Rum Mates: Navigating the World of Rum for Every Palate
Choosing the perfect rum can feel like steering a ship through uncharted waters. Fear not, mateys! With a vast array of styles and flavors, there's a perfect rum for every drinker. Whether you're seeking a smooth sipper for a decadent dessert or a bold base for a tropical cocktail, this guide unveils four exceptional rums, each guaranteed to set sail on a delicious adventure.
We’re always asked, “What is your favorite rum?” The answer is, “It depends.” There are so many variables to rum that it’s hard to recommend just one when someone asks us this question. Now, if someone asks, “Do you have a rum recommendation to buy my [boss, father-in-law, best friend…] there, we can definitely help.
Gosling Old Rum
Gosling is synonymous with Bermuda, Black Seal Rum and Dark ‘n Stormy®. The company’s Old Rum begins with their Black Seal Rum recipe, which uses a blend of pot still and continuous column stills. Old Rum is aged in charred oak barrels for 16-19 years. The aging provides a well-balanced, complex rum. to enjoy with a decadent dessert or simply watching a sunset. We found the nose smooth and silky, like a fine cognac, with notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, and cloves. Those notes continue on the palate, where cloves and pepper take over to provide a warm, lasting finish. $88/bottle
Ron Zacapa 23
Ron Zacapa won top honors five years in a row (1998 – 2002) at the International Rum Festival in Miami and was officially retired from that competition. The uniqueness of Ron Zacapa comes from the Sistema Solera System blending rums from carefully selected casks with a multitude of flavors (bourbon, whiskey, cognac…), char, and age. This 23 rum is on the sweeter side with vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch. As you sip, the rum becomes more complex, adding honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. The finish is a balance of sweet and earthy with a hit of warming spice. $84/bottle
Pusser’s Red Label
Yes, we know Pussers is for making a Painkiller® but their Red Label is for sipping. Known as the “Single Malt of Rum, this 15-year-old rum is produced in Guyana from sugar cane grown in the Demerara River Valley. The company is one of the few producers in the world using a double wooden pot still, which imparts a deep, rich flavor to the rum. The nose is very sweet, with vanilla bean, sherry, brandy, caramel, and the charred barrel hiding in the background. Once on the palate, those charred notes take center stage with tobacco, dark chocolate, and cherry. The finish is smooth and lingers with florals and tropical fruit. $73/bottle
Diplomático No 2 Barbet Rum
Diplomático, produced in Venezuela, combines high sugar content cane with their non-commercial yeast strain, three different distillation processes, and the diversity of aged barrels. The No 2 Barbet Rum, part of the Limited Edition Distillery Collection, uses the Barbet Still featuring two columns with plates of bubbling bells and two condensers providing refrigeration to help separate the alcohol from the other minor compounds produced in distillation. Cherry, orange peel, mango, papaya, green banana, and a slight hint of oak fill the senses. The tropical fruit basket continues on the palate with the oak trying to gain control. It’s not until the finish that the warming oak note compliments the fruit and leaves you wanting more. $82/bottle
About Clint and Terry: We have sampled many a dram over our 33 years of marriage and quite often we don’t fully agree. Could be the difference is male/female taste buds. Or, somebody is just wrong.
Terry Boram has written for ALL AT SEA since 2012.
