8 Different Types of Rum to Try from Sendgifts

How familiar are you with rum? Rum is often misunderstood, despite its great appeal. Rum was once even used as currency by sailors and pirates.

Rum is a full-bodied spirit with a rich history. Furthermore, rum is a highly versatile liquor that has some rich, nuanced flavor profiles. You can enjoy it neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail, or with soda of your choice. Rum is still produced worldwide. It is less regulated and controlled in certain countries than other types of spirits due to its buccaneering roots.

We have a wide selection of fine rums at Sendgifts. Get your order delivered right to your door from our extensive rum collection.

Learn more about the various types of rum in the following article.

The different types of rum

As rum-making tradition varies from region to region, there are a wide variety of rums available.

French Rum

A French rum is made in former French territories, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Haiti and dominated by the Rhum Agricole style.

The most common substance used to make rhum is sugar cane juice. Therefore, it tastes more earthy than molasses-based rums, which tend to taste more sweet. Prior to consumption, Rhum Agricole must be aged for a minimum of three months according to regulations.

Spanish Rum

Spanish-style rum comes from islands and countries once controlled by Spain. Additionally, Puerto Rico and Cuba produce the most light rum in the world.

Typically, Spanish-style rum is made with molasses sugar as a base. In spite of the fact that most Spanish-style rum is light, there are many regional variations. As an example, the Canary Islands produce a honey-flavored molasses rum, which is much darker than Spanish-speaking rums.

English Rum

In the West Indies, the British territories played an important role in the production, popularization, and use of English rum.

The English rum usually has a darker color and is based on molasses. In addition to spiced rums, the British West Indies is known for over proof rums.

The British West Indies also have a fair amount of rum variation. Barbados rums, for example, are often mixed with column stills to create a balanced, medium-bodied flavor. In contrast, Jamaican rum tends to have a more intense, fruity, and full-bodied flavor profile. Fermentation periods are often longer and have some similarities to sour mash whiskey where the bottom still sediment goes into the following batches.

Another famous rum region is Demera in Guyana. El Dorada rum is one of the world’s most famous brands of rum, produced at one distillery in the area.

White Rum

White and light rums are often criticized for being unmatured and lacking in nuance. However, this isn’t the case with all white rums.

A majority of light rums spend at least three years in oak barrels before being bottled. They gain a golden color as a result of this process. Rum undergoes a charcoal filtering process after it has been aged. This removes the pigment and leaves it with a clear hue.

Cheaper white rums aren’t aged well, which is why it has a reputation of being of low quality. Nevertheless, if you treat yourself to a good white rum, you might be surprised at how rich the flavor is.

Puerto Rico white rum, for example, has a pleasingly sweet and mellow flavor. This is one reason why you’ll often find them in tropical cocktail recipes, such as daiquiris and mojitos.

Gold Rum

There is a common misconception that the darker a rum is, the longer it will age. While this isn’t always true, it can be a general indicator of aging.

Real gold rum does not differ from this rule of thumb. Despite its lack of strength, gold rum tends to have more flavor than lighter rums. Medium-bodied, with gentle aging, it is a crowd favorite.

Dark/Aged Rum

A distiller can remove pigments from rum to make it clear, as well as add pigments to darken it. Because of this, not all dark rums are actually well-aged. Dark rums are also sometimes confused with black rums or blackstraps. These contain additional molasses and are a lot sweeter than true dark rum. They’re best suited to dark and stormy cocktails.

The term dark rum, however, is traditionally associated with aged rum. A good dark rum will have a maturation period listed on its label.

It is best to enjoy dark rum neat, since they have exceptionally deep, complex flavor profiles. Using a fine dark rum in a cocktail will dilute and obscure the flavor.

Spiced Rum

Even though spiced rum isn’t a favorite of rum connoisseurs, occasional drinkers enjoy it. Over 55% of rums sold today are spiced and flavored.

A lot of spiced rums are cheaper and of lower quality in the market. Still, there are some excellent spiced rums out there.

Most often, distilleries will start with light rum as a base, and then add various spices, including clove, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, and rosemary.

Flavored Rum

Another popular choice is flavored rum. Several flavored rums are sold today that aren’t actually rums. Instead, they are rum-based liqueurs. Most coconut and pineapple rums are like this. For a true coconut rum, we recommend Koloa Kauai Coconut Rum. It is a beautifully nuanced, highly-mixable 80-proof rum made with water from Mount Waialeale in Hawaii.