The life of a pirate isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Sure, the prospect of years at sea beats hammering away at a keyboard under strip lighting. Plus, who wouldn’t want to give swashbuckling a proper go?
But the (rather too literal) cut-throat politics, appalling dental hygiene and possibility of being marooned on a desert island have, hitherto, steered us clear of the marauding career path. Sorry Jack Sparrow.
The one thing we can get on board with? The rum-drinking part.
What is rum made from?
The spirit is made exclusively from sugarcane - raw cane juice, cane syrup, cane sugar and cane molasses. Geographically, it’s most associated with the Caribbean where it’s cheap to make with sugar production off-cuts. Rum is also deeply rooted in the region’s culture, with the earliest record of it dating back to Barbados in 1647 when it went by the moniker ‘Rumbullion’.
What spices are used in spiced rum?
Rum, being made of sugar cane derivatives, is naturally sweet, so slinging in ingredients like cinnamon, peppercorn, ginger, clove and dried fruit offers balance. Spiced rum is generally dark, a result of a longer ageing process. Dark spiced rums showcase pronounced flavours as a result.
Who makes the most rum?
It’s natural to think it’s the Caribbean. From Barbados, Martinique and Cuba, to Jamaica, Antigua and Trinidad, island nations in the region have their own proud and special blend of the good stuff.
But they haven’t got the monopoly - the Philipines also produce rum. According to Statista, Filipino brand Tanduay sold 23.4m cases of their rum in 2023, making them the world’s leading producer at the time of publishing.
What cocktails can you make with rum?
Some of the best concoctions on any bar menu start with a measure of rum. We’re talking holiday-transporting drinks like Mai Tai, Dark & Stormy, Cuba Libre, Daiquiri, Mojitos and more.
Is rum just for summer drinking?
Absolutely not. The spirit can be enjoyed all year round; if you want a taste of Christmas outside December, try a measure of spiced rum with ginger ale: instant festive feels.
The spirit fares well in warm weather and doesn’t need to be chilled to be served. Well, what would you expect from a spirit birthed in the tropics?
Find the best bottles of spiced rum for your galleon below.
Tanduay Especia Spiced Rum
From the world’s biggest rum producer, Tanduay comes this spiced rum, aged in oak barrels for extra smoky flavour. Especia is made from a blend of rums to produce a spirit brimming with complex flavours - expect warming notes of honey, cinnamon, caramel, vanilla, almond and gingerbread.
Buy now £29.25, The Whisky Exchange
Eminente Reserva seven-year-old Cuban rum 700ml
If you’re looking for a special spiced rum for celebrating or gifting, you could do worse than this bottle from Eminente. The Cuban company themed this serve on the apex predator as its distillery sits on a crocodile-shaped island, which explains the lavish bottle. Thankfully, the theme ends there: the spirit tastes nothing like the reptile. Instead, prepare to swarm your tastebuds in notes of vanilla, coffee, smoke and unrefined cane sugar.
Buy now £59.99, Selfridges
Kraken Black Spiced Rum 70cl
Named after the legendary sea beast, a bottle of Kraken is straight out of a pirate’s playbook, from the Victorian flagon-style bottle to the beautifully illustrated label. Just like its namesake, the spirit within is dark, bold and dangerous - well, dangerously good, that is. Expect rich, smooth flavour, lifted by secret spices that the company has sworn never to reveal.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
Mermaid Spiced Rum
If you’ve got a thing for gin, you’ve probably spied Mermaid Gin before - those beautiful Venetian glass bottles are kind of hard to miss. Now the Isle of Wight-based distillery has expanded into spiced rum and we couldn’t be happier.
This version is made from Caribbean rum before being blended with fruit and spices plucked from the Isle and finished with a brace of sea salt.
Buy now £41.00, Amazon
The Duppy Share Spiced Rum
Caribbean spirit sings from this bottle by The Duppy Share, namely from Jamaica and Barbados. The winner of a Great Taste Award, this spirit is packed with notes of pineapple, kola nut and spices from the sunshine islands. It’s made for stealing the show at happy hour, shining best in cocktails.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum
Say hello to a rum on a mission. Hawksbill is so named for the turtle species it looks to protect - 10 per cent of profits go towards Caribbean conservation projects. As if that alone isn’t money well spent, the spirit is a delight too, with a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, raisin, cardamom and sea salt swimming magnificently together. Muddle with ginger ale or cola for refreshment at any time of year.
For the adventurous, there’s also a mango-spiced version for extra tropical fruity flavour.
Buy now £23.00, Amazon
BACARDÍ Reserva 8 Year Old
If there’s one thing Bacardi knows how to make, it’s rum. The Cuban company has been producing the spirit since 1862 and today is one of the best-known rum makers in the world, offering light, dark and spiced varieties to the masses.
If it’s spiced that’s caught your thirst, the eight-year-old Reserva is a drop of something really special. The golden spirit is made with an old family recipe before spending eight years ageing in oak barrels underneath the intense heat of the Caribbean sun. A serve reveals sweet syrupy notes along with banana and oak from its wooden containers It would be criminal to mix this with anything else, pour yourself a measure and enjoy it neat.
Buy now £31.00, Amazon
Captain Morgan Spiced Gold Rum, 70 cl
A familiar bottle on any self-respecting bartender’s shelf, who doesn’t adore a drop of Captain Morgan now and again?
Based on a real-life seafarer (Sir Henry Morgan who lived in the 1600s), the Spiced Gold variety is probably one of its best-known offerings. Fans love it for its sweet and gently spiced taste which can be elevated with fiery ginger beer or ale.
Buy now £15.00, Amazon
CUT RUM Spiced, 70cl
Made with all-natural ingredients, this Trinidad and Tobago rum comes from an award-winning Jamaican distillery - and one sip proves why. The premium spirit sings with spice by way of aniseed, nutmeg, ginger, coriander seed and more, with vanilla pods offering a cushioning sweetness. It’s ideal over rocks or mixed into a rum cocktail.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
Dead Man's Fingers Spiced Rum, 70cl
Despite the macabre name - who really wants to find fingers, dead or alive, in their drink? - this Cornish spiced rum is among the most popular in the UK. It stays on the sweet side with spice coming from cinnamon and nutmeg and is best experienced in a Bloody Death cocktail, a spin on the classic Bloody Mary.
Buy now £16.20, Amazon
Rumbullion! - Magnum
What’s better than a standard bottle of rum? A magnum, obviously.
Going by its vintage name of Rumbullion, this 1.5L bottle is designed to look like it’s time-travelled straight out of the 17th century and onto your drinks shelf. There’s flavour here by the treasure chest-load, from Madagascan vanillas and orange peel to clove and cardamom. It’s the perfect thing to have at a party, particularly suited to making cocktails. Happy hour starts here.
Buy now £83.95, Master of Malt
Las Olas Spiced Rum
Rum is a great alternative to give to a party host and Las Olas certainly looks the part. The premium spirit is made from unaged pot still Jamaican & Bajan white rums that come together in a fiery finish.
Buy now £35.00, Amazon
