It can be difficult to guess someone's preferred booze, but in India, you can be sure that at least 2 out of every five persons you drink with will ask for a peg of Old Monk. Such is the craze for the celebratory sweet beverage. There is undoubtedly a type of tea—dark, white, or spiced—that you would like to sip on if given a chance.

top 5 rum brands

Top 5 Rum varieties


We've chosen the top 5 rum brands to make your search for the best rum easier.


White Rum


Rums that are white or clear are matured for a year or more. After that, they are filtered to remove any color that might have developed throughout the aging process. Because of their mild and light bodies, these rums are suitable for putting into drinks like mojitos when you don't want an overpowering liquor flavor.


Gold Rum


Rum ages, usually in oak barrels; while it does, the barrel imparts its colors and flavors. Gold or pale rums are deeper in color than clear rums and frequently have citrus, vanilla, and almond notes. This rum works well in drinks that call for a strong rum flavor or in dishes like this moist Caribbean rum cake.


Dark Rum


Of all rum varieties, dark rum is aged the longest, and it acquires the distinctive dark color and rich, smokey flavor from wooden casks. Dark rum is fantastic in cocktails, but it's also great.


Spiced Rum


While stored in casks for roughly the same amount of time as dark rums, spiced rums are spiced. To create distinctive flavor profiles, distillers add a variety of substances to barrels, such as dried fruits, edible flowers, ginger, and cinnamon. You can consume it straight or in cocktails, just like dark rum.


How we chose these products


We asked top national chefs and bartenders about their favorite rums for cocktails and sipping. Additionally, we used the knowledge of our Delish employees to identify the key rum brands. Last, we included a few fan favorites, including Internet-favorite bottles and rums that have won major awards.



Ten To One Dark Rum


The history of Ten to One may sound more like that of a tech startup than your typical one among the best rum brands, but don't be fooled; the company has lots of real credibilities. Although the brand's creator, Marc Farrell, was born and raised in Trinidad and attended MIT at the age of 16, as well as Cambridge and Harvard, and later rose to the position of youngest vice president at Starbucks, the brand was the result of his passion for reviving rum's "spring break" reputation.


Chairman's Reserve St Lucia Rum


St. Lucia's rum business was compelled to merge into St. Lucia Distilleries in the 1960s after the island's final sugar plantation closed. Now that Chairman's Reserve only uses molasses from British Guyana, it has become well known as a distinctive drink. Due to the hero blend's maturation in former bourbon barrels, it has flavors of stonefruit and dried fruits.


Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva


One of the best rums from Venezuela, far ahead of the US on the rum renaissance, is Diplomatico's Reserva Exclusiva, which is distilled in copper pot stills and matured for 12 years. However, McCoy claims that when served with ice, the rum "comes alive with delicate spice, dry vanilla, and velvety chocolate." Straight, the rum's primary characteristics are caramelized banana and roasted tropical fruits.


Plantation Isle of Fiji


Don't discount the Pacific Islands just because the Caribbean is home to some of the most well-known rum brands in the world. This pot and column distilled rum is made from sugar cane grown in the fertile volcanic soil of Fiji. It is then double aged in Fiji and France to create a wildly complex treat with notes of tropical fruit, ginger, vanilla, and an intriguing hint of funk that will keep true rum connoisseurs coming back for more.


Don Q Reserva 7


The most recent release of this popular Puerto Rican rum provides a sophisticated introduction to rums for devoted whiskey aficionados. This is due to the blended spirit's minimum 7-year aging period in barrels made of American white oak, which is the same kind that gives bourbon its characteristic flavor. Expect to find the same flavors of grilled stonefruit, tropical fruit, rich caramel, and spice that rum lovers keep them coming back for more.


A select group of best rum brands appears to dominate this alcohol preference. But don't you think this deliciously tasty spirit merits a more in-depth investigation? Even if you disagree, allow us to at least inform you of the greatest rums available when you go to buy a bottle.