The 10 Best Sipping Rums to Buy

Rum is one of the best and oldest alcoholic beverages to either have a festive time with your friends or a solo relaxing sip after work. Yes, there are other trendy alcoholic drinks that are out-performing rum in sales such as tequila, seltzers, vodka, whiskey, and cognac. However,  “sipping rums” are becoming more and more popular drink in the USA.

In fact, there are so many YouTube channels that are dedicated to or feature a lot of the best-sipping rums on the shelves such as Just Drinking, Jones N Mann, Rum Raiders, and many more.

Today we are going to take an in-depth look at the best rums to drink straight or to sip. 

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​10. Foursquare Premise 10-Year

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Foursquare Premise is aged in ex-bourbon barrels for three years before being transferred to ex-sherry barrels for an additional seven years. In total, ten years. Foursquare is a combination of rums distilled in a pot and a column. It has a mild, fruity flavor with hints of fortified wine. The vanilla, wood, and subtle slightly peppery spice are adequate to counterbalance and prevent the sherry flavors. 

It allows the rum to have a beautiful balance and the nose with a nice 'depth.' The grapes, both red and white, green apples, a hint of peach, and red berries. Very intuitive yet also quite sophisticated. This is a highly palatable and one of the smoothest sipping rum. You will purchase a bottle, but do not anticipate it will last long. It is one of the best sipping rum.

9. Mount Gay 1703

Mount gay 1703  is a good sipping rum that is a very interesting new addition to Mount Gay. In 1703, it was founded by Master Distiller Allen Smith, the Mount Gay distillery headquartered in Barbados. Between 10 and 30 years have passed since the rums in this blend were created.

Mount Gay is the world's longest continually functioning commercial rum manufacturer. The Mount Gay team suspects that the manufacture took place even earlier, and recently discovered a 1654 deed that could cement the case. Mount Gay now produces most of the rum exported from Barbados.

Mount Gay, like all spirits made in tropical areas, ages roughly three times as quickly as spirits matured in cooler climates. Evaporation loses approximately 10% of aging rum annually. In addition, there is a significant amount of rum maturing in Mount Gay's four warehouses. Drink this rum neat or on the rocks, but you will savor every minute of it. 

8. Ron Zacapa 23 Solera

A fantastic rum — it was awarded a Platinum medal and was ranked first by the famous Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, scoring a whopping 97 points. With the introduction of Diageo as the distributor of Zacapa, the rums utilized are aged between 6 and 23 years old and are mixed in a solera. 

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It has been named the greatest rum in the world for five consecutive years, making it the ideal present for rum fans and enthusiasts.

Zacapa Rum is matured to perfection in the highlands of Quetzaltenango, in the House above the Clouds, at 2,300 m. The honeyed butterscotch, spiced fruit, and raisin fruit flavors are exquisitely complex, demonstrating the sophistication of the distillation technique used to create it. Light mahogany in color, with the tones of extended barrel aging at the rim and long, languid legs clinging to the glass, this artisan rum is made in small batches.

7. Bacardi 8 Rum

BACARDI Reserva Ocho was initially developed in 1862 and remained for seven generations the exclusive possession of the Bacardi family. This golden good sipping rum is one of the world's oldest private rum mixes, having been created more than a century ago. Because each batch is aged for at least 8 years, it has a refined flavor with flavors of prune, apricot, nutmeg, and vanilla that is unique to this brand. It's best enjoyed straight-up or over ice.

It also offers a great taste for any dark rum beverage, like an old-fashioned rum. BACARDI 8-Year Old Rum is a well-balanced golden rum. The aroma of the fruits, spices, and vanilla is rich, complex, and soft makes it the best sipping rum in the world.

6. Kirk & Sweeney Rum 12 Year

This rum is worth to be followed in the spirit of the runner-up goalkeeper Kirk and Sweeney. Kirk and Sweeney are made with sugar cane and matured in oak tanks for 12 years, showing a rich color, seamlessly capturing a variety of nuanced tastes from earthy sugar cane to dried fruit, vanilla, and toasted wood.

Little vanilla flavoring, and the ideal amount of sugar to make it a delicious treat. This rum has not been sweetened (seasoned) after distillation, which allows you to appreciate its natural flavor, which is not too sweet like so many other rums. Truly excellent in every way.

One of the smoothest sipping rum that is light, and sumptuous. Its light profile holds up to or exceeds the quality and memorability of even the most costly rums on the market in terms of both flavor and quality retention. Because of its smooth balance, and superb flavor profile, it makes all other rums look like amateurs.

5. Bumbu XO Rum

Bumbu XO rum is made and aged in Panama, then finished in ex-bourbon barrels. Your nose will be full of scents of fruit, vanilla, toffee, and toasty spices. Aromas of rich raisins, zesty orange, and bitter coffee mingle with caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak on the palate. The finish is long and dry. A sipping rum that has been aged in ex-Bourbon barrels for up to 18 years to achieve a nicely balanced flavor.  

Made with the finest locally grown sugarcane picked by the master distiller from the top growers in Panama, this rum contains no artificial colors or flavors. Only the finest sugarcane, spring water, and oak are used. Toffee and toasted oak aromas give way to subtle vanilla, citrus zest, and peppery spice notes.

4. Appleton Estate 12 year

Appleton Estate has been in continuous operation since 1749, making it the refined and seasoned older woman of the Jamaican rum industry. To create their 12-year-old Jamaican rum, master blender Joy Spence selected casks aged for a minimum of 12 years before selecting them in the cask. Bottled at 43% abv and without added sugar, flavorings, or adulterants, as with other Appleton rums.

You'll be greeted with the scents of caramel, coffee, leather, banana, and orange zest, which will delicately tickle your nose. Initially, there is an unexpected suggestion of fruity pot still stick on the palate, which is then covered by dark chocolate and hazelnut flavors. 

The 43 percent is incredibly full-bodied and drinks like something much more concentrated. Along with the usual vanilla, the time in oak has generated a strong spice character that complements the nutty chocolate aromas. The finish is lengthy and full-bodied, with a hint of bitter coffee.

3. Flor de Caña 12 Year Old

Made in Nicaragua using locally grown sugar cane molasses and matured for 12 years in ex-Bourbon barrels, this rum is a unique blend of flavors. This rum is considered to be one of the world's best-kept secrets. If you have some decent quality chocolate, we recommend trying it straight up! It will be one of the best rums to drink straight.

This Rum is unquestionably one of the greatest spirits available. It originates not in a Caribbean island, but in Nicaragua, a Central American country. The name translates as "sugar cane blossom," and it does certainly have a delicious scent. 

It should go without saying that anything older than 12 years is intended to be consumed neat, rather than mixed with other spirits. 

2. Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

It is made up of an exceptional blend of rum reserves that have been aged for up to twelve years and were meticulously selected by the Master Blenders to create Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. 

Combining a distinctive body with exceptional balance has established this multi-award-winning rum as a global standard for connoisseurs and fans of fine spirits. It begins with orange peel, toffee, and licorice scents and finishes with toffee fudge notes that provide a sensual, long-lasting finish.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusive is a stylish-looking rum from Venezuela. It has a molasses-based rum that is distilled with copper pot silks and matured in barrels of whisky. Best enjoyed neat or over ice, but also makes for an excellent bottle to have on hand when rum cocktails are on the schedule. 

If you're feeling extra adventurous, replace the whiskey in a Manhattan with Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva. It performs admirably. This fantastic rum won a Gold Medal at the Ybor City International Sugar Cane Spirits Tasting Competition.

1. El Dorado 12-Year

El Dorado is 12-year-old rum at its finest. In the first ten years, this rum was awarded seven gold medals at the Caribbean Rum Taste Test in London. The distillery consists of nine stills, and it is centered on Coffey still rum and double pot rum.

A sophisticated, multi-award-winning rum. Aromas of tropical fruit and spices, with undertones of honey and black sugar, greet the senses. A full-bodied palate brimming with fruit and spice flavors.

The scent is big, inviting, and nuanced, with notes of prune, raisin, honey, clove, and nutmeg. The mouthfeel is full but delicate, with layers of flavor following the fragrance thanks to the addition of treacle and aged marmalade. The mouthfeel is smooth and soft, and the density and silky flow are excellent. A subtle wood note and juicy tropical notes arise. The finish is lengthy and lovely.