Contents
Briefly about the drink
Dark or black rum – authentic alcohol that is aged in charred barrels for at least 3 years. It is characterized by a rich dark or brown-amber color. This rum is more often drunk in its pure form, but it is also suitable for cocktails.
Types of dark rum
Spiced rum
Rum with various additives, including spices and even coconut flakes. Usually it is inexpensive and only because of its color it belongs to dark rum. You can read more about this type of rum here.
Dark (negro, dark, black)
Differs in thick taste and rich aroma. It is distilled in copper cubes twice. Then he goes to ripen in baked oak barrels. The process takes at least three years.
Aged (rhum vieux or premium aged)
These are serious varieties that have been in barrels for 5 to 12 years. The process of their production is close to the noble whiskey and cognac. Distillation takes place in copper alambics, and oak barrels add richness and nobility to the rum.
Singles (single mark rum)
These varieties are bottled from one barrel and are of particular value. Often, such rum falls from the barrel directly into the bottles, without averaging the strength and, of course, without blending.
How to drink dark rum?
Alcohol of famous brands should be drunk clean after eating at room temperature.
It is permissible to add ice or chilled whiskey stones to black rum.
Due to the very rich aroma and taste, it is permissible to dilute the drink with a small amount of mineral water.
For cocktails, it is better to use cheaper dark rum, unless a specific brand is prescribed in the recipe.
dark rum cocktail recipes
How to distinguish a bad dark rum?
There are no artificial colors in true dark rum, if it is in the composition, you should refuse to buy. However, please note that the presence of color is acceptable (in elite drinks it is not).
It is also worth abandoning domestic producers of dark rum.
9 Best Dark Rum Brands
Zacapa 23
The very dark rum with which you should start your acquaintance. This rum, crafted by hand in Guatemala, is the ideal in its class. Aged from 6 to 23 years at an altitude of 2300 meters above sea level, Zacapa is full of warming aromas of raisins and baking spices.
Average price: $46
Diplomatic Reserva Exclusiva
Venezuelan rum is made from distilled molasses in copper stills and then aged for 12 years. With a rich, juicy taste of dried fruit and caramel, it’s no surprise that this rum is one of the highest rated bottles on the market.
Average price: $39
Gosling’s Black Seal
Rum is native to Bermuda with a long history dating back to 1858. The distillation process uses continuous stills to add flavor and sophistication to every bottle. Balanced taste of vanilla and candied fruits with a soft and elegant finish.
Average price: $21
Papa’s Pilar Dark 24 Rum
A strong dark rum inspired by Ernest Hemingway, made in the USA.
Average price: $40
Myers’s Original Dark Rum
The famous Jamaican rum has become one of the most respected dark rums on the market. Aromas of burnt wood turn into a full-bodied balanced sweet aftertaste with hints of dark caramel.
Average price: $21
Plantation Original Dark Rum
Founded by Alexandre Gabriel, creator of Maison Ferrand Cognac, the rum retains the same values of elegance and sophistication. Produced and twice aged in Trinidad, this rum is first aged in American oak barrels before reaching France. The rum is then separated, with some rums destined for bottling in Trinidad and others blended with 15-20 year old Jamaican rum. A unique alcohol that is a must-try for rum connoisseurs all over the world.
Average price: $34
Ron Barcelo Imperial Onyx
An elegant, full-bodied rum aged in high-roast white American oak casks, carefully selected by experienced master coopers. After ten years of maturation, the rum is filtered through natural onyx, which gives it a mystical and noble style. It is characterized by a deep color with mahogany reflections, a structured taste and a multi-layered aroma.
Average price: $30
Havana Club Anejo 7 Years
The embodiment of rich aromas, rich experience and secret technologies for making rum. This drink is a real tribute to the traditional theory and practice of making Cuban rum. Through a long natural aging process in white oak barrels, it acquires a bright, multifaceted aroma.
Average price: $25
Bacardi Black Letter
Formerly called Bacardi Black, a dark rum obtained by aging in heavily charred oak barrels for at least 4 years. Subsequently, the rum is purified using a filter of several types of coal, the combination of which is kept secret. Ideal for cocktails.
Average price: $18
Interesting Facts
Colorless dark rum
After double distillation of cane raw materials, each rum producer receives a strong and colorless distillate. This alcohol owes its dark color to long-term aging in oak barrels. To enhance the effect of tinting, these wooden barrels are pre-fired from the inside. Sometimes dark rum is infused in American bourbon barrels.
80% of rum is produced in the Caribbean
Where throughout the year the humidity and high temperature practically do not change, so the aging process is much faster, unlike colder countries.
Aging in oak barrels
Gives spirits not only an attractive color, but also a delicious taste. During its aging in a barrel, such rum absorbs more and more notes, so the longer the exposure, the richer and brighter the taste and, of course, the aroma of the drink.
Relevance: 04.01.2021
Tags: Rum, Roma brands