This is part [4/9] of the Rum Home Bar series, focused on helping you stock a thorough and versatile collection of rums for your home bar to maximize your home mixology and tiki adventures! These parts are presented in descending order of importance (in my opinion), so make sure you have 1 before 2, 2 before 3, and onwards!
4 | Aged (Sipping) Rum
Aged rum? Ok, a lot of rum is aged, but specifically for this category I’m referring to longer-aged rums that are generally a bit more nuanced and complex due to extra time spent in the barrel and thus more fitting to be sipped (as opposed to mixed) in order to detect and appreciate those flavors. These types of rums are often marketed as “premium rums.”
The problem with that category is that for whatever reason (consumer tastes, maybe), many of these “premium rums” have a lot of added sugar. Even brands that have limited sugar in their younger products end up adding more sugar in their top-of-the-line premium products.
Now, even though the sweetened rums can be delicious and appreciated, I believe it’s important to really familiarize yourself with *true* rum so you know what rum actually tastes like. After that, you can decide which you prefer and drink what you enjoy. (BTW, I *highly* recommend picking up some of these Glencairn glasses to sip your spirits from…total game changer and very affordable on Amazon or your home goods store)
Bottles to Consider
(none have added sugar)
- Real McCoy 12
- Doorly’s 12
- Anything from Foursquare
- Mount Gay XO or 1703
- Appleton Rare Blend or 21 Year
Next rum style to stock: 5| Black (Dark) Rum