The Best Rums To Sip Neat, According to Bartenders

Worthy Park Madeira Cask

Kyle Rioux is a beverage consultant and the program creator at Tiki Kai, a new bar in Hermosa Beach, California. He calls Worthy Park Madeira Cask his “favorite pound-for-pound sipping rum.” It comes from the only single-estate distillery in Jamaica, so everything is done on Worthy Park’s own land. “The quality of molasses they’re using is finely controlled because they’re growing the sugar themselves,” he says. The rum is aged for eight years in ex-bourbon barrels and then spends another two years in Madeira casks. 

“My hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has the [most densely concentrated] Portuguese population anywhere in America, so I grew up around the flavors I find in this specific rum,” says Rioux. “Things like coriander and bright orange jump out on the palate for me. Indicative of Jamaican rum, this pot-still carries big, bold flavors and an incredible aroma that sings of almond and vanilla from the barrel.”

Privateer Queen’s Share 4 Year

Another Rioux favorite hails from Ipswich, Massachusetts. It’s helped to restore the legacy of New England rum, one of America’s first independent industries that dates to colonial days. Rioux says that Privateer re-distills the “seconds,” the part of the spirit between the heart and the tails, a process more common in Cognac production. “Coming in at cask strength, this bottle begs to be sipped slow and savored,” as he says it offers baking spices like nutmeg alongside soft floral notes. “If you can’t find the Queen’s Share 4 Year, the Queen’s Share base model is also fully worth a trip around the block.”

Rhum J.M. Terroir Volcanique

Rolón is a big fan of Rhum J.M. Terroir Volcanique, a blend of three-year-old rums from Martinique that are married and aged to capture the island’s volcanic terroir. “This is a great sipping rum,” says Rolón. “It has a bit of funk, but [it] isn’t overwhelming for someone new to the category.”

Holmes Cay Belize 2006

Holmes Cay sources and bottles unique, limited-release rums from around the world. Rolón loves its Belize 2006 bottling, a 16-year-old, single-origin rum that was aged in bourbon barrels and bottled at 61% ABV. It’s full of stone fruits, caramel, and vanilla. “They do great stuff,” he says. If you can’t find this particular bottle, he suggests to look for other rums that Holmes Cay has bottled from Australia and Panama.

Ron Barceló Imperial

Ron Barceló Imperial is the only Dominican rum produced with 100% sugar cane juice from its own plantation, says Willy Mesa, beverage director at Las’ Lap Miami. He says it has aromas of bitter cream, dried cherries, intense vanilla, pineapple jam, and caramelized nuts, with a “medium and exuberant body with great depth and balance.” 

Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve

Mesa also gives a nod to Worthy Park. He says that this single-estate rum is distilled entirely in copper pot stills, which gives it a heavy body. “Each step in the distillation process is measured and evaluated to ensure consistency and quality,” he says. Mesa calls out flavors of light vanilla and tropical fruits, with a buttery and creamy texture. 

Planteray Sealander

To make Sealander, Planteray selected rums from three different islands and shipped them off on an ocean voyage for a second maturation before they were blended together. “I think that this is a bottle that satisfies experienced rum drinkers and people just entering the category,” says Daniel Johnson, beverage director of Ma Der Lao Kitchen and Bar Sen in Oklahoma City. It’s 40% ABV and has a little dosage, so it’s more approachable than many of its overproof counterparts, he says. 

“The rum from Barbados contributes a rich, round body, while the rum from Fiji adds a lighter fruit component,” says Johnson. “What makes this rum special to me are the intriguing green, grassy, and almost tarragon/anise flavors that the spirit from Mauritius contributes.” Overall, he says the rum balances approachability and intrigue, and it gives drinkers a compelling narrative, all at an accessible price.

El Dorado 15 Year

“For me, a good sipping rum is all about a balance of smoothness and complexity,” says Joao Diniz, head bartender at Moon in Houston. Diniz looks for rums that balance their alcohol content and have bold flavors that can stand on their own. “A bottle I always reach for is the El Dorado 15-year rum, which has heavy brown sugar, vanilla, and coffee notes,” he says.