Rum is one of the most versatile spirits ever to exist. You can make cocktails with it or just sip it neat or on the rocks. It's a beloved alcoholic beverage by everyone: from party-goers to casual home drinkers.
When one becomes a rum aficionado, however, he is sure to be met with a great deal of confusion about the different types of rum available. The countless terms to describe the drink are just downright perplexing. If you're searching for a clear explanation about the subject, you have come to the right place.
We're going to explore all of these varieties of rum here so that you can pick out precisely what you want to drink next time you're at the bar or liquor store. Let's dive right into it!
Rum Types
The aging process and duration that rum undergoes have a tremendous effect on the end product. This affects not only the color of the rum but also its strength and depth of flavor. The origin also has an impact on these rums, as different cultures distill and age them in different ways.
White Rum
White rum is made from sugar cane, distilled to a lower proof than other rums, and aged in stainless steel canisters. They do this to purposefully preserve the clear color of the rum and keep the flavor mild and unadulterated.
This process gives it a lighter color and flavor than its darker counterparts. Because the flavor is mild and smooth, it is deemed more versatile to be mixed with various additives and flavorings. It's typically used in cocktails such as daiquiris and mojitos.
Other terms for white rum include light rum, clear rum, and silver rum. These are all the same, and they shouldn't confuse you.
White rums are seldom sipped neat and on the rocks because of their rather plain flavor profile and underwhelming appearance when served on their own. Nobody's going to stop you from trying it, nevertheless.
Notable White Rum Brands
The Real McCoy 3-Year-Aged
The renowned Foursquare Distillery in Barbados produces The Real McCoy, the most genuine of white rums. Before removing the color with a single charcoal filter, this rum is aged for three years. The result is a fantastic sipper with vibrant aromas of citrus, banana, caramel, and coconut that goes perfectly with any cocktail.
- Color: Clear
- Aroma: Bananas, caramel, coconut, and a hint of grass
- Taste: Notes of cedar and pepper
- Finish: Subtly savory with a bit of sweetness
- Sugar: 0g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Cocktail companion
BACARDÍ Superior White Rum
Don Facundo Bacardi Masso first produced Bacardi Superior Rum in 1862, and it has since garnered the highest accolades worldwide. The Superior White Rum has a mild flavor and delicate vanilla, citrus, and floral scent. The finish is crisp, clean, and dry.
- Color: Clear
- Aroma: Floral, fruity, vanilla
- Taste: Oak with a hint of vanilla
- Finish: Dry and clean
- Sugar: 0g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Cocktail companion
Havana Club Anejo Blanco
Oak barrels in Puerto Rico are used to create Havana Club Anejo Blanco, which is distilled and matured for a year. The mixture undergoes a second aging process in oak barrels for at least two months. A white rum with a medium body and flavors of vanilla, oak, pineapple, and banana, this brand never fails to disappoint.
- Color: Clear
- Aroma: Notes of vanilla, oak, and fruits
- Taste: Fruity with a hint of vanilla
- Finish: Dry and clean
- Sugar: 0g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Cocktail companion
Dark Rum
Dark rum is the oldest and perhaps the most popular type of rum. Generally, it's aged in burnt wooden barrels like charred oak for a minimum of one year to upwards of ten years. This elaborate aging process gives it its dark color and smoky flavor.
Dark rums are usually made from molasses (the byproduct of sugarcane processing), but sometimes they're also made from sugarcane juice or a combination of both.
Dark rum is sometimes referred to as aged rum or black rum. It's best consumed neat or on the rocks because the complex flavor profile it carries doesn't need additional flavoring. That said, when these rums are aged, they're typically infused with spices anyway. Dark rum is also best for cooking and baking because those robust flavors will often stand out and complement other ingredients.
Notable Dark Rum Brands
Diplomatico Ambassador
This premium brand of rum spends the first 12 years of its aging process in retired bourbon barrels, followed by another two years in sherry barrels. The candied fruit, vanilla, and spice taste in the rum come from this technique. If anyone ever used Ambassador as a cooking rum, it would be fantastic, but generally, people love to drink it neat or over some ice.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Akin to dried fruits and cigar boxes
- Taste: Complex with toasted oak notes, vanilla, and spices
- Finish: Very smooth and warm with notes of spice tastes
- Sugar: 26 grams per liter
- Alcohol Content: 47% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ With ice
Flor de Cana 12
Founded in 1890, Compania Licorera de Nicaragua produces and sells luxury rum under the Flor de Cana brand. Being kept for 12 years in a healthy and carbon-neutral manner, Flor de Cana 12 offers you a golden amber look and makes you feel lovely with every sip.
- Color: Amber
- Aroma: Notes of nuts, fruits, and vanilla
- Taste: Honey and vanilla notes
- Finish: Very smooth and warm with notes of spice tastes
- Sugar Level: 0g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ With ice/ Sparkling
Plantation Original Dark
With subtle tastes of plum, banana, and vanilla, Jamaica and Barbados' rich and robust styles are complemented by the careful mixing and additional aging in France. The end product is a complex structure seasoned with clove and cinnamon notes, whose smokey nature gives it plenty of texture and character. It makes the perfect mate for cocktails.
- Color: Amber
- Aroma: Smokey vanilla with notes of clove and cinnamon
- Taste: Subtle tastes of plum, banana, and vanilla
- Finish: A bit spicy
- Sugar Level: 0.1 g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ Cocktail companion
Gold Rum
Gold rum is a blend of rums aged for at least two years. It is generally lighter than dark rum in color and has a slightly sweet taste. Gold rums are often used as mixing liquors because they're not as intense as other dark rums. However, they still offer some flavor complexity when combined with other ingredients in a cocktail.
Gold rum is also an excellent choice for sipping neat or on the rocks, and it's often served in tropical drinks like Pina Coladas and Daiquiris to provide added sweetness without interfering with other flavors or overpowering them.
This rum is very popular because it serves as a middle ground for maximum versatility. If you have a bottle of gold rum at home, you can use it to sip on the rocks one afternoon or create a delightful cocktail for friends the day after. The possibilities are endless for gold rums.
Notable Gold Rum Brands
Bacardi Gold Rum
This rum is deliberately crafted to have an exceptionally mellow taste that no other can duplicate. Bacardi Gold Rum contains subtle aromas of wood, dry vanilla, fresh ginger, and roasted almond and is excellent for mixing drinks or just enjoying on its own.
- Color: Light brown
- Aroma: Soft notes of wood, vanilla, and ginger
- Taste: Mellow and sweet
- Finish: Off-dry and a bit sweet
- Sugar: 0g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: On the rocks/ Mixed with cocktails
Gosling's Gold Bermuda Rum
This is a delightful gold rum with powerful notes of butterscotch and vanilla. It's relatively inexpensive compared to other gold rums on this list and has a very smooth finish that makes it easy to drink straight up or mix into cocktails!
- Color: Light brown
- Aroma: Vanilla and caramel
- Taste: Sweet with notes of caramel, vanilla, and mild citrus
- Finish: Smooth and mild
- Sugar: 0g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: With ice/ Cocktail companion
Neptune Gold Rum
You might argue that Neptune knows what it's doing because it has been earning honors longer than any other rum firm in existence. The rum is made entirely from natural, sustainable components to create a smooth beverage with undertones of cocoa, vanilla, pepper, coconut, and apricot. This rum is not overpowering in any way, making it perfect for cocktails and mixers.
- Color: Light brown
- Aroma: Oak with hints of chocolate, vanilla, and coconut
- Taste: Sweet with a touch of ripe fruits and vanilla
- Finish: Long and sweet
- Sugar: 0.5g per liter
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Cocktail companion
Overproof Rum
Overproof rum is a much stronger version of regular rum. It's typically between 62 and 72% alcohol by volume (ABV), which makes it about six times as strong as the average 40% ABV commercial spirit like vodka or whiskey. Technically, any kind of rum with an ABV of more than 50% is considered overproof.
These rums are used in cocktails and cooking and can also be used to make spiced rums. Overproof rums are usually associated with the Caribbean islands where they were developed to help preserve the rum during long sea voyages. Nowadays, they're still used in this way, but they're also enjoyed by people who want the intense flavors that come from higher percentages of alcohol.
Notable Overproof Rum Brands
Hamilton 151 Overproof Demerara Rum
There aren't many 151-proof rums that taste well, but this one does. The characteristic Demerara smoky and burnt butter tastes burst through the heat. You can also use it in Tiki cocktails whenever overproof rum is called for. This dark and enigmatic elixir has a rich brown sugar and molasses aroma that smells like treacle and brown butter right away. On the taste, the 151's signature fast evaporation and intense burn give way to highly delectable caramel corn and gingery molasses cookie character.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Smoky and burnt butter
- Taste: Sweet burnt butter and spices
- Finish: Strong and lingering
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 75% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ On the rocks
Worthy Park Rum-Bar White Overproof Rum
If you're a fan of Jamaican funk, you'll love this bottle. The aroma is fermented grass, almost like ensilage. It has a fruity sweetness to it as well, with notes of mango, banana, and eucalyptus. It was most likely created as a mixer, but many people love it on its own. With slightly grassy aromas of eucalyptus, banana, and white pepper, it's surprisingly palatable on its own despite the 63% ABV. It's a powerful bottle that may not be for everyone, but if you appreciate robust rums with a kick, you'll probably enjoy this one.
- Color: Clear
- Aroma: Fermented grass and fruits
- Taste: Sweet and fruity
- Finish: Strong and overpowering
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 63% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ Cocktail companion
Lemon Hart Rum 151
The venerable Lemon Hart 151 is quite unmistakable in cocktails. This bottle will likely be one of the few rums you crave after a long afternoon at the office. The yellow label works well in mixers and on the rocks. The deep caramel and Demerara sugar will immediately tickle your nose, and the flavor will burst with molasses and oak. There's also a distinct chocolate note in there somewhere. This 75% ABV bottle will not let you down if you enjoy extra-strong rums.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Caramel and Sugar
- Taste: Deep molasses and oak with hints of chocolate
- Finish: Strong and overpowering
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 75% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ Cocktail companion
Spiced Rum
Spiced rums, also referred to as infused rums, are any kind of rum incorporated with herbs and spices. The truth is that rums are seldom aged without additives. In that sense, all rums are actually spiced. Still, knowing this distinction will clear the confusion a little.
Spiced rums are often used in cocktails, but they're also made and sold by themselves. They're generally aged in barrels for five years to add extra flavor, but some can be younger. Because they take on the flavors of their surroundings while aging, each spiced rum will have special notes.
Spiced rums can be made with various spices, including cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, to name a few. The spices are often added after fermentation is complete.
Flavored Rum
Flavored rums are a classification that has seen some of the most growth in recent years, making them one of the most popular spirits. As such, it's important to know what makes these products unique and how they're produced.
Flavored rum is often mistaken for spiced rum, but there is one subtle difference. While spiced rums are infused with spices after fermentation, flavored rums are white rums blended with natural or artificial flavoring. That said, there seems to be no consequence for using these terms interchangeably.
Some flavors include coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon; other brands may opt for more exotic ingredients like guava or mango. Companies can add their own unique spin on how they do this: some go with natural ingredients (like vanilla bean pods), while others use artificial flavors to achieve particular tastes quickly and cheaply without too much variation from batch to batch.
Do you want to learn more about flavored rums and notable worldwide flavors ?.
Caribbean Rum
From Puerto Rico to Jamaica to St. Croix and well beyond, this region's islands are dotted with renowned Caribbean rum distilleries, each with its own tradition, manufacturing process, and distinctive expressions. This is why Caribbean rums deserve to be classified separately. Besides, the first reference to rum is discovered in Barbados archives about 1650.
These are the types of Caribbean rums produced in Jamaica and Barbados. The rum is often double-distilled in pot stills before being stored and matured in oak barrels. After aging, caramel is added to deepen the color of the rum.
Other islands, particularly Puerto Rico, began making dryer, lighter-bodied rums in the late 19th century, utilizing cultivated yeast in fermenting and advanced stills for distilling. These rums were typically aged for one to four years, as opposed to the five to seven years common in the West Indies.
Notable Caribbean Rum Brands
Boukman Botanical Rhum
This rum is produced using the Croix des Bouquets and Cap Haitien terroirs, two of Haiti's most well-known rum-producing regions. This botanically-infused bottle, which was distilled from pure sugarcane juice, is bursting with the scents of allspice, clove, cinnamon, wild forests, and barks. Serve over ice and top with a fresh orange twist to enjoy as the locals do.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Herbs, cardamom, and marzipan
- Taste: Deep vanilla with solid notes of almond, oak, and orange
- Finish: Intense and long
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 45% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat / On the rocks
El Dorado 12 Year Aged
This rum, made in Demerara, Guyana, for over three centuries, is fermented in both metal and oak pot stills and matured in used bourbon barrels. The palate is dominated by sweet baked spice and clove notes, with some background sappy fruit flavors.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Spices and fruits
- Taste: Deep clove and other spices with notes of tropical fruits
- Finish: Intense and long
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat / On the rocks
Rhum Agricole
Rhum Agricole is rum made from fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses. It's named for the French term for sugar cane: "la canne."
Because it's made from fresh cane juice, Rhum Agricole has a lighter flavor and smell than molasses-based rum. It can be described as more fruity, grassy, and herbal than other types of rum.
Rhum Agricole is also sometimes called "jungle juice" or "mountain fire" because it's made in the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. It's typically distilled twice, not just once like most other rums. The double distillation gives Rhum Agricole a higher proof and a lighter flavor than different rums.
Notable Rum Agricole Brands
Clément VSOP Rhum Vieux Agricole
This pleasant, light, and green rum will satisfy you. Like a grasshopper lounging on a blade of grass, it rests easily on the palate. It embodies the adage "slow and steady wins the race" perfectly.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Grass notes
- Taste: Herbs with hints of fruits
- Finish: Dry and long
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 40% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ On the rocks
Rhum J.M 10 Year
This rare bottle is a vintage rum that spent a decade in bourbon casks before bottling and is at the pinnacle of Rhum J.M.'s Martinique-based portfolio. On this, the fresh cane aromas come through right away, giving the nose a caramel note in addition to a grassy, faintly earthy character that is unmistakably powered by the cane.
- Color: Dark Brown
- Aroma: Caramel and grass
- Taste: Sweet and earthy with notes of various herbs
- Finish: Dry and long
- Sugar: 0%
- Alcohol Content: 42.9% by volume
- Best Way to Drink: Neat/ On the rocks
Wrapping It Up
Rum is a delicious spirit made in many different ways and places— not just on islands, as most people perceive.
What is truly amazing, however, is that despite all this underlying variation, rum has come to define itself very easily as a beloved spirit overall. Whether you're looking for something particularly sweet, smoky, or aged for extra smoothness, there's likely to be a rum out there that fits the bill. This bodes well for all rum lovers out there.