums like Clément or Wray & Nephew tend to have bold, fruity, and grassy flavor notes.
Aged white rums tend to have a softer flavor profile, but are still bright and fresh. Gold rum: These rums were traditionally barrel-aged for a short period of time giving them a light amber or gold color. The aging process imparts flavor notes of vanilla and caramel to the rum while still maintaining the fresh fruity notes.
Historically, this style of rum was mostly produced in the former Spanish colonies in the Caribbean. Dark rum: Before the use of artificial colorings and additives, a darker color was indicative of a longer barrel aging period. Many dark rums now have added sugar and artificial coloring to emulate the effects of a long barrel age.
These rums often have rich flavor notes of vanilla and chocolate. Cane rum/rhum agricole: Most rum is distilled from fermented molasses, but rum can be made from freshly pressed cane juice as well. Cane-based rums tend to have a sharper, grassy flavor profile with notes of fresh and ripe fruit.
This style is most closely associated with Martinique, where it is called rhum agricole, but cane rums are now also produced in other places such as Grenada and Hawaii. Spiced rum: Despite the fact that it’s a newer style, spiced rum dominates the US market. These rums usually are full of additives and flavorings, giving them an overly sweet and artificial flavor.
The spiced spirit is vanilla-forward with additions of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and other spices. Some rum producers have recently entered this category to try and produce spiced rums that are balanced, nuanced, and not artificial tasting. Best rum overallBitters & BottlesRon del Barrilito 3 Star is a nuanced, full-flavored Puerto Rican rum that showcases notes of mango, vanilla, and caramel.
Ron del Barrilito isn’t the biggest or most well-known rum producer in Puerto Rico, but having begun distillation in 1880 in Bayamón, it’s the oldest on the island. It still ages and blends its rum at Hacienda Santa Ana, where it was first distilled on a small copper pot still over a century ago. Compared to many rums of this style, Ron del Barrilito clearly stands out.
“It brings more depth and complexity to the party,” says Curtis. This amber-hued spirit is vanilla and caramel forward in flavor, with subtle notes of pineapple and mango juice and a hint of baking spice on the finish. The best way to appreciate this rum is to sip it neat or on a rock.
It’s smooth without much off-putting ethanol burn. In a cocktail, it works beautifully in a rum old-fashioned with chocolate bitters and a fresh orange peel. Best white rumTotal WineProbitas is an excellent blended white rum that’s perfectly suited for daiquiris and mojitos.
It’s good enough to sip neat as well. Some well-known white rums are distilled and filtered to the point where they are almost vodka. This makes a full-flavored and expertly crafted rum like Probitas really stand out.
Crafted by Foursquare, this rum is a blend of its unaged Coffey still rum and 2-year pot still rum from Hampden Estate in Jamaica. “At 20 bucks a bottle, it’s a no-brainer for mixing or sipping,” says DiMonriva. “The pedigree of each distillery alone is enough to attract the more seasoned rum drinkers and is a nice intro for the newbie.
” It’s perfect in a daiquiri as it balances out the citrus and sugar, contributing enough flavor to make the drink memorable. Best dark rumTotal WineThere are many dark rums, but the Appleton Estate 12 Year Rare Casks stands out for its depth and richness. Jamaican rums are in a class of their own.
They’re traditionally known for their “hogo” or funky aroma and flavor. Appleton Estate is a bit different. This rum brand mixes pot and column distilled rums to create a balanced and nuanced rum that is then aged in Jamaica for 12 years.
It has all of the color and sophisticated flavor typical of a dark rum without any additives or shortcuts. “It’s a lovely Jamaican rum for those who like big flavor, but not necessarily the high hogo funkiness of old-school Jamaican,” says Curtis. It’s a great sipping rum with notes of dark chocolate, orange peel, and brown sugar.
Best cheap rumWine. comIf you need an affordable mixing rum, Flor de Caña 4 Extra Seco punches above its weight class without overpowering mixers. When you need to mix up a cocktail on a budget, Flor De Caña 4 Extra Seco is our top pick for an affordable mixing rum.
“This rum is my absolute favorite rum to use in cocktails when I’m looking for a sharp clean rum without too much oomph of flavor, but can still make an impact in a cocktail,” says DiMonriva. “It has a residual dryness which assists to temper sweetness in cocktails while still allowing the sugar to balance the citrus and the citrus to shine. ” For under $20 a bottle, the Extra Seco is a must-have for any home bar.
It works great in any cocktail that calls for a bright, light rum, but Flor De Caña also offers a full line of Nicaraguan rums to meet any of your mixology needs. The Flor De Caña 4 Añejo is another affordable aged rum that gives you great value for its flavor. Best top-shelf rumEl DoradoEl Dorado’s range of cask-strength, single-still rums showcases the history of Guyanese rum distillation.
The Enmore was our favorite of this line and well worth tracking down. Hailing from Guyana, El Dorado is a well-known name in the rum world. Its blended rums are favorites among aficionados and bartenders alike.
But its premium line of single-still rums is particularly unique and exciting. The El Dorado single-still, barrel-proof Enmore expression is a delicious 12-year-aged rum distilled in a wooden still that was built in 1880. It’s the ideal sipping rum with flavor notes of butterscotch, brown sugar, and baked apples.
It’s definitely worth splurging on this bottle if you can track it down, both for the rum itself and the story that comes along with it. Best rum for mojitosCuriadaPlantation 3 Stars is a versatile and delicious white rum that shines in cocktails, especially the mojito. The mojito is famous for its irresistible and refreshing combination of lime, mint, and sugar.
To really make it shine, the cocktail needs a crisp, light rum to complement the other ingredients. We recommend the Plantation 3 Stars for mixing up the ideal mojito. “It’s very light and crisp with notes of honey and guava,” says DiMonriva.
“It’s nuanced enough to be able to sip but not so nuanced that you’d be remiss to put it into a cocktail. ” Plantation 3 Stars isn’t just for mojitos, though. Try it in a daiquiri or any cocktail that requires a lighter rum and find out for yourself why it’s a favorite among bartenders.
Best rum for piña coladasTotal WineDon Q Gold is an affordable and well-rounded Puerto Rican rum that fits perfectly in this popular cocktail. When someone orders a piña colada, it’s usually not for the rum. The combination of pineapple juice and coconut makes it the perfect poolside sipper, but those flavors usually overpower the spirit.
You probably don’t want to use your most expensive, top-shelf rum for this drink. The piña colada was invented in San Juan, Puerto Rico, so for the sake of authenticity, we recommend a Puerto Rican rum when mixing one. Don Q is one of the biggest rum producers on the island, and its lightly aged gold rum is the perfect complement to this fruit-forward drink.
“It’s a lighter rum, but edged with earthy sweet notes,” says Curtis. Curtis also recommends using Plantation Stiggins Pineapple rum to boost the pineapple flavor in the drink. Best spiced rumAstor WinesSpiced rum is often maligned by rum experts, but Chairman’s Reserve has crafted a well-balanced and less artificial-tasting alternative.
Let’s be perfectly honest — spiced rum doesn’t have the best reputation. “Spiced rum has long been thought of as trash rum in the industry and up until the last few years that’s largely been true,” says DiMonriva. Most spiced rums tend to be overly sweetened and taste artificial.
Thankfully, Chairman’s Reserve from St. Lucia has crafted a spiced rum that’s worthy of your money. “In a world of unbalanced vanilla bombs masquerading as spiced rums, this stands out as a well-balanced and enlighted variation,” says Curtis.
This rum still has the vanilla, clove, and cinnamon flavors that the average drinker expects from a spiced rum, but without the artificiality found elsewhere in the category. What other rums we consideredWe tried too many rums to list them all here, but here are some of the other noteworthy bottles that didn’t quite make the cut. White rum:Wray & Nephew: In many ways, this is the quintessential Jamaican rum.
Punchy, aromatic, funky, and strong, it’s an iconic rum, but at 125 proof it can be difficult to handle. Balcones White Rum: Balcones is known for its Texas single malt whiskies, but it also makes an incredible unaged, pot-still rum. The only downside is that it’s only available directly from their distillery.
Kō Hana Kea: Similar to Renegade Rum, Ko Hana produces single-farm expressions of fresh cane rum, all with sugarcane grown from Hawaii. It isn’t the most readily availableRenegade Rum Pre-Cask Collection: Renegade is a newer distillery in Grenada that produces terroir-driven, fresh cane rum. Its collection of punchy and fruit-forward unaged rums showcases the natural flavors of Grenadian sugarcane.
Renegade is still is a bit hard to find, otherwise, it would have been one of our top picks. Dark rum:Plantation O. F.
T. D. : This heavily aged, blended dark rum from Plantation has all of the oak flavor that anyone could want from a dark rum.
Tread carefully with this rum — it’s 138 proof. El Dorado 8: This Guyanese rum producer’s entire line is respected by rum drinkers for its depth of flavor and trademark flavor note of caramelized sugar. The El Dorado 8 is a go-to dark rum, but we slightly preferred the Appleton Estate 12.
Plantation Xaymaca: As much as we enjoyed sipping this rum, it’s hard to recommend to someone unless they’re familiar with the funk associated with Jamaican rums. Santa Teresa 1796: This rum from Venezuela is great for sipping, but in side-by-side taste tests, we preferred our top picks. Doctor Bird: Doctor Bird is a Jamaican rum that celebrates pot-distilled, funky rum.
In the right cocktail, it is the perfect addition, but it’s strong and can easily overpower a drink if not wielded properly. Mount Gay Black Barrel: Mount Gay in Barbados has been producing rum since 1703. This expression is approachable and a good entry point for rum-curious bourbon drinkers.
On closer inspection, it doesn’t quite have the depth of some of the similar rums we tried. Cocktail rum:Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof: Best known for being used in the classic tropical cocktail, the painkiller, it’s a rich and full-flavored spirit. However, in our taste tests, we preferred Appleton Estate 12 on its own.
Clement V. S. O.
P. : The gold standard for an aged Martinique rhum agricole. This Clement expression works great paired with a Jamaican rum in a mai tai, but is a bit of an acquired taste on its own.
Denizen Merchant’s Reserve 8: This is a blend of rums from Jamaica and Martinique, developed to match the flavor profile of Trader Vic’s second mai tai recipe. It’s a fun rum to mix with, but look elsewhere for a sipping rum. Zaya Alta Fuerza: This overproof rum from Trinidad is a high-proof, aged rum with notes of pepper and maple.
It’s a bit strong on its own, but works well in the right cocktail. Gosling’s Black Seal: If you order a dark and stormy at a cocktail bar, this is the rum that’s going in it. It’s iconic and useful behind the bar, but lacks the body and depth of other dark rums.
How we chose the best rumssimonkr/Getty ImagesWhen selecting our favorite rums, we first spoke to two experts to find out their favorite rums in different categories: rum expert and author Wayne Curtis and bartender and cocktail educator Leandro DiMonriva. Then, we attended the Los Angeles Rum Festival where we were able to sample rums from dozens of producers and attend seminars and guided tastings. To test over 50 rums, we broke down our methodology into drinking the spirit neat and mixing it into cocktails.
Drinking neat: When tasting each rum, we tried each neat, without ice or mixers first. We paid close attention to the aroma, color, and flavor of each rum. Cocktails: For the rums used primarily for mixing, we tried our favorites in mojitos, piña coladas, and daiquiris to determine which fit standard cocktail recipes best.
When mixing, we looked for rums that complemented the other ingredients of the cocktail without being too overwhelming or deviating from the classic flavor profile of each drink. The problem with rum classificationsThere is no widely agreed upon method for classifying rum. Traditionally, rum has been classified by color, but color tells you very little about how a modern-day rum might actually taste.
“Modern production methods and occasional additives have erased the color cues,” says Curtis. “Some producers will age rum for several years, then filter out the color. ” Because of this, two perfectly clear rums like Wray & Nephew and Plantation 3 Stars can taste nothing alike, though they look almost identical.
As more rum producers branch out and try different ingredients, the country of origin is also becoming less descriptive. “Origins still will offer some clues — Jamaican is still funkier than Cuban, generally speaking, but the lines have been blurred,” Curtis says. For example, Martinique is known for rhum agricole, rums distilled from fresh cane juice instead of molasses, but other regions like Hawaii and Grenada also now produce high-end rums distilled from locally grown sugarcane juice.
Rum FAQsa_namenko/Getty ImagesWhat is rum made of?All rums are made from either fresh sugarcane juice or molasses. The sugar is then mixed with yeast and is allowed to ferment, a process by which the yeast turns sugar into alcohol. The alcoholic mixture is then distilled, creating a concentrated, highly alcoholic spirit.
After distillation, some rums are barrel aged, which adds color and flavor to the spirit. Some rums have added molasses and caramel coloring added to them. Spiced rums are often heavily sweetened and infused with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.
What cocktails are made with rum?The most famous rum cocktails, the daiquiri, piña colada, and mojito, all pair rum with fresh fruit juice and sugar. Rum is also the most popular base spirit in tiki cocktails like the Mai Tai and the Zombie. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-rum
