Rum isn’t a mystery. Even alcohol newbies know that rum is a spirit made from fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses or juice. Obviously, after distillation, the spirit is clear. It’s then often matured in oak barrels. And while this is all basic knowledge, what do you know about spiced rum? What’s the deal with this mysterious, spicy rum style?
What is spiced rum?
There’s a chance you’ve never even wondered what spiced rum is. That is until right now. If you’re scratching your head now, we’re here to help. In the simplest terms, spiced rum is a form of rum that is matured in barrels and infused with various spices, including cinnamon, allspice, cloves, vanilla beans, and more.
While you can enjoy spiced rum neat or on the rocks, it’s most often used as a base or an ingredient in a cocktail. Popular spiced rum cocktails include the iconic Dark ‘N Stormy, Painkiller, Cuba Libre, and more.
The best spiced rums
Now that you have learned the basics of spiced rum, it’s time to actually find some to add to your home bar cart for sipping and mixing. Below, you’ll find our picks for the best, most flavorful, balanced spiced rums available today.
Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum
Rum drinkers know about the quality of Chairman’s Reserve’s aged rums. However, they can also look to the Saint Lucia-based brand for an excellent spiced rum. Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum is flavored with a blend of Caribbean spices. This includes bitter orange, nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon. It gets additional unique aromas and flavors by using a Caribbean bark extract called Bois Bandé.
Tasting notes: The nose is a mix of vanilla beans, cinnamon candy, oak, nutmeg, and candied orange peels. Sipping it leads to a mix of toasted coconut, caramel, banana, clove, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long, warming, and loaded with island spices.
Bayou Spiced Rum
You don’t have to go to the Caribbean to find a great bottle of spiced rum. This Louisiana-made spiced rum is rested for up to 30 days with Creole spices, including vanilla, cinnamon, and sweet figs. This award-winning rum is perfect for sipping neat, on the rocks, or mixed into your favorite cocktail.
Tasting notes: The nose is a mix of ripe bananas, cinnamon candy, and vanilla bean. The palate is swirling with notes of maple candy, bananas, clove, vanilla beans, cracked black pepper, and allspice. The finish is warming and pleasantly spicy.
Don Q Oak Barrel Spiced Rum
This isn’t your average spiced rum. It begins with a blend of rums that have all been matured for at least three full years in white oak barrels. It’s then spiced with a variety of ingredients, including vanilla, cinnamon, and more. Overall, it’s a slow-sipping spiced rum you’ll prefer to drink neat or on the rocks on a chilly evening.
Tasting notes: This Puerto Rican rum begins with a nose of nutmeg, cinnamon, charred oak, toffee, and vanilla beans. You’ll find notes of toasted coconut, oaky wood, vanilla, caramelized sugar, pepper, and cinnamon on the palate. The finish is a warming mix of spice and sweetness.
Foursquare Spiced Rum
Foursquare is one of the most respected names in the rum world. It shouldn’t surprise you that this award-winning brand makes a solid spiced rum. Made in Barbados, this is a classic spiced rum that begins as aged rum flavored with a mix of island spices to create a complex, unique, very flavorful rum.
Tasting notes: Nosing it before your first sip reveals the scents of mint leaves, nutmeg, fruit cake, candied orange peel, and gentle island spices. Sipping it reveals caramel apples, ginger candy, orange peels, butterscotch, and warming spices. The finish is long, linger, warming, and ends with a spicy kick.
Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
There aren’t many spiced rums more well-known than Sailor Jerry. Named for famed tattoo artist Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, it’s flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and other notable spices. Well-known as a favorite for bartenders, it’s a great bottle to have on your home bar for mixing and rainy-day sipping.
Tasting notes: A lot is happening with this spiced rum’s nose. There are hints of ginger candy, dried fruits, cinnamon, toasted vanilla beans, and cracked black pepper. On the palate, you’ll be greeted with flavors like raisins, candied orange peels, vanilla, candied pecans, cracked black pepper, and oak. The finish is sweet and spicy and leaves you wanting more.
