The best rum brands of the world are known for their quality and taste. They are enjoyed by many people from all walks of life. These brands have a rich history that dates back to centuries ago when rum was first introduced in the Caribbean region.
The rum category is one of the most exciting categories in spirits right now. The fact that it is so diverse makes it a great choice for both novices and experts alike. From white to dark, aged to spiced, there are literally hundreds of brands from around the world that offer a variety of styles. Here’s a list of some of the best rums on the market today.
Rhum JM
Rhum JM is a premium rum made from 100% pure sugarcane juice and aged in French Oak barrels. The rum is produced by the same family for five generations and it’s one of the best-selling rums in Europe.
Rhum JM has a rich and complex flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, honey, and spices. It’s medium-bodied but smooth with a lingering finish. Rhum JM is great for sipping neat or on the rocks, but it also works well in cocktails like a daiquiri or mai tai.
The Rhum JM range includes white (unaged) as well as aged versions: XO, 5 ans d’âge and 15 ans d’âge (double aged). Rhum JM Rum is a 100% pure rum from Martinique. It is produced by the same family that has been making them for more than 200 years.
The Rhum Agricole of Martinique is made from fresh pressed cane juice rather than molasses and it is this difference that gives Rhum JM its unique character. Rhum JM is aged in barrels for a minimum of 4 years and then filtered before bottling. The result is a rich, full-bodied, aromatic, and smooth-drinking rum.
The Real McCoy
The Real McCoy Rum is a 100% natural rum made from sugar cane juice. It is made by the Caribbean Rum Distillery, which is located on the beautiful island of St. Lucia in the West Indies. The Real McCoy Rum is one of the most popular rums in the world, and it has won many awards including “Best in Class” at the World Rum Awards and “Best Rum In The World” at the International Wine & Spirits Competition.
The Real McCoy Rum comes in two varieties: Dark and White. The Dark variety has an alcohol content of 40% while the White variety has an alcohol content of 35%. Both varieties are aged for at least 5 years in oak barrels before they are released into the market.
The Real McCoy Rum was first launched by Caribbean Rum Distillery (CARD). CARD’s goal was to provide consumers with quality rum that was made from 100% natural ingredients without any additives or preservatives added during the production process.
Mount Gay
Mount Gay Rum is a Barbados-based rum brand owned by the parent company Mount Gay Distilleries Limited. The history of Mount Gay Rum dates back to 1703 when William Chase established the first sugar plantation on the island of Barbados.
In the late 1700s, Chase’s son John Chase built the first distillery for rum production in Bridgetown. The distillery was named Mount Gilboa after the mountain range in Israel where King David hid from his enemies. The name was later changed to Mount Gay Rum when it was acquired by William Forde in 1805.
Today, Mount Gay Rum is known as one of the finest examples of Barbadian rum. It has received numerous awards at international competitions such as the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) and San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWS).
Plantation
Plantation Rum is a line of rums produced by French spirits company Rémy Martin. It is the world’s largest producer of coconut rum products. The Plantation rum range includes over 40 different varieties of rum, including Jamaican rums, Barbados rums, Trinidadian rums, and Guyanese rums.
The Plantation brand was launched with the release of its first rum product, Papa Herve 12-Year-Old Rum (named after one of the founders of Rémy Martin). In 1999 it launched its first aged rum, Barbados XO Reserve Rum. In 2001 it released Plantation Five Star Rum from Jamaica followed by Plantation Guyana 5 Star Rum in 2007.
Appleton Estate
Appleton Estate Rum is the best-selling rum in the world and has been for over 200 years. It is distilled in Jamaica, aged in American white oak barrels, and blended to perfection.
Appleton Estate Rum was first established in 1749 by brothers Andrew and Charles Appleton. They were merchants who traded with the British military stationed in Jamaica. In 1765 they purchased a sugar plantation that became known as “Appleton Estate”. The Appleton brothers owned and operated the estate until 1868 when it was sold to the heirs of Sir Henry Blake-Lillingston, a Jamaican planter who had previously owned the property.
The plantation was then sold again in 1870 this time to the West India Sugar Company (WISC). WISC continued to operate the estate until 1928 when it was sold again to another group of investors who formed The Appleton Estates Ltd. This company then developed new distilleries and upgraded existing ones.
Diplomático
Diplomático Rum is a premium, small-batch rum made in Panama by master distiller Don José Navarro. The company was founded when Navarro’s family sold the land where they had been growing sugar cane since 1836.
Diplomático Rum is distilled from fresh sugar cane juice using a unique double-distillation process. It has a full body, rich caramel notes, and hints of vanilla and cinnamon.
Diplomático has become one of the fastest-growing and most-awarded rum brands in the world with more than 200 awards from various spirit competitions. Its range includes seven different styles: Reserva Exclusiva, Reserva Limitada, Gran Reserva Limitada, Añejo Especial, Añejo 7-Year Old, 12-Year-Old, and 15-Year Old.
Holmes Cay
Holmes Cay Rum is made on the island by an old family recipe that has been passed down for generations. It’s made from sugar cane molasses which gives it a smooth taste without any bitter aftertaste or burn. It’s aged in oak barrels for at least one year before being bottled and sold as premium rum.
Holmes Cay Rum is distilled in the Bahamas and bottled in the U.S.A., using only natural ingredients grown on our own island of Holmes Cay. They use cane sugar rather than molasses, as this gives more control over the finished product and ensures that the rum is made from all-natural ingredients.
Holmes Cay Rum is distilled in copper pot stills, which are heated by firewood from their own island. This method has been used for centuries to produce fine rum around the world. Their distillery uses local organic cane sugar, distilled water, and natural spices to create Holmes Cay Rum – an ultra-premium spirit with a smooth taste that’s great straight or mixed!
Don Q
Don Q Rum is a Puerto Rican rum produced by Destileria Serralles. It was founded in 1863 by Don Felipe Serralles, who introduced the process of continuous fermentation to Puerto Rico. The distillery has been family owned and operated since it was founded. Don Q has a portfolio of five different rums: Coco Rum, Anejo Rum, and Gran Anejo Rum, along with flavored rums, Passion Liqueur and Island Pineapple Liqueur.
The Don Q White Rum is 100% made from fermented sugar cane juice with no additives or colorings added. It has a light amber color, medium body, soft aroma, and smooth taste. The Anejo Rum is aged for at least one year in oak barrels giving it its golden color and smooth taste.
Rhum Barbancourt
Rhum Barbancourt Rum is a Haitian rum made from sugar cane in the French West Indies. The rhum is named after the family of Basile and Marie-Solange Barbancourt, who founded the distillery in 1863.
Barbancourt Five Star is aged for five years in oak casks and then blended with other rums aged between one and five years old to create a smooth yet complex rum. This blend is bottled at 40% alcohol content.
The Barbancourt family was originally from Guadeloupe, but they moved to Haiti with their children and grandchildren to escape the violence of slavery in Guadeloupe. They settled on an old coffee plantation near Port-au-Prince, where they began producing rhum Agricole (a type of rum made from fresh pressed sugar cane juice) for themselves and their friends.
Goslings
Goslings Rum is a Bermuda-based rum that has been in business for over 200 years, so it’s no surprise that they know what they’re doing. The brand is best known for its Black Seal rum and Bermuda triangle cocktail which has been popular since it was first invented in 1935 by John Glennon at one of Bermuda’s many bars or hotels
They’ve been awarded many awards for their rums, including “Best Dark Rum” by the International Wine & Spirits Competition and “Gold Medal” by the International Spirits Challenge.
The company was founded back in 1806 when John Gosling bought a sugar refinery from his brother-in-law James Gosling, who had just died. The company then began producing rum under the name Goslings Brothers, which eventually became known as Goslings Rum.
Final Thoughts
As rum is an ever-growing category, we understand the pain of trying to figure out which ones are actually worthwhile. A lot of brands use the same techniques like “hand-crafted” and “small batch” to add a lot of legitimacy to their brand. But in reality, those words don’t mean much in the rum industry.
There is no governing body that decides what a rum should or shouldn’t be like. So we did it for you!. We hope it has helped you find your rum muse.
