7 Best Dark Rums of 2023 to Drink Neat or Mix in a Cocktail
What is dark rum? What makes one good or great? And how does one put together a list of the best? Never mind this spirit's simple-sounding primary ingredient (sugar), nominating the best bottles in this category is every bit as involved, adventurous, and refreshing as ranking the finest bourbons, Scotches, gins, and vodkas—which we've happily done too for the 2023 Men's Journal Spirits Awards. Rum is an entity unto itself, and dark rum has a checkered history and mystique unlike any bottled spirit.
Simply put, rum is created by fermenting and distilling molasses or sugarcane. To make it "dark rum," the typically-clear liquid is barrel-aged for at least three years, during which it transforms into a deep caramel color. Although dark rum tends to be aged in American white oak barrels formerly used to make bourbon, distillers can use a wide variety of casks. In the historic rum hub of Jamaica, you’ll find Jamaican rum barrels, which are often used for sugarcane-based rum. Other distillers use port, Madeira, tequila, or rye casks.
Our overall top dark rum, Ron Abuelo Centuria, is a true standout for its "timeless appeal and remarkable depth of flavor," says spirits expert Oreste Catenacci. We’re inclined to agree with Catenacci, who is senior outlets manager at Rosewood Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands, home to the Rum Room, an open-air lounge with an extensive library of rare and aged rums. This bottle—along with our six other picks here—will make you reconsider everything you thought about rum.
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Why You Should Trust Us
I’ve written about wine & spirits for over a decade. My work has appeared in Men’s Journal, Wine Enthusiast, InsideHook, Spirited, Liquor.com, and Travel & Leisure. I've travelled across the globe tasting all types of rum and cocktails, and visiting the world’s top bars. My liquor cabinet has grown so big, it has its own storage unit.
I also spoke with top spirits professionals. In addition to Catenacci, I interviewed Josh Ibañez, the bar manager of Rumba in Seattle, which boasts a selection of over 200 bottles of rum.
What We Look for When Choosing the Best Dark Rum
Choosing a favorite rum often boils down to where you are in your rum journey—but also where the rum you’re sipping comes from. For those who enjoy darker spirits overall, look for something more like a whiskey or tequila to start. People deeper into their quest might look for something with a touch more funk, often found in Jamaican rum or in agricole rum, which is a whole other class made from sugarcane juice instead of molasses. Just be careful not to confuse dark rums with spiced rums, which add herbs, spices, and botanicals to pump up the flavor.
Best Overall Dark Rum: Ron Abuelo Centuria
Hailing from Panama, this Spanish-style rum was produced to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Varela Hermanos, the company behind Ron Abuelo, and created using the family’s private reserves. Each year a limited number of bottles are released.
Centuria is aged using the solera system, a blending process that mixes rums of different ages to form the final product. The average age of solera-made rum gradually increases as the process continues, maintaining style and quality over long periods of time. Ron Abuelo uses a blend of rums aged between 12 and 42 years old, averaging out at 30 years old, to make Centuria. The rum offers aromas of citrus, pecan, and cocoa. The palate finds apricot and tropical fruit, leading into a balanced, oaky finish.
Best Cheap Dark Rum: Smith & Cross
Produced by The Hampden Estate—Jamaican rum legends—Smith & Cross is a reliable liquor that can be used in tiki cocktails, Kingston Negronis, or even sipped neat. The bottling has been around for a long time, tracing its history back to 1788.
“For the sake of versatility, I really enjoy this rum,” says Ibañez.
On the nose, it offers aromas of tropical fruit, brown sugar, and warm spices. Overripe banana fills the palate along with molasses and a hint of smokiness. The lingering finish is robust, leaving a funky, warm flavor. Best of all, you can find it for under $40 per bottle.
Best Dark Rum Splurge: The Hampden Estate Great House 2022
Deep, complex, and balanced, The Hampden Great House 2022 offers an ever-changing take on the Jamaican distillery’s famed aromatic complexity. The Hampden’s limited-edition annual release is named after the structure where the rums waited before being shipped to Europe or America.
Intense, medicinal, and bottled at 55% ABV, the 2022 edition boasts lively aromas of candied lemon, over-ripe banana, lychee, and pear. An edgy palate delivers flavors of coconut, agave, pepper, sugar cane, and vanilla, along with more pear. The finish is long and smooth with tobacco, gentian root, salted caramel, and raspberry. Ibañez calls this bottling one of his favorites.
Best Dark Rum for Cocktails: Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
We love Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva and have for years. You can find the Venezuelan rum brand at basically every bar. Catenacci credits its depth of flavor for making it an amazingly versatile cocktail rum in a variety of drinks, from daiquiris to mai tais. You can also enjoy it neat or on the rocks.
As the darkest rum in Diplomatico’s core range, Reserva Exclusiva boasts aromas of orange peel, toffee, and licorice. The palate is well-balanced, featuring flavors of oak and vanilla, leading to a long-lasting finish.
Best Dark Rum for Sipping: Flor de Caña Rum 25
The Nicaraguan distillery behind Flor de Caña Rum 25 is known for its sustainability. Carbon Neutral and Fair Trade certified, its signature rum is also the perfect sipper for its ""velvety texture and exquisite taste,” says Catenacci.
The rum is distilled with 100% renewable energy and naturally aged at the base of an active volcano without sugar or artificial ingredients.
“Sustainability is an area of innovation within the rum industry that has increased markedly, whether it’s reducing the carbon footprint of the production process, promoting eco-tourism, or supporting local environmental charities," adds Catenacci.
The dark, amber-colored rum provides aromas of almonds and other nuts and a full, long finish that lingers on the palate.
Best Dark Rum for a Dark 'n' Stormy: Goslings Black Seal Rum
Goslings owns the trademark to the name Dark ‘n' Stormy, so making the famed drink with anything else simply isn’t the same. Catenacci recommends the distillery's Black Seal Rum "for its perfect harmony of ginger and rum," he says.
Pro tip: use ginger beer instead of ginger ale when making a Dark 'n' Stormy. Goslings rum benefits from ginger beer's strong, spicy flavors.
Best New Dark Rum: Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks
“In 2023, my standout discovery has been Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks, which captivated me with its unique character,” says Catenacci.
Launched just a couple years ago, the rum is named after the source of the limestone-filtered water used to craft Appleton’s rums. To create the rum, the brand blends a group of rare, hand-selected rums, all aged in Jamaica for a minimum of 15 years. It offers notes of toasted almonds, hazelnuts, orange peel, vanilla and roasted coffee beans that fill the palate and linger in the finish.
Related: The Best Bottles of Japanese Whisky to Get Your Hands On
What Types Of Dark Rum Exist?
Barbadian Rum
According to Ibañez, Barbadian rums are the most balanced for every drinker. “It doesn't get too funky or too grassy. It's right in that sweet spot where there's a lot of vanilla, a lot of oak, and it's reminiscent of bourbon,” he says.
For many, Barbados is where their rum journey begins. In many minds, it’s also where rum got its start. Known for smooth and balanced profiles, dark rums mature for at least three years, but often much longer. Rums from the island include Mount Gay and the popular favorite, Foursquare.
Jamaican Rum
Jamaican rum runs the gamut from approachable to super funky. The funk comes from its high ester content—organic compounds that develop through the fermentation process. High ester counts come from longer fermentation periods and give a variety of aromas and flavors to rums, including grapes, berries, bananas, jackfruit, and pineapple.
For those trying Jamaican rum for the first time, Ibañez suggests Appleton 12 “I like to call it a ‘suit and tie’ Jamaican rum, because some of them can get really funky," he says. "I generally give it to people who want to start getting into Jamaican rum, and I don't wanna blast their palate with something that's gonna scare them away.”
Martinican Rum
Martinique makes "rhum," not rum, meaning it's made from freshly pressed sugarcane juice rather than molasses, giving it a grassy flavor. Martinique rum is aged for a minimum of three months, but in order for it to reach dark rum territory, it has to age for at least of three years.
Ibañez recommends J.M. Terroir Volcanique if you want to try Martinican rhum. "It's affordable and you can easily use it in cocktails too,“ he says.
Spanish Rum
Produced in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Mexico, rums made in the Spanish tradition tend to be lighter in body but also more aromatic. They are made from molasses and use the previously-mentioned solera aging method, inspired by how Andalusian wine cellars mature sherry wines.
Mexico is currently in a rum renaissance, while Cuba continues to produce some of the world’s finest rums, though they are basically impossible to get in the United States. Brands like Flor de Caña and Diplomatica are both very accessible in the U.S. and fine examples of the Spanish style.
Other Rum
You can find rum basically from anywhere these days, and the most-popular in the world actually hails from the Philippines: Tanduay.
How to Make a Good a Dark 'n' Stormy
If you’re going to make a proper Dark ‘n' Stormy, it all begins with the rum, and that rum must be Goslings Black Seal. Next, remember that ginger ale is not a substitute for ginger beer. Ginger beer features stronger and spicier flavors, which the rum benefits from. Use a ratio of 2:3 Goslings to ginger beer, depending on how much you want to (responsibly) drink. Finally, add a lime wedge on top, rather than adding lime juice in the base of the drink, so you to define your personal preference. That's how you’ll find it in Bermuda.
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