The world of dark spirits is ever expanding, and no more so than in the world of rum. Rum, unlike many other dark spirits, seems to be a little harder to navigate. Scotch whisky has hard and fast rules that need to be adhered to, as does Cognac and even most world whiskey in some form or other. It means you know what to expect and there is a quality assurance that comes within its category. Not so with Rum, which, for me makes it exciting. The rules in one country can be quite strict, whilst in another, they may be non-existent. Aging can mean nothing, and colour can be added to make a rum look well aged, when in fact it’s only just been made, sugar can also be added without restriction, giving overly sweet rums. It’s no secret that people in the south Americas like rum to be sweeter than most Europeans.

Rather than dismiss rum as being too difficult, I think one should experiment, just as one would at the beginning of the journey to finding out which whisky one likes. I’ve done a fair bit of experimentation over the last few years, and if you are thinking of rum for Christmas or gifting rum, here are a few of my suggestions, giving their style so you can hopefully find that perfect bottle for the festive season. I’ll start with white rum, getting steadily darker, and include a few spiced rums at the end. There’s something here for everyone at every price point, so let’s get to it!

The Best White Rum to Gift for Christmas

Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

In the last few years, we are seeing rums other than Havana Club coming out of Cuba, and this is a great example. It has initially been aged for a short time in oak, but then filtered to take out the colour, but leaving in all the flavour. I think this is one of the best value to flavour ratio rums for making cocktails out there. At a slightly lower abv, it doesn’t overpower with alcohol, but still delivers all the flavour you need.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find it here: £20.94

Bougainville White Rum

This rum comes from the Oxenham distillery on Mauritius. Made with molasses which have been fermented at a low temperature for 14 to 20 days, which is a very long fermentation, it gives lots of fruity banana character with toffee, milk chocolate and a touch of spice. At 40% it is smooth too, and although good enough to drink over ice, it is fantastic to mix with anything from Cola to the fanciest cocktail - this rum will shine through.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: £24.37

Toti White Rum

Created by The Sustainable Spirit Company in conjunction with the conservation group Sea Shepherd, 15% of the profits from every bottle go to supporting marine conservation in the Caribbean. Not only that, the rum tastes delicious too! It is a blend of rums from Trinidad, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. There are flavours of apricot, chocolate and coconut with a touch of peppery heat.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find it here: £27.44

St Nicholas Overproof

Hailing from Barbados and produced by St Nicholas Abbey, this bottling has some punch to it being overproof at a robust 60% abv. This makes it a wonderful cocktail base, and although not the cheapest white rum in the world, it is worth every penny. The strength lets the rum come through with loads of flavour in a cocktail. With sweet honey, red fruit flavours and a nutty background with a little peppery heat, this is a great white rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 60%
Find it here: £74.95

The Best Rum to Gift for Christmas

Mount Gay Discovery Set

Here we have a great gifting set. Especially for those wanting to explore a wider range of rums. Mount Gay is a legendary distillery in Barbados. In the set are one each of Eclipse, Black Barrel Double Cask Blend and Mount Gay XO Triple Cask Blend. All quite different and all very tasty. My favourite is the Black Barrel which has been aged for seven years before being finished in heavily charred barrels giving toasted oak, ginger, oranges and a little baked tropical fruit.

Size: 600ml 3 x 200ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: £45

Bottle: Mount Gay Eclipse
Size: 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: $26.99

Bottle: Mount Gay Black Barrel
Size: 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: $29.99

Bottle: Mount Gay XO
Size: 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: $66.99

Hattiers Resolute Navy

A Navy Strength bottling from English rum makers Hattiers, and it’s a brilliant blend of aged rums from Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and Australia, it’s got lots of baked tropical fruit and buttery caramel and is a little smoky. A brilliant rum for making classic cocktails. I recently tried it in an Old Fashioned and have found a new friend. Warming and delicious, a fabulous rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 54.5%
Find it here: £50.94

Doorly 14 Year Old

Yesterday I was at a rum lunch and chatted to rum aficionado Peter Holland, who is now representing Foursquare distillery which also produces the Doorly range of rums. I asked him, which his favourite was, and low and behold, we both like the same one! The 14 Year old is a blend of pot still and column rum, mostly aged in ex bourbon casks. There are a few aged in Madeira giving a touch of sweetness amongst loads of spice including a good dollop of ginger spice, there is also dark chocolate and red berry fruit. A little soft spice on the finish and char, make this a great sipping and mixing rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find it here: £61.44

Abuelo XV Finish Collection

The Abuelo fifteen year old comes in three forms, all finished in different casks. There is an Oloroso Sherry cask finish, a Napoleon Cognac finish and a Tawny Port cask finish. All delicious. Very difficult to choose a favourite, as they are all very good and the choice is subjective. I like the Tawny Port finish as it is a little drier, but that might not be yours, so why not try them all! A great gift for any rum lover.

Size: 600ml 3 x 200ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: £73

Bottle: Ron Abuelo XV Napoleon Cognac Cask
Size: 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: $75

Hampden Estate Overproof Rum

I can’t write a rum list without including my namesake! And it’s not just because of the name. I last wrote about the eight year old Hampden, and this rum is just as incredible, especially if you like very fruity, slightly funky rum, which is typical of the Trelawny area in Jamaica. Lots of fruity esters, mix with a little vegetal bitterness, and at 60%, this is a very punchy rum. One to try if you’ve been drinking rum for a while and want to try something a little different.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 60%
Find it here: £80

Foursquare Elysium 12 Year Old

Dan Davies MW says if you like sherry aged whiskies or rich style of Cognac, you should try this rum. It is a rich blend of pot still and column-distilled rum and matured in both ex-bourbon and ex sherry casks for 12 years in the tropics. There are deep flavours of brown sugar, baked orchard fruits with lifted flavours on the finish of furniture polish, dried tobacco leaves and leather. Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, they have chosen a cracker of a rum here.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 60%
Find it here: £86.95

Caroni 22 year old 1997 Master of Malt

Here we have a very special rum. From the closed Caroni distillery, these rums are becoming very rare and new bottlings don’t come around very often. Bottled by Master of Malt, this is a very good example. Distilled on a traditional column still in 1997, only 284 bottles were filled in 2020 and only recently released. If you’d like to try a very special rum or need a very special gift for a rum lover, then this will do the trick. With aromas of baked pineapple, confected other fruits and a dry oak the flavours are gentle at first, expanding into dark rich earthy notes and treacle and raisins. Baking spice and cloves come through with stewed fruit on the finish which is very long and complex.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 61.6%
Find it here: £249.95

The Best Spiced Rum to Gift for Christmas

Cassario Black Spiced Flavour with Rum

Here we have a rum that gives true value for money. Beating other much more expensive rums in competitions, like the Spirits Business awards in 2021 where it received a gold medal, this rum doesn’t compromise flavour for price. If you like Kraken or other dark spiced rums, then this should be a rum for you. With caramel and dark chocolate, allspice and manuka honey, it’s a complex and sweet rum punching well above its price tag. Well done, Aldi.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: £14.99

Bumbu Original

This rum now comes in a slightly higher strength than when first released and it makes all the difference. Inspired by recipes from the 16th and 17th centuries used by West Indian sailors this spiced rum has plenty of tropical fruit and spice with quite a bit of sweetness but is very well balanced with the higher abv. Think Banoffee pie, caramel, and allspice with a little chocolate. Yum.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: UK £34.99 // US $34.99

Decorrum

We now enter into the world of spiced rum. With its Art Deco design this rum has a complex flavour profile with lots of spice, including ginger and cinnamon, but there is also sweetness from honey and vanilla flavours. Oranges and rhubarb bring in plenty of fruit. It’s real treat for those who like spiced rum.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find it here: £40

If you’re still looking for that perfect gift, why not have a look at our vodka, gin or tequila gift guides too?

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Words by Colin Hampden-White

When most people think of rum, they think generally of rum and a mixer or a cocktail. Rum and cola, or a Pina Colada, or one of my favourites, a Zombie, with all three main styles of rum mixed together over crushed ice with Wood’s 100% proof floated across the top. Not for the faint hearted, but delicious.

There are also brands which are synonymous with rums you can find in a supermarket such as Bacardi, which are very good. Most of these rums tend to be white rums. They are not really designed for sipping. In contrast, many dark rums are also made for mixing. Lamb’s rum comes to mind. My suggestions today are oak aged rums, but not too dark, and are rums I would happily sit down on a summer’s evening, pour over ice and sip.

Suncamino

Sumcamino comes from South Africa and means a journey to the sun, so seemed completely appropriate for this article. It is most definitely a summer rum. It is the world’s first floral rum. Unlike other rums which use all sorts of botanicals, Sumcamino literally uses flowers to flavour the rum. They have used hibiscus, orange blossom and honeybush, which is a flower and not a type of honey. These botanical flowers lift the rum giving complex sweet floral notes as the types of flowers would suggest. This rum makes very good cocktails, but I think it stands out on a hot summer’s day over a little ice in a tumbler. A rum not just for the beach, but rather a country garden.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.95

Market Row Botanical Rum

Market Row is a rum with five years of aging in ex-bourbon barrels. Being a blend of rums from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Barbados it is complex and very well balanced. A selection of botanicals is then added when the rum is re-distilled at the Brixton Distillery. The flavours include vanilla and lots of spices like cloves, black pepper, allspice and mace, but there are also floral notes of hibiscus, Turkish delight, and black tea with a background sweetness of caramel. It’s complex, yet easy going with a light touch on the palate. Another good summer sipping rum.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.99

J.G. Thomson Bold Jamaican Rum

When I think of Jamaican rum, I think about the classic funky flavours they deliver. There’s an almost indescribable nose and flavour which is created by leaving the fermentation tanks open so that all sorts of things including wild yeasts can sit on top of the fermenting liquid and fester away. It’s a flavour profile that you’ll either love or hate, but it is very worth buying a bottle to find out if you love it or not because if you do love it, you’ll really love it and be joyous you’ve found it. This rum is pot distilled with maturation in ex-bourbon barrels for three years in the tropics and then more time in barrels in Scotland. With flavours of overripe bananas, acetone and very nearly vegetal, there are also sweet chocolate and caramel flavours to balance everything. It’s a little crazy, and I’m very glad J.G. Thomson went the whole hog and didn’t hold back. Brilliant rum for summer and if you haven’t yet. Find out if you’re a lover or not.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £37.50

Admiral Rodney Officers release No.2

This is the second release in the Officer’s Release series. It was distilled in 2009 and finished in ex-Irish whiskey casks, which is a little different. This gives the rum some summer fruit flavours of raspberries, cherries and plumbs as well as spicy flavours of cloves, allspice and a little nutmeg in the background. There is a little sweet chilli too. All these flavours lead to quite a rich rum, especially with the good long aging, but it somehow manages to be delicate and smooth, and perfect for summer. Perhaps a rum to sip later in the evening by a fire pit. It is a little more expensive than others but is certainly still good value in terms of flavour and experience.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £69.95

Havana Club 7

I reckon this is the bargain of the aged rums. Having had seven years of tropical aging in Cuba, it has a lot of flavour and has won loads of awards. This was the first Havana Club expression to be created for sipping rather than being placed in cocktails. Mind you, if you wanted to upgrade a cocktail, then this is a cracker to do it with, especially using it instead of whisky in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. For me, I’d be quite happy pouring it over a couple of large ice cubes, kicking back and relaxing!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £24.95

Hampden Estate 8 year old

Now it wouldn’t be right for me not to include Hampden in a line-up of rums. This is a rum which although not very dark in colour, has eight years of aging and is full-bodied. There is a decent dollop of that typical Jamaican funk, which is a style the Hampden distillery excels at. There are lots of punchy, estery notes giving fresh mango, and very ripe banana with lots of creamy vanilla and oak spice. With all the esters, this rum does well over ice for a little cooling and dilution. One of my all-time favourites. But I could be biased!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £55.69

Decorrum

This is a spiced rum, with loads of flavour - a selection of spices and honey with a little ginger, vanilla cloves and orange peel. The bottle is designed in an art deco style hence the name. But what I really like about this rum is the abv. With all that flavour, the abv is only 37.5% which makes it perfect for summer sipping. Either over ice to let it dilute slowly, or neat, as it isn’t too strong. Either way, it is a great, flavoursome all-rounder.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find here: £40

Abuelo XII Two Oaks

My last offering is a big rich rum, which for me is a late-night rum sitting out under the stars with a fat cigar. Having been aged in two different types of casks, there is lots of complexity. This has also been aged for over a decade, firstly in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in heavily charred virgin American oak. This gives a little smokiness in the background. There is also lots of creamy sweetness alongside dried fruits and soft spices. It is sumptuous and satisfying.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £46.95

If you’re more of a rum cocktail fan, then why not have a read of The Best Rum To Elevate Your Cocktails or how about checking out these 7 Rums That Scream Luxury?

The Best Rum to Gift this Christmas