If you aren’t drinking aged spirits once the sun goes down on hot summer evenings while you sit on a deck or around a campfire, you’re totally missing out. You should definitely be enjoying some well-made long-aged whiskey, tequila, and dark rum as the fire crackles and the lightning bugs pop off in the summer night air. Today, we are specifically turning our attention to the latter, dark rums.
White (un-aged or rested) rum has its place too, don’t get us wrong. It’s sweeter and lighter but more suited to mixing into a summer mojito or daiquiri. Dark rum, on the other hand, has matured in oak barrels and just speaks more to late-night summer sipping. While still sweet like its un-aged counterpart (thanks to the use of sugarcane juice or molasses), the aging process imparts flavors like vanilla, caramel, spices … and oak too (of course).
And while you can’t go wrong with some of the mainstream stuff from your local liquor store or online retailer (the Bacardis and Capitan Morgans if you will), there are other wonderful options available. To find them, we asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best dark rums to sip on a cool summer evening. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Pampero Aniversario
Shiva Thapa, Head Bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $36
The Rum:
Pampero Aniversario Rum is my go-to summer sipping dark rum. This is a world-class slow-sipping spirit. This Venezuelan rum is known for its balanced, fruity, sippable flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
It has great flavors of butterscotch, pipe tobacco, coffee, and black walnut. With a rich, creamy texture, it has a buttery thick feel with lovely baked layered flavors.
Brugal 1888
Mitchell Patmagrian, lobby lounge bartender at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in Orlando
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $50
The Rum:
When it comes to the best dark rum, you have to try Brugal 1888 from the Dominican Republic. It is truly exceptional with rich flavors of bourbon and sherry casks.
Tasting Notes:
It is smooth, full of flavor, and perfectly balanced. Dried fruits, vanilla, chocolate, and toffee, make for a very sippable palate.
Diplomático Reserva
Michael Carlisi, Beverage Director at Barrio in San Francisco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Rum:
Outstandingly smooth and balanced, I reach for Diplomático Reserva. This balanced and complex dark rum is a blend of copper pot still distilled rums all of which are at least 12 years old.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a complex and elegant rum. The fruity baked banana flavors are delicious.
Ron Zacapa Centenario 23
Damon Chilcott, Bar Lead at The Red Barber in Denver
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $50
The Rum:
Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Solera is a premium rum produced in Guatemala. It’s named after the town of Zacapa in eastern Guatemala, and the “23” in its name refers to the maximum age of the rums in the blend, not the minimum. Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Solera has won numerous awards for its quality and taste, including a Gold Medal at the International Rum Festival. Ron Zacapa uses a process known as “Sistema Solera”, where the rum is aged in a series of barrels that previously held American whiskeys, sherries, and Pedro Ximenez wines. The rum is not distilled from molasses but from the first press of sugar cane, known as virgin sugar cane honey.
Tasting Notes:
It’s known for its balanced sweetness and spice. It has a full-bodied, rich, and complex taste with notes of caramel, honey, vanilla, and dried fruits. The finish is long and smooth with a hint of toasted oak, making it an approachable option to sip and savor on a cool summer evening.
R.L. Seals 12 Year
Matty Clark, General Manager at Dutch Kills Bar in Long Island City, New York
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $65
The Rum:
I’m a Bajan Rum guy, so I would say R.L. Seals 12 Year if you can find it (we still have 1/2 a bottle at Dutch Kills). This complex dark rum is aged for a minimum of 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
It’s deep and rich but not sugary with notes of vanilla and burnt sugar. There are also notes of coconut, chocolate, and toffee. Delicious.
Plantation Original Dark Rum
Lorenzo Zappacosta, restaurant and bar manager at Manetta’s Bar in London
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $28
The Rum:
The most popular dark rum at Manettas Bar is Plantation Dark Rum. It’s enhanced by meticulous blending and further maturation in France. Plantation Dark Rum is an ideal companion for our signature cocktail ‘Atypical Christie’ which you can sip on a cool summer evening.
Tasting Notes:
The result is a profound structure spiced with notes of cinnamon and clove whose smoky quality adds texture.
Barbancourt 5 Star 8-Year-Old Dark Rum
Peter James Deluca, Bar Manager at Tavern on the Green in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25
The Rum:
The best rum to sip on a cool summer night would be Barbancourt 5 Star 8-Year-Old Dark Rum. It gets its smooth easy-drinking nature after spending eight years maturing in French Limousin oak.
Tasting Notes:
It almost tastes like cognac because of the way it’s aged. Vanilla and oak flavors make it great to sip on a cool summer evening.
Coconut Cartel Special Rum
Javier Pastrana, Food and Beverage Director at YOTEL in Miami
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $38
The Rum:
I would have to go with the delicious Coconut Cartel Special Rum. The aged rum is cut to proof with fresh coconut water. This is the best and easiest sipping rum for the summer.
Tasting Notes:
It’s a fruity complex trip to an island paradise in every sip with tropical hints of caramel, vanilla, banana, and mango.
El Dorado 12 Year
Graham Christie, bar manager at The Gem in Bolton Landing in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $38
The Rum:
For dark rum, I go for El Dorado 12-year. Demerara Rums have that richness and mellowness that I want on a summer evening.
Tasting Notes:
You get a great blend of caramel and spice notes from the oak aging which blends perfectly with the rich molasses and cocoa notes of the rum.
Flor de Caña 18
Pedro Pozo, Beverage Director of Grupo Bakan in Miami
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $65
The Rum:
If I had to choose a great rum to sip during the summer, it would be Flor de Caña 18. It has the depth of a pot still rum without the heaviness.
Tasting Notes:
Being a column still rum, it has a palate of caramel, vanilla, and spices with a dry finish, which makes it favorable for a summer night.
Zaya Dark Rum
Mercedes Cowper, Certified Sommelier and Bar Manager at Round Robin Bar in Washington, DC
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Rum:
Zaya Dark Rum from Trinidad & Tobago is terrific. This complex dark rum can be enjoyed neat, on a big rock, or in a dark rum mojito.
Tasting Notes:
It’s full-bodied with complex flavors of toffee, spice, molasses, candied citrus peel, star anise, and vanilla.
