For those new to the spirit, rum is a liquor made by fermenting sugarcane juice or molasses and then distilling it. Sometimes, it’s bottled immediately after distilling and proofing (or gently aged for a few months).
Also known as white rum, this clear, sweet spirit is often used as a base for cocktails like the Mojito, Daiquiri, and Fog Cutter. While we always stock a bottle or two of white rum on our bar cart for mixing, we prefer our rum matured.
Different types of rum
If you take a moment to imagine “rum,” what do you envision? Maybe it’s a white rum, but perhaps it’s a dark rum that more resembles a glass of long-aged whiskey. This is because there are various types of rum.
They include white rum (also known as light rum), gold rum (light-aged rum), black rum (a sweet, rich rum aged in charred barrels), spiced rum (rum flavored with various fruits, spices, and other ingredients), and dark rum (rum matured in barrels like a fine whiskey). We could write an article explaining the various differences between the styles, but today, we are solely interested in the latter.
Dark rum
Also known as dark rum, aged rum begins as white rum. While the clear version is distilled, proofed, and bottled, dark rum is matured in charred oak (or other wood barrels) for an extended period, just like your favorite bourbon, rye whiskey, or single-malt Scotch whisky.
Like whiskey, it can be aged for months, years, and even decades. It might be labeled with five years, ten years, or more. Barrels could be mixed into a blend featuring no age statement at all. The result of maturation in wood is a caramel-colored spirit (or darker) and a nuanced, complex, sippable flavor profile.
While the aromas and flavors will differ based on the location, ingredients, still, and maturation, you can bet when you crack open a bottle of dark rum, you’ll be greeted with myriad exciting, memorable flavors. These include notes of toasted coconut, toffee, vanilla beans, brown sugar, tropical fruits, and various wintry and island spices.
How to drink dark rum
We’re not here to judge you. If you want to crack open a decades-old bottle of dark rum and mix it into a Cuba Libre or another cocktail, we’re not here to tell you how to spend your hard-earned cash. We believe that if you pay the money to buy a long-matured rum, you should get the most out of it. Treat it the same way you would a high-quality single malt Scotch or decades-old bourbon whiskey. Sip it neat, on the rocks, or with a splash or two of water to open it up (especially if it’s high-proof).
Best dark rums
Now that you’ve learned a little about dark rums, it’s time to find some to add to your home bar cart. Below, you’ll find our favorite dark rums. Keep scrolling to see them all.
El Dorado 12 Year
El Dorado is the type of rum brand that makes nothing but flavorful, notable expressions. Our favorite for slow sipping is El Dorado 12. Distilled from sugarcane molasses on EHP Wooden Coffey and Metal Coffey Stills, this Guyana-made dark rum is a blend of 12-year-old rums matured in ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting notes: The result is a complex sipping rum that begins with a nose of toffee, toasted vanilla beans, oak, and gentle spices. The palate is a mix of dried fruits, vanilla, chocolate, oak, and warming spices.
Ten to One Caribbean Dark Rum
Ten to One has gained quite a following in the rum world in the last few years, and for a good reason. While you can’t go wrong with any expression from this brand, we tend to lean towards Ten to One Dark Rum. This 80-proof, complex rum is a blend of 8-year-old Dominican and Barbados-made column still rums mixed with high-ester Jamaican pot still rum and Trinidadian rum. It’s all then matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting notes: This creates a nose of fruit esters, bananas, candied nuts, and caramel. The palate is a mix of vanilla beans, ripe bananas, fresh leather, and a gentle nutty sweetness throughout.
Zacapa No. 23 Centenario
If you only buy one dark rum on this list, make it Zacapa No. 23 Centenario. It gets its name because this dark rum is a blend of mature rums aged between six and twenty-three years using the Solera aging system. This balanced, highly sippable rum was matured in barrels that once held American whiskey, sherries, and Pedro Ximénez wine.
Tasting notes: On the nose, you’ll be greeted with aromas of dried fruits, sweet sherry, candied hazelnuts, banana, caramel, and tropical fruits. Sipping it brings you notes of coffee, fresh leather, vanilla, cinnamon candy, and caramelized sugar.
