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Rum has always been my first love when it comes to alcohol. For this reason, I decided to share with you my Top 5 Rums.  For me, a great rum is a little piece of paradise and quickly transports me to a warm exotic location. The rums I will discuss today are what are considered sipping rums. These rums are not meant to be shot or mixed at a party. These rums are meant to sipped while relaxing after a hard day at work or sipped while smoking your favorite cigar with your best friend.

Havana Club – Cuban

Let me say that I have tried numerous rums over the years and there is nothing better than Havana Club 7 Year. Havana Club is the smoothest rum I have ever had, and the perfect blend of vanilla and spices immediately takes you away to the islands as soon as the rum hits your taste buds.

We first discovered Havana Club rum in St. Martin/St. Maarten at a cigar shop owned by a local whose wife was from Cuba. Obviously, we were smoking Cuban cigars with him and he offered us Havana Club rum to drink. Now, we had a bottle of Havana Club Cuban rum at home that had never been opened. Why I had we never opened the bottle? Well, a former boss traveled to Cuba a couple times a year and after his first trip, he brought a bottle back just for me. Because it was such a special bottle straight from Cuba, we never opened it and dreamed of the day we would be able to taste the rum. When we tried it in the cigar shop that day, we knew we had to have a bottle. The owner’s wife was sweet enough to go next door to the liquor store and buy us a bottle. Needless to say, we’ve been drinking it ever since.

Unfortunately, because it is a Cuban rum, it is impossible to get in the United States. We typically purchase it when we are in St. Martin/St. Maarten, but we also found it last year in Toronto, Canada as well. I will tell you there is a HUGE difference in price between the Caribbean (around $15) and Canada (around $40). I highly recommend you plan a trip to the Caribbean to purchase a few bottles. Why not plan your vacation around rum. You will not be disappointed!!!

Ron Barcelo – Dominican Republic

I discovered Ron Barcelo when Bernie and I took a trip to the Dominican Republic on a cigar trip with La Aurora cigars. We drank 50 bottles of Ron Barcelo rum on that trip (there were 11 of us) and I fell in love from the first sip. In fact, Guillermo Leon taught me how to drink Ron Barcelo rum with 7up…that’s right…7up. I had only previously mixed rum (never good rum) with Coke so this was a different treat. However, as I mentioned, for me this is a sipping rum, so that was the last time I ever mixed Ron Barcelo and 7up.

Ron Barcelo has also been another hard to find rum over the years but lucky for me my favorite liquor store in San Diego Old Town Tequila has a variety of Ron Barcelo available for purchase at great prices. I’ve also found at a few other liquor stores during our travels but the fact that I can order it online and have it delivered to me, makes it that much easier.

Ron Barcelo Gran Anejo, which is the one I purchase most often, has a unique blend of flavors like vanilla and caramel but what makes this different is that the rum is aged in oak bourbon barrels. Much like the Havana Club, Ron Barcelo Gran Anejo is extremely smooth, and the taste is incredible. You cannot go wrong with Ron Barcelo rum especially at that price point (around $22).

Brugal – Dominican Republic

Yes, Brugal Anejo is another smooth Dominican Republic rum aged in oak bourbon barrels with hints of caramel and chocolate. Unlike the previous two (2) rums, I do not have a special memory surrounding this rum. If I had to guess, Bernie and I were at the liquor store, I saw the cool netting on the bottle, and said I want to try that rum. Yeah, nothing special about how I discovered this rum. However, the rum itself, is definitely memorable.

Brugal rum is readily available at most liquor stores so finding this rum will not be difficult like the previous two (2) rums. The price point is also another bonus as it is around $30, sometimes even less if you hit the right store. If you are just getting into rums, this is definitely a great way to start.

Plantation – Barbados

First let me say that I have had rums from various Caribbean islands, and I was hesitant about this rum initially only because I had tried a couple others from Barbados and was not impressed. However, Plantation rum once again proved my point that you should always try something new because you never know when you might find a diamond in the rough. Plantation rum is exactly that diamond.

We discovered Plantation rum in Panama City Beach, Florida.  Plantation rum has several different rums but the Plantation 20^th Anniversary is my favorite of the Plantation rum line with a price point around $50! As you may have figured out, I like smooth rums with flavors you only expect to find in the Caribbean. Well, this rum has it all and then some! Plantation 20^th Anniversary rum is double-aged: first in bourbon casks and then in Ferrand French oak casks. This double aging process gives this rum such a unique flavor unfound in other rums.

Pampero – Venezuelan

One of the first things you will notice about the Pampero Aniversario rum bottle is it’s cool leather like brown bag. This is one of the very first things that drew my eye to this rum on the store shelf with the second being its inviting price point, which was around $35.

I was pleasantly surprised what a great find this rum was when first purchased. Again, the flavors are much like the previous rums I have discussed with vanilla and chocolate notes but the difference with this rum compared to the others is that the flavors are heightened by its triple distilling process and aging of up to four (4) years in whisky or sherry casks.

This is another great rum to start training your palette with based not only on flavor profile but also because of price point. It’s a rum that will not disappoint.

Why These Five (5) Rums?

You will note that I identify flavors like vanilla, caramel, and chocolate when discussing these rums. Yes, there are plenty of other flavors that you could identify in these rums and if you click on the links provided, they will tell you the various flavor profiles you will get in these rums. However, for me these are the most identifiable flavors that can make or break a rum. If you do not have a nice balance of these flavors, your rum will ultimately be too bland or too sweet. I do not want to drink a rum without flavor, and I do not want to drink a rum that is so sweet, I might as well eat sugar.

You also will note that I prefer aged rums. The aging process is what ultimately brings out the flavors and makes the rum sing in your mouth. You know these rums has been well aged by the beautiful dark rich color of the rum.

Although these rums are very similar in flavor profiles and aging, all five (5) are distinctly different. I think you will find these rums are extremely elegant and could be found on any high-end rum menu while having a price point that everyone can enjoy. As we have mentioned before, price does not always dictate quality.

Do You Have a Rum that Should Be on Christy’s Top 5 Rums?

YES, I am picky and YES, I know what I like. However, I am always willing to try something new so if you have a rum that you recommend I try, please email me at auldadventures@gmail.com or reach out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I am always looking to try something new and maybe your rum will make it to Christy’s Top 5 Rums in the future.