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Victor Osei on Rhum J.M VSOP: The Spirit of Macouba

8/10

More intense than Clément

If Clément is the elegant side of Martinique agricole, J.M is the intense side. The cane character is richer, the oak influence is bolder, and there's a depth that demands attention. Vanilla, tobacco, earthy minerals, and a long, complex finish. Not a background sipper.

Sophie Brennan on Havana Club 3 Años: The Benchmark Cuban White

8/10

Best white rum for the money

I keep coming back to this after trying fancier options. The three-year ageing and filtration process gives it just enough character — soft vanilla, a touch of dried fruit, clean sugarcane — without any harshness. Perfect for Daiquiris, Mojitos, or just on the rocks with a lime wedge.

Tomas Rivera on Mount Gay XO: The World's Oldest Rum Distillery's Finest

8/10

Old Fashioned excellence

While I normally sip this neat, Mount Gay XO makes the most incredible Rum Old Fashioned. The butterscotch and vanilla notes play beautifully with the bitters, and the oak spice adds another dimension. The Barbadian refinement elevates the cocktail enormously.

Suki Patel on Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva: Venezuela's Velvet Jewel

6/10

Too much added sugar for me

The flavours are pleasant — toffee, chocolate, vanilla — but once you know about the dosage (added sugar), it's hard to enjoy. This tastes more like a liqueur than a proper rum. If you like sweet spirits, you'll love it. If you prefer your rum unadulterated, look elsewhere.

Finn OBrien on Plantation 3 Stars: A Multi-Island Masterclass

8/10

Exceptional aged sipping rum

Rich amber colour and a nose that fills the room — vanilla, coconut, and toasted oak. On the palate it's smooth and weighty with flavours of toffee, ripe mango, and a beautiful cinnamon warmth on the finish. You can taste every year in the barrel. One of the best bottles I've opened this year.

Rafael Santos on Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva: Venezuela's Velvet Jewel

7/10

Sweet but satisfying

I know some rum purists frown on the sweetness, but I enjoy Diplomatico for what it is — a rich, indulgent, dessert-style rum. The dark chocolate and toffee are pronounced, the vanilla is generous, and the finish has a pleasant coffee bitterness that prevents it from being cloying.

Mia Sundberg on Wood's Old Navy Rum: Bold and Powerful

7/10

Bold and uncompromising

At 57% ABV, Wood's doesn't pull any punches. The dark molasses and treacle hit you first, then the burn, then the chocolate and burnt toffee. It's a bruiser of a rum that rewards dilution — with ginger beer it becomes magnificent. Neat, it's a challenge.

Simon Hughes on Flor de Caña 4 Extra Seco: Central American Purity

8/10

Excellent balance of age and clarity

The trick of ageing then filtering back to clarity really works here. You get the vanilla and oak softness from four years in barrel without any colour. The result is a white rum that punches well above its weight class. Dry, clean, with genuine depth.

Sophie Brennan on Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva: Venezuela's Velvet Jewel

9/10

Pure indulgence

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is liquid indulgence. Dark chocolate, butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, orange peel, and a whisper of coffee on the finish. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Is it traditional rum? Maybe not. Is it one of the most delicious spirits I've ever tasted? Absolutely.

Idris Ibrahim on Myers's Original Dark Rum: The Bartender's Secret Weapon

7/10

Nostalgia in a bottle

My grandfather always had a bottle of Myers's in the cabinet. The dark molasses, coffee, and brown sugar bring back memories. It's not the most refined dark rum but it has a warmth and character that more polished rums lack. Good with cola or ginger beer.

Luciano Bianchi on Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva: Venezuela's Velvet Jewel

7/10

Crowd-pleasing but polarizing

Serve this at a dinner party and most guests will be blown away by the chocolate and toffee richness. But among rum enthusiasts, it's divisive — the sweetness level and possible dosage are controversial. I enjoy it occasionally as a treat but wouldn't want it every night.

Erik Strom on Plantation O.F.T.D. (Old Fashioned Traditional Dark): Overproof Alliance

8/10

69% that drinks like 50%

The remarkable thing about OFTD is how smooth it is for 69% ABV. The dark chocolate, molasses, and coffee notes are so rich and full that they mask the alcohol beautifully. The Jamaican component brings banana and funk, the Guyanese adds weight, the Barbadian brings smoothness. Genius blend.

Alex Ramos on Flor de Caña 4 Extra Seco: Central American Purity

8/10

Volcano filtered and fantastic

Love the story behind this — naturally filtered through volcanic soil in Nicaragua. Whether that makes a real difference or not, the rum itself is excellent. Dry, clean, with a subtle oak influence from four years in barrel. Makes a cracking Mojito.

Aiko Tanaka on La Favorite Cœur de Canne: Pure Cane Heart

9/10

Ti' Punch perfection

The Ti' Punch — rhum, cane syrup, lime — is the national drink of Martinique, and Cœur de Canne makes the finest version I've ever had. The intense fresh cane character stands up to the lime, the syrup rounds the edges, and the result is devastatingly delicious. A rite of passage.

Ravi Krishnan on Chairman's Reserve Spiced Rum: Caribbean Craft Spiced

8/10

Saint Lucian spice magic

The combination of Saint Lucian pot and column still rum with Caribbean spices is inspired. Cinnamon and nutmeg lead, supported by clove and vanilla, but the banana and tropical fruit from the base rum are always present. Makes an incredible Rum Punch or Dark and Stormy.

Sophie Brennan on Myers's Original Dark Rum: The Bartender's Secret Weapon

8/10

Classic Jamaican darkness

Myers's has been the standard Jamaican dark rum for decades and it's still excellent. Deep molasses, burnt sugar, coffee, and a distinctive Jamaican fruitiness. The pot still character gives it more personality than most dark rums. Brilliant in a Dark and Stormy or over vanilla ice cream.

Elena Morozova on Wood's Old Navy Rum: Bold and Powerful

8/10

Baking and cooking champion

The navy strength means the rum flavour survives any cooking process. Christmas pudding, rum sauce, rum baba, brownies — Wood's Old Navy makes them all better. The dark molasses, treacle, and chocolate notes permeate everything. Keep a bottle in the kitchen.

Clara Johansson on Neisson Réserve Spéciale: Small-Batch Agricole Excellence

10/10

The best agricole on the market

Neisson Réserve Spéciale is, for my money, the finest rhum agricole available. The balance is extraordinary — grassy cane, floral notes, vanilla, dried fruit, gentle oak — every element in perfect harmony. The finish is long, complex, and deeply satisfying. Worth every centimetre of shelf space.

Finn OBrien on Mount Gay XO: The World's Oldest Rum Distillery's Finest

10/10

Perfection from Barbados

I've been drinking rum for twenty years and Mount Gay XO remains one of the finest I've ever tasted. The blend of aged marques creates something that's greater than the sum of its parts — vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, banana, leather, oak, coconut — all in perfect harmony. The long, warming finish is pure joy.

Annika Svensson on Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced: Warmly Spiced and Inviting

8/10

Underrated Puerto Rican gem

While everyone buys Captain Morgan, Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced quietly offers a far superior product. The Serrallés family's rum-making expertise shows — the base spirit has real character, and the spicing is natural and well-balanced. Vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and genuine oak.

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