There’s no disputing the appeal of whisk(e)y. Whether it’s single malt Scotch whisky, bourbon, rye whiskey, Irish whiskey, or others. There’s something special about this barrel-aged spirit. But it’s not the only aged spirit, and if you’re limiting your sipping to this style, you’re missing out on some other special, flavorful spirit. Especially dark rum.
I’ve spent years imbibing the various forms of whiskey. But every now and then, I branch out and pour myself a glass of dark rum instead. Unsurprisingly, the two spirits have some of the same aromas and flavors. Since both are matured in wood barrels, they impart flavors like caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, and oak (among others). If you don’t already, you should branch out and add dark rum to your aged spirits rotation.
Why is dark rum a great choice for whiskey drinkers?
If you didn’t know it already, rum and whiskey are fairly different in their base. Whiskey begins with a mash of cereal grains like barley, corn, wheat, and rye, while rum begins with a base of sugarcane juice or molasses. But while whiskey is often drier and more wood-driven in flavor, dark rum is fruitier, with notes of tropical fruit and spices. That said, both are well-suited for slow-sipping neat or on the rocks.
The best dark rums for whiskey fans
Now that you’ve learned a little about the similarities and differences between whiskey and dark rum, it’s time to find some of the latter to add to your home bar cart for the summer, fall, and beyond. There are myriad choices for rich, complex, long-aged rums that are a perfect respite from your usual bourbon or single malt whisky.
How I pick the dark rums for my bar cart
I pick my dark rums just like I pick my favorite whiskeys. I look for well-balanced, flavorful, reasonably-priced expressions. I look for rums with flavors like vanilla, toffee, treacle, molasses, dried fruits, oak, and baking spices. If the dark rum has some (or all) of these aromas and flavors, it’s likely going to end up with a permanent spot on my home bar. Below, you’ll find some of these rums. Keep scrolling to see them in their sugarcane-centric glory.
El Dorado 15 Year
El Dorado 15-year is a sugarcane molasses-based rum crafted in Guyana. As the name suggests, it’s a blend of rums that matured for a minimum of 15 years in ex-bourbon oak barrels. This creates a memorable, nuanced 80-proof rum that opens with notes of orange zest, candied nuts, chocolate fudge, freshly brewed coffee, and gentle spices. The palate is centered on notes of toasted vanilla beans, sticky toffee pudding, dried fruit, tropical fruits, and charred oak. The finish is long, lingering, warm, and ends with a gentle mix of coffee, vanilla, and island spices.
Santa Teresa 1796
To say that Santa Teresa 1796 is a complex dark rum is a massive understatement. This Venezuelan rum is made from simple ingredients like sugarcane molasses, water, and yeast. But that’s where the simplicity ends. Aged using the solera maturation process, it’s a blend of pit-still rums with the oldest aging for more than 35 years. This creates a unique, flavorful, 80-proof expression that begins with aromas of molasses cookies, cocoa powder, dried fruits, vanilla, and oaky wood. Sipping it reveals notes of candied nuts, chocolate, raisins, pipe tobacco, vanilla, caramelized sugar, and just a hint of baking spice. The finish is long, dry, and ends with a blend of cracked black pepper, oak, and toffee.
Hamilton 86 Demerara Rum
Made with a base of sugarcane molasses, this epic 86-proof dark rum is a blend of pot and continuous-still rums produced by Demerara Distillers Limited in Guyana. It’s matured for at least 5 years in oak barrels before being proofed down prior to bottling. It’s well-known for its aromas of brown sugar, charred wood, chocolate, molasses candy, and dried fruits. Drinking brings notes of freshly brewed coffee, pipe tobacco, butterscotch candy, molasses, and wintry spices. It all ends with a lingering, warm finish of sticky toffee pudding and salted caramel.
The Real McCoy 12 Year
The Real McCoy is named after an infamous Prohibition-era rum runner named Bill McCoy. While you can’t go wrong with any of the brand’s rums, if you’re a whiskey drinker, you’ll really enjoy The Real McCoy 12 Year. It begins with blackstrap molasses, pure Barbados spring water, and proprietary yeast. It’s distilled in traditional copper pot stills and column stills, then matures for a minimum of 12 years in charred, ex-bourbon American oak barrels. This creates a complex expression that begins with scents of pipe tobacco, tropical fruits, toasted vanilla beans, and caramelized sugar. The palate is a symphony of flavors, including coffee beans, sticky toffee pudding, treacle, candied orange peels, and light baking spices. The finish is long, warm, and ends with a mix of cracked black pepper, butterscotch, and wood.
