Finding the best bottle to give as a gift this season doesn’t have to end at the whiskey aisle. There are amazing dark rums on the shelf that’ll wow both the passive alcohol fan and the true whiskey aficionado. Dark rum is treated very similarly to whiskey after fermentation and distillation. The aging process (in oak) imparts a lot of familiar flavors for whiskey fans, from woody spices to rich vanilla to buttery caramel to bright orange oils.
Naturally, the effects of barrel and aging vary as greatly in dark rum as they do in whiskey. You’ll get literally hundreds more flavors besides those listed above, depending on a million variables from the atmospheric pressure to the weather in general to how the oak was treated and everything in between. But the crossover flavors and techniques are plenty to remind neophytes and true whiskey lovers alike that rum is deserving of their attention.
With all that in mind, we’re calling out 11 bottles of dark rum that range from pretty affordable but great to “you shouldn’t have!” to “holy shit, this is amazing!” Let’s dive in.
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Rum:
This Venezuelan rum is a blend of a minimum of 12-year-old juice made from both sugarcane honey and molasses. The rums were aged in ex-bourbon barrels high up in the Amazonia before blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Dark, almost burnt, sugars lead you towards rich and butter toffee with a brittle edge and a dusting of eggnog spice that’s heavy on the nutmeg. That buttery nature really drives the taste towards a vanilla buttercream next to moist marzipan and a touch of tobacco sweetness. The finish arrives with a sprinkling of orange zest and holiday spices with a final dry walnut shell end.
Bottom Line:
I put this here because this is the one bottle that is a 100 percent guarantee. It’s pretty much the perfect dark rum that is also beautifully crafted and so drinkable (and you can find it anywhere for a good price). It’s just a winner all around. And that is what makes this the perfect stocking stuffer this time of year.
Foursquare Port Cask Finish 9 Year
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Rum:
The Barbadian rum is the base for a lot of sourced rums out there. This expression is aged for three years in ex-bourbon barrels and then transferred to port casks for a finishing touch over six more years. The idea was to mimic the rum of the days of yore which were aged and then transported in old port or sherry casks around the world.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a delicate sweetness on the nose that feels like packed brown sugar next to tart red berries with a touch of stem and seeds still mixed in. The taste holds onto the sugar as hints of espresso beans and dark chocolate mix with the berries as notes of soft vanilla, pear, and cinnamon spice mingle on the back end. The finish takes its time and ends on an almost savory note reminiscent of fresh pumpkin with a touch of sage.
Bottom Line:
While this rum is nowhere near the most expensive on the list, it is a rarity of sorts. Four Square tends to be the rum that the whiskey and rum nerds gravitate towards since it’s the base of so many great rum blends out there. That makes this pick a thoughtful gift for someone who knows their rum.
Goslings Papa Seal Single Barrel
ABV: 41.5%
Average Price: $199
The Rum:
We’ve come full circle and back to Bermuda and Goslings. This bottle is a blend of ex-bourbon barrel rums that spent 21 years maturing. The batch is married and then finished for two more years in a new American oak barrel before it’s proofed and bottled from that single barrel.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a real sense of the bourbon via notes of vanilla and toffee up top, next to an almost cognac fruitiness and nuttiness. The taste holds onto the vanilla as soft cedar enters the fray along with subtle Christmas spices, chewy and fruity tobacco, and a salted caramel edge. The finish embraces that savory-sweet aspect with more of the cedar and tobacco lingering on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This rum is just straight-up delicious. It’s rare but findable. It’s full of holiday and winter vibes. Plus, it’s a great example of where whiskey and dark rum meet as a slow sipping drink.
Pusser’s Navy Rum Aged 15 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $90
The Rum:
Pusser’s is an old-school British Navy stalwart that blends various rums from the Caribbean. These rums are crafted to be savored with no-flashy bottles or elaborate backstories. This is good old rum that is left to rest for 15 years in barrels kissed by Guyana’s sun and humidity.
Tasting Notes:
Musty oak sits next to a real rummy funkiness on the nose. The palate has a nice underbelly of Christmas cake with plenty of spice, dried fruit, and nuts that are counterpointed by that wood, funk, plus a hint of minerality. The finish is surprisingly short, sweet, spicy, and centered on the old oak barrels.
Bottom Line:
This is an old-school rum that, again, the nerds will adore. It’s also one of those rums that’s overdue for a comeback as soon as those musty and funky flavors come back into fashion.
Mount Gay Andean Oak Cask Rum
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $230
The Rum:
Master Blender Trudiann Branker is creating some amazing Barbadian blends with Mount Gay’s Master Blender Collection. The fourth release takes Mount Gay rum that spent 14 years mellowing if former bourbon barrels just a stone’s throw from a beach and finishes that rum in South American oak from the Andies. After eleven months in those barrels, the juice is proofed and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose of this ranges from a Christmas cake full of dark and candied fruits, dark spices, fatty nuts, and buttery vanilla to a counterbalance of bitter espresso beans, very dark chocolate, and a distant flutter of dried rose. The taste really leans into the spicier end with freshly ground nutmeg and clove marrying the creamy vanilla to make lush eggnog as candied ginger spices this up with a light sweetness. Mint-kissed marzipan arrives on the mid-palate and leads towards a finish that’s brimming with dark chocolate-covered marzipan, rum-soaked holiday cake, and dark red fruits tied to sticky tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This is a brand new release that really hits it out of the park. I’d argue that this is a damn-near perfect rum for any rum lover but especially for someone looking for something new and unique this time of year.
Bacardi 10
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $42
The Rum:
This is Bacardi’s high-end expression that’s crazy cheap. The rum is aged for ten long years in lightly charred oak before its charcoal filtered and brought down to proof, creating an ultra-refined expression.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a duo of very soft leather next to a basket full of tropical fruits. The palate is light but offers a pan full of Bananas Foster with plenty of brown sugar and holiday spice with a slight touch of dried fruits. That butter drives the mid-palate towards a finish brimming with old cellar cobwebs and a nice layer of vanilla-laced tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is where Bacardi gets really good. You still have that fruitiness that the Puerto Rican brand is known for, but there’s a deeper aged feel to this sip that makes it shine. There’s also pretty good name recognition, which can help you when finding a gift that you can be confident in.
Flor de Caña 25
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $160
The Rum:
This rum is a true cane-to-glass experience from the slopes of the San Cristobal volcano in Nicaragua. This particular expression is a marrying of rums aged up to 25 years in the shadow of that volcano and is proofed with mineral water bubbling up from the volcanic soil underneath.
Tasting Notes:
There are classic bourbon notes of vanilla and caramel/toffee on the nose next to bitterly charred oak and chocolate with hints of orange oils and black tea. There’s a tobacco spiciness to the body of the sip that leads towards a mintiness next to more toffee, spice, and oak. The chocolate darkens as the spice sharpens on the slow fade, leaving you with a sense of an old cedar box that once held cigars and vanilla pods.
Bottom Line:
This has rums in the blend that are “up to” 25 years old, which means a lot of the rums in the blend are much younger. Age aside, this Central American rum is damn tasty. It also comes in a cool bottle, has a great origin story, and never fails to hit the spot.
Appleton Estate 30 Very Rare Limited Edition
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $550
The Rum:
This blend comes from the master of Jamaican rum, Master Blender Joy Spence. This release from 2018 blends rums that are at least 30 years old with some barrels north of 50 years old. Like all Appleton releases, the juice in the bottle is a cane-to-glass spirit with everything from the growing of the cane to the aging and blending happening in-house at Appleton.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is bold, with a mix of burnt pineapple rinds next to coconut charcoal, a touch of ripe plantain, and a hint of dry tobacco leaf. The palate calms down all that charred wood and fruit for a slow-sipping essence of pineapple juice tied to black molasses, cinnamon, and anise, rich and oily vanilla, rips of cedar bark, dry grass, butterscotch candies, and a slight note of that Jamaican rum funk on the end. The finish on this is very long and hits you with an almost creamy and soft pina colada vibe very late that turns into a mild mango juice, leaving you with a satisfied palate coated with lovely dark rum.
Bottom Line:
This is the “holy shit!” bottle to give as a gift. Instead of rums “up to” 25 years old as above, this rum is made with rums that are at least 30 years old (some are rumored to be up to 50 years old!). This is super rare — only 900 bottles were released in the U.S. — and the taste is very much for the advanced palate. Truly a stellar example of very old rum that will be the centerpiece of any bar cart it is gifted to.
Diplomático Single Vintage
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $125
The Rum:
This well-crafted expression is a marrying of Venezuelan rums aged in ex-bourbon and ex-single malt casks for up to 12 years. The rums are then hand-selected and hand-blended to find the perfect balance of taste and texture. The blend finally spends a year in sherry casks to give it that final note of ultra-refinement.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sharpness to the nose that leans more towards candied ginger than Christmas spices with a bit of funk. The taste leans hard into the spiciness, with an orange zest brightness next to more funky old oak and plenty of sherried sweetness and plummy depths. The end fades very slowly and hits each note again as it warms your soul.
Bottom Line:
I’m closing the circle by coming back to Diplomatico but with my favorite bottle from them. This blend of 12-year-old barrels is pretty much the perfect rum. It’s subtle yet distinct. It’s also a nice-looking and cool decanter/bottle to give as a gift that just so happens to have spectacular rum inside.
Editor’s Pick: Papa’s Pilar Legacy Edition 2021
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $78.00
The Rum:
Pilar Rum is named for Ernest Hemingway’s famous fishing boat and this is their most renowned expression. It’s also their most experimental — finished in a “double solera” method highlighting rye barrels and sherry casks. The proof is very manageable/ bordering on low (86) and the blend of nine rums from around the Caribbean ensures a balanced flavor profile.
As for the canteen-in-leather bottle — it speaks for itself. It’s rustic, stylish, and eye-catching on any bar cart.
Tasting Notes:
If you’ve ever made caramel by toasting sugar over low heat and adding milk just as it starts to burn, you’ll recognize the nose here. It’s very sweet, decadent even, with some light lime-peel scent whispering to you at the last second. The palate starts with the toasted sugar notes, but they ease off quickly in favor of oak, a big dollop of vanilla, and hints of the sherry barrel (stewed dark fruit). The rye spice is present but only percolating, never taking charge. The finish is long and smooth and sweet and with the silky nature of the rum, it feels decadent going down as it did on the nose.
Bottom Line:
A super stylish offering that manages to stay affordable while still clearly being a “sipper.”
