Happy National Rum Day!

It’s August 16th,which is National Rum Day. So instead of posting recipes,I’m going to just talk a little about rum.

First some basics. There are two main branches of rum;rum and rhum agricole. Rum is made from sugar cane that has been processed into molasses,while agricole is made directly from sugar cane that has been pressed. If you see the word ‘rhum’ with an H,it’s usually agricole,but not always. Sometimes they add the H to be fancy or for tradition. Agricole tends to have a super funky ‘grassy’ taste that is much stronger than regular rum. It’s not to everyone’s liking,but I do like it in certain cocktails. There are also rums that are made from things like sugar beets,but they all pretty much suck. Stick to cane rum/rhum and you won’t go wrong. After this,there are numerous sub-categories. The thing is,some rums blur the lines between the categories,and some categories are kinda made up,so I’m just going to do a basic run down instead of dragging you down a rabbit hole.

White rum,also called light rum or silver rum,can be clear(which requires filtering) or have just a bit of goldish tint. It’s light tasting and in Tiki drinks is usually mixed with other spirits or several ingredients. It works well in daiquiris. My preferred light rums are Bacardi Superior(my Kraft MacNCheese rum),Plantation 3 Star,and Probitas.

Gold rum,sometimes called amber rum,is a gold or amber color. It splits the difference between light and dark rums in terms of how heavy the flavor and funk are. I like Bacardi Reserva Ocho and Gran Reserva Diez,which are their 8 and 10yr aged rums.

Dark rum is the most commonly used in Tiki drinks,and can go from a dark amber to brown to almost black. It’s got a lot of flavor and can have some serious funk. My favs are Appleton Signature/8yr/12yr,Plantation Original Dark,English Harbor,and Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. I’m also a fan of Coruba,which many people consider a black rum.

Black rum is not really a category of rum,it’s sort of a created term for really dark rum. It’s heavy and funky and generally mixed instead of sipped. As I like funky rums,I am a fan. While I consider Coruba to be a dark rum,many consider it to be a black rum. I’m also a fan of Hamilton Pot Still Black,which is my go-to black rum. I’m also a fan of Cruzan Black Strap,which is a very molasses forward rum that many consider to be its own category.

Spiced rum,as the name suggests,has spices in it for extra flavoring. It can be light,gold,dark,or black. I’m a fan of Sugar Island(sadly no longer made) and Siesta Key. I also like Kraken Dark Label,which has a vanilla profile that mixes well with soda(I like it,but have never used it in a cocktail).

Demerara rum is only made in Guyana,although there are some rums called Demerara that are blended. The best way to describe it is that it is to rum what stout is to beer. Thick and funky with some sweetness. I’m a big fan of Lemon Hart Original and 151(my go-to 151),as well as Pussers Gunpowder.

Navy rum is 114 proof rum. It had to be this proof so that if the casks leaked,it wouldn’t ruin the gunpowder it was stored with. I like Pussers,Hamilton Navy Grog Blend,and Smith & Cross.

Overproof rums are pretty much anything stronger than Navy rum. My favs are Hamilton Beachbum Zombie Blend,Wray & Nephew,and Plantation OFTD. And of course Lemon Hart 151.

There are also flavored rums,which can be any kind of rum with flavors added. I like Shipwreck and Siesta Key coconut,and Plantation Stiggins pineapple.

Finally,for agricole I like Duquesne Rhum Blanc for light,Rhum Barbancourt 8yr for dark,and Clement Rhum Vieux VSOP for gold.

Well,that’s enough of a text wall,I think I pretty much covered all you really need to know. Stick with my suggestions,and you won’t go wrong.

Cheers!