The Best Ways For Beginners To Identify Quality Rum

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Made from distilled sugarcane, rum has a long history as the backbone of tropical drinks from the Caribbean. There are more than a dozen types of rum, including light, gold, dark, and spiced. There are a range of flavors present as well, so it can be hard for a beginner to know what quality rum should taste like. You could sample multiple kinds and still not know for sure what separates a quality rum from an average one, so why not check in with an expert?

Tasting Table spoke to Katie Stryjewski, the cocktail blogger behind Garnish and author of "Cocktails, Mocktails, and Garnishes from the Garden," to get her opinion on what someone new to rum should look for. "A lot of spiced and flavored rums are heavily sweetened and full of additives, so avoid those if you're looking for a quality rum. Also, any rum that calls itself 'gold' is a bit of a red flag," she said. Rum is naturally clear after distillation, so the gold color comes after. While this could be from aging in oak casks, it may also just be caramel color added to make it look aged. 

To help identify a quality rum, Stryjewski suggested a few additional key indicators. "Look for an age statement and/or place of origin on the label of an aged rum, both of which usually mean it has been held to certain higher standards," she said. Rum doesn't legally have to have an age statement on the bottle, but age could indicate a more mature and developed taste. Likewise, rum distilled in places like Jamaica, Barbados, and Puerto Rico have strict guidelines which may ensure higher quality rum.

Those aren't the only signs of a good rum, either. In fact, one of the most telling signs is also the most blatant. "It may be obvious, but price is usually a good indicator of the quality of the rum you're buying," said Katie Stryjewski. "Rum hasn't experienced the same celebritification as, say, tequila, so it's unusual to shell out a lot of money for a sub-par rum."

Light, or white, rum is often the mildest and easiest to explore for someone unsure of the flavor profile. Dark rum is bolder and richer, and can taste like a completely different drink. But Tasting Table wanted to know if there was a specific flavor note you should look for. "Jamaican rum, for example, is known for its 'hogo' or 'funk,' a flavor that is difficult to describe to someone who hasn't tasted it," said Stryjewski. 

When our taste tester ranked Jamaican rums, they got into detail about "hogo." It's a way to describe the intense flavor that can be reminiscent of overripe or fermented fruit, spices, and other vegetal notes. "Rhum agricole, on the other hand, is lighter and very vegetal in flavor," Stryjewski said. "There's no single flavor profile for a 'good' rum." With that in mind, Stryjewski had some suggestions to get you started if you want to give rum a try for the first time. 

"I would recommend Appleton Estate Reserve or Bacardi Reserva Ocho," she said. "Both are around $30, so they won't break the bank, and they're not difficult to find. They have lovely oak, spice, and vanilla notes that should be familiar to a whiskey drinker, and a lot of natural sweetness for those who don't often sip spirits neat." If you're looking for the best sipping rum for beginners according to an expert, aged rums like Kaniche XO and Plantation OFTD are also recommended.