celebrating national rum month
Award-winning rum blends to sip and savor
A snapshot of the history and complexity of rum through the lens of some of our favorite rum spirits.
DISCOVER YOUR PERFECT RUM
There are several distinct styles of rums blended around the world. Explore the map below to find your favorite and learn more about what makes each style unique.
Spanish Style Rums
Spanish is the largest and best-known variety, hailing from rum-famous locations like Puerto Rico, Cuba and Venezuela. It’s derived from molasses and almost always column distilled and filtered with charcoal. Spanish rum is probably the most diverse category, with flavour profiles ranging from light and smooth to dark and sultry
COUNTRIES THAT PRODUCE THIS STYLE OF RUM
Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama
HAVANA CLUB
ANEJO CLASICO
AGING: Up to 3 years
COLOR: Golden
TASTING NOTES
Pineapple and apricot layered with hints of oak, almond and vanilla
PAIRS WELL WITH
Caribbean dishes, smoky glaze of BBQ ribs and blackened fish or chicken
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Rum Punch, Mixed with Cola or other sodas, Lemon, Cuba Libre
HAVANA CLUB
ANEJO BLANCO
AGING: 1 year
COLOR: Silver
TASTING NOTES
Notes of pineapple and banana and hints of vanilla and oak
PAIRS WELL WITH
Sharply flavoured rum cocktails made with lime such as classic daiquiris and mojitos are perfect pairings for seafood. Think shrimp/prawns, fish tacos and raw fish preparations such as ceviche.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
BACARDÍ
AÑEJO CUATRO
AGING: 4 years
COLOR: Gold
TASTING NOTES
Notes of mild vanilla, toasted oak, clove and honey with a smooth finish.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Brie, Grilled Vegetables, Grilled Chicken and Pork, honeyed nuts and fruit jams.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
On the Rocks or Mule.
BACARDÍ
RESERVA OCHO
AGING: 8 years
COLOR: Dark Gold
TASTING NOTES
Deep, layered and mellow flavor of dried fruits, spices and oaky vanilla.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Beef: roast/grilled/smoked. Lamb, Chevre, Aged Chedder, charcoal grilled seasoned vegtables, Latin Caribbean or Filipino rasted Lechon.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Neat or on the rocks.
BACARDÍ
GRAN RESERVA DIEZ
AGING: 10 years
COLOR: Dark Gold
TASTING NOTES
Bright notes of stone fruits, banana and pear balanced with caramelized vanilla and oak.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Sushi, Fried or grilled white fish gouda, Havarti, roasted nuts, pork belly, mild chocolate, dried stone fruits.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Neat.
THE FACUNDO RUM COLLECTION
FACUNDO NEO
AGING: 8 years
COLOR: Silver
TASTING NOTES
Notes of vanilla, roasted almonds, and sugarcane on a long, lush finish.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Seafood. Think shrimp/prawns, fish tacos and raw fish preparations such as ceviche.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Try it in a Neo-groni.
THE FACUNDO RUM COLLECTION
FACUNDO EXIMO
AGING: 10 years
COLOR: Dark Gold
TASTING NOTES
Notes of dark vanilla, smoke, and tobacco, EXIMO’s dark notes and rich finish.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Steak, burger or, again, American-style barbecue. Dark rum loves brisket.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Best enjoyed neat but works very nicely in a modern old fashioned.
THE FACUNDO RUM COLLECTION
FACUNDO EXQUISITO
AGING: 21 years
COLOR: Dark Gold
TASTING NOTES
Notes of dates and figs lead the nose to a palate of dried dark fruits, maple, smoke, and undertones of Jerez.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Steak, burger or, again, American-style barbecue. Dark rum loves brisket.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Best enjoyed neat or with a piece of high-density ice.
THE FACUNDO RUM COLLECTION
FACUNDO PARAISO
AGING: 23 years
COLOR: Dark Gold
TASTING NOTES
On the nose there are hints of crème Brule, raisins, and dried oak. On the palate, the rum comes to life with a rich front palate, balanced mid palate, and a warm and dry finish.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Great pairing for dark chocolate bars and brownies but think of them too with desserts or cakes with dried fruits such as raisins (an extra shot with some rum and raisin ice cream would be delicious or try rum instead of sherry with the Christmas cake). bananas foster or banana tarte tatin and with pineapple upside down cake.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Neat.
SANTA TERESA 1796 SOLERA RUM
SANTA TERESA RUM
AGING: from 4 to 35 years (solera)
COLOR: Dark Gold
TASTING NOTES
Notes of oak, vanilla, and leather while the palate delivers dark chocolate, honey, prunes and a finish of black pepper, cinnamon, and walnuts.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Steak, burger or, again, American-style barbecue. Dark rum loves brisket.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
On the rocks or ideal as a Rum Old Fashioned with your favorite aromatic bitters.
English Style Rums
English rum nearly always uses molasses as its base and is distilled in a single pot still. The result is a full-bodied spirit that is dark and rich in color and offers a funkier taste of profile than other rum classifications. Think of English rum as what you’d get in Jamaica, Barbados, or St. Lucia.
COUNTRIES THAT PRODUCE THIS STYLE OF RUM
Jamaica, Anguilla, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad & Tabago, St. Lucia, Bermuda, Antigua
BANKS RUM
BANKS 5 YEAR ISLAND BLEND
AGING: up to 12 years
COLOR: Silver
TASTING NOTES
Notes of coconuts and ripe melon, along with tropical fruits, green tea, and banana on the palate.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Range of Caribbean dishes, especially jerk chicken. smoky glaze of barbecued ribs and blackened fish or chicken. Or simply nibble some plantain or breadfruit crisps with it.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Enjoy it in a Five Island Flamingo.
BANKS RUM
BANKS 7 YEAR GOLDEN AGE
AGING: up to 7 years
COLOR: Golden
TASTING NOTES
Notes of papaya, roasted banana, and almonds lead to a flavor of passionfruit and a buttery nuttiness on the palate.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Caribbean dishes, smoky glasze of BBQ ribs and blackened fish or chicken.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Try it in a Goldie Oldie.
PYRAT RUM
PYRAT XO RESERVE
AGING: up to 16 years
COLOR: Gold
TASTING NOTES
Caramel, honey, molasses, and orange peel. The palate is delicate and smooth, almost sweet, with hints of fresh spices.
PAIRS WELL WITH
Spiced, Caribbean dishes, chicken satay, seafood like ceviche. Jerk chicken, fried seafood, barbecue ribs.
PERFECT FOR THESE COCKTAILS
Neat on the rocks, or old fashioned
French Style Rums
If you’ve sipped rum in countries like Martinique and Haiti, then you’re familiar with the French variety. French rum, also called Rhum, is derived from fresh sugar cane juice or even beet sugar rather than cooked syrup or molasses. You’ll find it has a flavor profile that’s grassier and greener than other types.
We can’t leave behind another popular distillate made from the cane juice, cachaça and this one can only be made in Brazil. Cachaça is best known as the base of the Caipirinha cocktail, which is a great way to introduce yourself to the category.
COUNTRIES THAT PRODUCE THIS STYLE OF RUM
Martinique, Haiti
COUNTRIES THAT PRODUCE SUGAR CANE DISTILLATES
Brazil with cachaça
what is rum?
It Begins with sugarcane
Rum is defined as alcohol distilled from sugar. Sounds simple enough, but this centuries-old spirit is actually one of the most complex in the world. Produced using sugar in forms ranging from cane to molasses, the rum category spans so much more than just light and dark. From premium liquor aged for the better part of a decade or more to creative, fruit-flavored infusions, it’s a spirit that’s just as at home in a smoky cigar lounge as it is at a swim-up pool bar.
RUM IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX CENTURIES-OLD SPIRITS IN THE WORLD
background and history
A Smooth
Spirit with a Long Heritage
The first documented rum distillery was built in the Caribbean in the mid-seventeenth century, making it the first spirit in the world to be commercially distilled. From there, the category has continued to expand and diversify, and today, rum is produced in more than 80 countries. It’s classified into three types based on the language spoken in the place where it’s made: English, French and Spanish.
This photo taken at the Bacardi factory, circa 1910
Fermentation
The rum-making process begins with fermentation, where all those robust flavors and aromas start to build. Yeast combines with sugar, which yields three products: alcohol, heat, carbon dioxide.
Distillation
Next, the alcohol is extracted and distilled in one of three ways: using pot stills, column stills, or a combination of the two. Pot stills, alse called batch stills, are the traditional method, while modern column stills bring more precision and scalability to the process. Any combination of the two results a unique profile that contributes to the complexity of the spirit.
Maturation
After distillation, rum is transferred to oak barrels, where it ages for as long as a decade or more. The specific wood from which the barrels are made, as well as duration of maturation, greatly influence the end product. Maturation times vary based on climatic conditions; in tropical areas rum will typically ade roughly 10% faster than spirits coming from regions that aren’t as hot and humid.
Finishing
Last comes finishing, when rum is filtered to remove any remaining by products, then blended to create a consistent product throughout the entire batch. It rests in large stainless steel tanks, where the flavors integrate and volatile compounds evaporate. Purified water is added to dilute the rum down to the desired bottling strength, which usually falls between 40 and 50% ABV, before it is fully proofed. Finally, natural colorings and flavorings can be added (if desired) before the rum is bottled
