14 smoothest rums for beginners

14 Smoothest Rums For Beginners

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Rum has started to gain a lot of attention lately, becoming a new ‘it-drink’ and undoubtedly one of the best spirits you are going to taste after reading about the smoothest rums. The homeplace of rum is the Caribbean and has been notoriously linked to the drink of pirates.

Rum is a spirit that is the result of distillation for the fermented molasses which is a by-product of sugarcane and is stored to age for approximately a year. Rum does not have any hard and fast rule or legislation like whiskey for its age and storage. The most interesting thing about rum is that you will find a lot of variety and you might get lost in it. But here we are to serve you with the 14 smoothest rums to go for.

Table of Contents

Appleton Estate Signature Blend

Signature Blend from Appleton Estate is one of the most remarkable rums produced in Jamaica’s notable distillery. If you are looking for a gateway to rum then Signature Blend would be the right choice to bring it to your home. It has the taste of citrus with the touches of oak and the recipe makes it a premium choice to make rum cocktails at home. To make this rum, approximately 15 rums are aged for about four years.

Zacapa No. 23 Centenario

The award-winning rum Zacapa No. 23 Centenario is one that you cannot miss. It is aged to perfection from six to 23 years at the height of 2300 meters from sea level to give it an amazing taste of aged rum. An interesting fact about the rum is that it is stored in the casks of flavored American whiskeys, delicate sherries, and fine Pedro Ximénez wines, creating a smooth & unmatchable rum. It has notes of vanilla, chocolate, wood, and stone fruit that give an intense and sweet taste.

For more info about rum and where it’s made across the globe, read our article Is Rum Made All Over the World?

Mount Gay Eclipse Rum

Made by one of the oldest rum companies with the most complex and thoughtful blends, Mount Gay is produced from molasses by a double distillation process and stored for up to two years.  Eclipse Rum is stored in white Kentucky oak ancestral bourbon barrels. It tastes sweet, light bright, with a dominating taste of brown sugar and oak.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is Venezuelan rum that is aged for around 22 years to give it a complex taste. Before the rum is aged, it is stored in a pot still after distillation from the molasses. Also, it is an award-winning rum and spirit that has been loved by thousands of rum lovers and connoisseurs. It tastes like caramel and fruitcake which gives the perfect balance one would ever want to taste.

Bacardí Carta Blanca

Bacardí Carta Blanca is a white floral rum that originated in Cuba. It is one of the white premium rums that are made with the sweet taste of citrus, vanilla, caramel, black paper, with a hint of winter spice. The spicy finishing at the end of the rum makes it the perfect balance for sipping.

Havana Club Añejo 3 Year Old

This Cuban rum is one of the premium light rums that is commonly used in rum cocktails. The infused taste of Havana Club Añejo 3 Year Old is unmatched. The color of the rum is the pale yellow color after it has been filtered and will give your taste buds the essence of spice and citrus, that is mildly fruity and creamy.

Mad City Botanical Rum

Mad City Botanical Rum is one of the premium rums enhanced with the taste of botanicals ready to be sipped by gin lovers. What makes Mad City special is the recipe as it is distilled in England with 25 different botanicals that leave it with a magnificent balance of taste and perfection. The botanicals are coffee, ginger root, coriander seed, bitter orange, vetiver root, and several others. The tasting notes of the rum are soft mocha with a hue of citrus and tropical fruits along with vanilla, warm spices, and pecan nuts.

Diplomatico Mantuano

Known as a top-shelf rum, Diplomatico Mantuano is aged for around eight years and made in Venezuela near the sugar processing plants. Being one of the smoothest rums, it is a blend of nutty and buttery overtones with a hint of orange peel. It has the flavor of the oak, spice, and a hint of coffee lingering.

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Aged

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Aged is stored for about 35 years in the casks of different rums and bourbons oak barrels. It is produced by passing in through the Solera method which includes blending and aging. The Venezuelan rum gives off the contemplating taste of caramel, smoky & woody notes with a hint of the oak and dried citrus peel.

Wood’s Old Navy Rum

Wood’s Old Navy Rum is prepared in Guyana (South America) at the Diamond Distillery also known as Demerara Distillers.  It is one of the affordable rums with a magnificent taste of molasses, muscovado sugar, dried fruits, tar, spice, and licorice. The rum is aged for about 3 years or at least 1.5 years and is sold over several European countries.

Doorly’s XO

Doorly’s OX is prepared in Barbados at RL Seale’s Foursquare Distillery. Doorly’s XO is said to be the perfect blend of the ex-Oloroso Casks and sherry casks. This rum has a rich taste of fruit character with notes of toffee, raisins, milk chocolate, and vanilla. It is aged for about six to ten years, and undoubtedly, the best introduction to the collection of old rums.

J Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum

J Wray & Nephew White Overproof is one of the famous rums from Jamaica and is a blend of pot and column distilled rum with powerful aromas. The rum is produced by the distillation process of fermentation of sugarcane molasses and the proprietary house yeast. It has flavors of pineapple, citrus, coconut, and banana.

Plantation Original Dark Rum

Plantation Original Dark Rum is a blend of Jamaica and Barbados. It has notes of plum, vanilla, and banana and is made more flavorful by the maturation and blending process in France. The rum is a result of a blend of different rums that are aged in the ex-bourbon barrels for about three to fifteen years. After the final process of the rum, it also has the spicy notes of clove and cinnamon which makes it a supreme option for cocktails.

Chairman’s Reserve Rum – The Forgotten Casks

One of the smoothest rums to drink is the Chairman’s Reserve Rum – The Forgotten Casks, which originated from St. Lucia. It is also considered one of the best blends in the world as it is blended in the column and pot from the same distillery. The rum is known for its coconut-y taste along with agave and cranberry flavors. It is stored to mature for about seven to ten years in American barrels.

Final Round

There are many great rum options if you’re looking for great sipping rums or once you could mix in with cocktails. If you want to learn about rum, check out our article Does Rum Go Bad After Opening? (How Long It Keeps).