The 10 Best Rums Under 100 To Try In 2022

Welcome to the luxurious rum renaissance. Premium varieties of the spirit are coming to the forefront, with accessibility to fine rums in the $50-$100 range now at historic levels. Rum production is rising in the U.S., and particularly the Caribbean, building on the basics of aged rum by crafting matured expressions from leading brands and a fleet of small-batch and unique original bottles that add to rum’s enjoyment. While this collection mainly features blended aged rums, you’ll find a couple of interesting brands with terroir, golden rum, and even an inexpensive white rum made for cocktail enjoyment. The following list of the 10 best rums under $100 to try in 2021 will suit everyone. From the new school mixologist and sipping rum expert to the hardened veterans of Captain Morgan and navy rum, there’s a variety of options to suit every palate. Best Buy1. Mount Gay Rum XO

Check Price Mount Gay is the oldest rum distillery in the world, having crafted rum in Barbados since 1703. Mount Gay XO is a small-batch blend of carefully selected fine rums distilled in a traditional copper pot and column stills, then matured between five to 17 years in bourbon barrels, American whiskey, and cognac casks. XO is an exceptionally round and complex rum, featuring notes of dark chocolate, salted caramel, baked figs, and the spice of cloves in its flavor profile. Mount Gay XO is versatile as well, equally at home served simply with lime juice, or mixed into a classic rum punch or Mai Tai cocktail.

2. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada

Check Price This premium rum expression from one of the world’s most beloved brands mixes some of Puerto Rico’s finest aged rum before it’s aged for 12 years in oak. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada features a clean oak barrel flavor with distinct woody, vanilla, and toasted almond notes. Hints of butterscotch and dried fruit give way to a long, dry finish. Every bottle of Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada carries the signature of the Maximo Maestro de Ron Bacardi, before being individually marked with its blending batch, bottling date, and bottle number. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada is a standout sipping rum for you to add to your home bar and a great option at the top of the sub $100 market.

3. Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year

Check Price Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year is distilled in Haiti from pure sugar cane juice to benefit from its terroir (local environmental characteristics) and traditional Haitian farming. Gathering all the flavors of the local cane at distillation, Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year is vintage rum aged for eight years in Limousin oak casks, and seven years in American ex-bourbon barrels to get the best of oaky aromas and the gentle wooden accents in its taste profile. This rum possesses soft scents of caramelized brown sugar, a gentle cane sugar warmth, and a long finish redolent of orange peel and citrus. Rhum Barbancourt Estate 15 Year comes in a gift box featuring Haitian art and makes a great option to place on your home bar or as a gift to the rum drinker in your life.

4. Depaz Rhum Agricole XO

Check Price In 1902, the sugar cane plantations at the foot of Mount Pelee volcano were destroyed by an eruption. Around 15 years later, Victor Depaz revived the plantation and distillery that has since carried the name Depaz. Rhum Agricole is the French term for sugarcane juice rum rather than molasses. Depaz Rhum Hors D’Age Agricole XO is a fabulous blend of aged rums from the French Island of Martinique, distilled in column stills. Rums made entirely in Martinique and meeting production standards are entitled under French law to the unique “AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole” designation. Depaz Rhum Agricole XO carries floral, vanilla, fruit, and baking spice aromas that open up to a gentler sugar cane sweetness laden with the taste of chocolate and licorice. If you are looking for a premium, individually interesting bottle for sipping, then a unique choice like Depaz will be well worth the price.

5. Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks Rum

Check Price The Black River is the source of limestone-filtered water that is the basis of Appleton Estate’s Jamaican rums. Black River Casks blend is a combination of rare pot and column still rums, all hand-selected and aged for at least 15 years. The result is a copper color Jamaican rum with a noticeable honey gold tone. It offers a nose of toasted almond and hazelnut, which develop into flavors of orange peel, vanilla, roasted coffee, and the richness of molasses. This Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks Rum is recommended for sipping or over ice but is also effective as a simple, premium mixed drink or rum cocktail.

See more about - The Best Rums Under $50 To Try In 2021

6. Diplomático Collection No.2 Barbet Rum

Check Price The Diplomático Distillery Collection No. 2 Barbet Rum was first introduced by the Venezuelan rum brand in fall 2017 as one of two limited edition rums, named for the various types of stills used in production. The unique Barbet column still is a continuous still first brought to the Diplomatico distillery from France in 1959. Its two-column system creates a tremendous fruit profile. After distillation, this classically smooth Venezuelan rum is matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, with each bottle numbered with the date of distillation listed. The nose reveals tropical fruit aromas contrasted by toasted oak from the rum’s rest in ex-bourbon casks. It’s slightly dry on the palate with delicate wood and citrus fruit flavors that combine for a delicious long-lasting finish. Diplomatico Collection No.2 Barbet Rum is best enjoyed simply with ginger beer or on the rocks.

7. Flor de Caña 18 Year Centenario Gold Rum

Check Price An 18-year-old, ultra-premium golden rum with no added sugar, Flor de Caña (sugarcane flower) is a sustainably produced, gluten-free, and Fair Trade certified premium rum. The Nicaraguan product of a 5th generation family estate, Flor de Caña rum is distilled with 100% renewable energy and naturally aged without sugar or artificial ingredients. It’s a full-bodied expression with complex brown sugar, nut, and caramel flavors with a smooth vanilla finish that lingers on the palate. This brilliant 18-year-old amber golden rum looks stunning in the glass. Almost two decades go into its production, and the tradition and artisanal excellence behind it are noticeable.

8. Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Rum

Check Price Plantation’s celebration XO expression is initially bourbon cask-aged in Barbados, then sailed across the ocean in barrels to the southwest of France for further maturation in small Ferrand French oak casks. The “double aging” process imparts incredible smoothness creating a palate of dark chocolate, vanilla, ripe banana, roasted coconut, and a hint of tropical fruit. It’s a tremendous rum to savor from the craft distillery that makes the tremendous Plantation Reverend Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum.

9. El Dorado Single Barrel EHP Demerara Rum

Check Price The rum is derived from sugar cane juice grown along the Demera river. All Demerara rum is distilled in Guyana, regardless of where it may be aged and bottled (with plenty of this happening for brands elsewhere in the world). This highly regarded craft rum expression is called EHP after Edward Henry Porter, founder of the Enmore sugar factory. The original wooden Coffey Still from the Enmore sugar factory is the last of its kind in the world and was used to distill this full-bodied rum. El Dorado is a quality, rich flavored rum great for use in premium classic cocktails such as a rum punch or daiquiri, or as a simple mixed drink with lime juice.

10. Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum

Check Price Crafted from the same Bermuda blend as their popular Black Seal dark rum, Gosling’s Family Reserve Old rum is left resting in once used charred oak barrels, then aged until it has acquired a complexity similar to Scotch whisky or cognac. The Family Reserve old rum features a nose of leather, dark chocolate, baking spice, and a hint of pepper with a palate of smooth vanilla and cigar box tones from the oak barrel aging that makes way for a long, smooth finish akin to a premium style black spiced rum. This vintage rum is aged for between 16 and 19 years and is made to pair with a rich dessert, or a cigar if you possess the inclination. Each black bottle of dark rum is hand-filled, hand-labeled, and numbered, then stopped with a cork and covered in sealing wax.

Bonus White Rum: Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum

Check Price The most inexpensive bottle on this list, iconic Jamaican rum brand Wray and Nephew’s White Overproof Rum carries an extra wallop (at 63% ABV) and is designed with your party in mind. It’s responsible for 90% of domestic Jamaican rum sales and is the pre-eminent “strong” overproof white rum sold worldwide. Wray and Nephew has a naturally sugar-sweet aroma with overtones of the fermented molasses. The palate is fruity, and the extra booze kick is tangible alongside notes of banana and a little oak. The finish is long and filled with a flavor synonymous with Caribbean spiced rum. It’s a fruity, fiery white spirit for the rum lover who enjoys holding court in social situations, and is best used in a traditional rum cocktail such as a pina colada, daiquiri, or mai tai.

See more about - The 10 Best Dark Rum Brands To Try In 2021

2. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada

3. Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year

4. Depaz Rhum Agricole XO

5. Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks Rum

See more about - The Best Rums Under $50 To Try In 2021

6. Diplomático Collection No.2 Barbet Rum

7. Flor de Caña 18 Year Centenario Gold Rum

8. Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Rum

9. El Dorado Single Barrel EHP Demerara Rum

10. Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum

Bonus White Rum: Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum

See more about - The 10 Best Dark Rum Brands To Try In 2021

Welcome to the luxurious rum renaissance. Premium varieties of the spirit are coming to the forefront, with accessibility to fine rums in the $50-$100 range now at historic levels.

Rum production is rising in the U.S., and particularly the Caribbean, building on the basics of aged rum by crafting matured expressions from leading brands and a fleet of small-batch and unique original bottles that add to rum’s enjoyment. While this collection mainly features blended aged rums, you’ll find a couple of interesting brands with terroir, golden rum, and even an inexpensive white rum made for cocktail enjoyment.

The following list of the 10 best rums under $100 to try in 2021 will suit everyone. From the new school mixologist and sipping rum expert to the hardened veterans of Captain Morgan and navy rum, there’s a variety of options to suit every palate.

Best Buy1. Mount Gay Rum XO

Check Price

Mount Gay is the oldest rum distillery in the world, having crafted rum in Barbados since 1703. Mount Gay XO is a small-batch blend of carefully selected fine rums distilled in a traditional copper pot and column stills, then matured between five to 17 years in bourbon barrels, American whiskey, and cognac casks.

XO is an exceptionally round and complex rum, featuring notes of dark chocolate, salted caramel, baked figs, and the spice of cloves in its flavor profile. Mount Gay XO is versatile as well, equally at home served simply with lime juice, or mixed into a classic rum punch or Mai Tai cocktail.

Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada

This premium rum expression from one of the world’s most beloved brands mixes some of Puerto Rico’s finest aged rum before it’s aged for 12 years in oak. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada features a clean oak barrel flavor with distinct woody, vanilla, and toasted almond notes. Hints of butterscotch and dried fruit give way to a long, dry finish.

Every bottle of Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada carries the signature of the Maximo Maestro de Ron Bacardi, before being individually marked with its blending batch, bottling date, and bottle number. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada is a standout sipping rum for you to add to your home bar and a great option at the top of the sub $100 market.

Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year

Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year is distilled in Haiti from pure sugar cane juice to benefit from its terroir (local environmental characteristics) and traditional Haitian farming. Gathering all the flavors of the local cane at distillation, Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year is vintage rum aged for eight years in Limousin oak casks, and seven years in American ex-bourbon barrels to get the best of oaky aromas and the gentle wooden accents in its taste profile.

This rum possesses soft scents of caramelized brown sugar, a gentle cane sugar warmth, and a long finish redolent of orange peel and citrus. Rhum Barbancourt Estate 15 Year comes in a gift box featuring Haitian art and makes a great option to place on your home bar or as a gift to the rum drinker in your life.

Depaz Rhum Agricole XO

In 1902, the sugar cane plantations at the foot of Mount Pelee volcano were destroyed by an eruption. Around 15 years later, Victor Depaz revived the plantation and distillery that has since carried the name Depaz.

Rhum Agricole is the French term for sugarcane juice rum rather than molasses. Depaz Rhum Hors D’Age Agricole XO is a fabulous blend of aged rums from the French Island of Martinique, distilled in column stills. Rums made entirely in Martinique and meeting production standards are entitled under French law to the unique “AOC Martinique Rhum Agricole” designation.

Depaz Rhum Agricole XO carries floral, vanilla, fruit, and baking spice aromas that open up to a gentler sugar cane sweetness laden with the taste of chocolate and licorice. If you are looking for a premium, individually interesting bottle for sipping, then a unique choice like Depaz will be well worth the price.

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks Rum

The Black River is the source of limestone-filtered water that is the basis of Appleton Estate’s Jamaican rums. Black River Casks blend is a combination of rare pot and column still rums, all hand-selected and aged for at least 15 years.

The result is a copper color Jamaican rum with a noticeable honey gold tone. It offers a nose of toasted almond and hazelnut, which develop into flavors of orange peel, vanilla, roasted coffee, and the richness of molasses. This Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks Rum is recommended for sipping or over ice but is also effective as a simple, premium mixed drink or rum cocktail.

See more about - The Best Rums Under $50 To Try In 2021

Diplomático Collection No.2 Barbet Rum

The Diplomático Distillery Collection No. 2 Barbet Rum was first introduced by the Venezuelan rum brand in fall 2017 as one of two limited edition rums, named for the various types of stills used in production. The unique Barbet column still is a continuous still first brought to the Diplomatico distillery from France in 1959. Its two-column system creates a tremendous fruit profile.

After distillation, this classically smooth Venezuelan rum is matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, with each bottle numbered with the date of distillation listed. The nose reveals tropical fruit aromas contrasted by toasted oak from the rum’s rest in ex-bourbon casks. It’s slightly dry on the palate with delicate wood and citrus fruit flavors that combine for a delicious long-lasting finish.

Diplomatico Collection No.2 Barbet Rum is best enjoyed simply with ginger beer or on the rocks.

Flor de Caña 18 Year Centenario Gold Rum

An 18-year-old, ultra-premium golden rum with no added sugar, Flor de Caña (sugarcane flower) is a sustainably produced, gluten-free, and Fair Trade certified premium rum. The Nicaraguan product of a 5th generation family estate, Flor de Caña rum is distilled with 100% renewable energy and naturally aged without sugar or artificial ingredients.

It’s a full-bodied expression with complex brown sugar, nut, and caramel flavors with a smooth vanilla finish that lingers on the palate. This brilliant 18-year-old amber golden rum looks stunning in the glass. Almost two decades go into its production, and the tradition and artisanal excellence behind it are noticeable.

Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Rum

Plantation’s celebration XO expression is initially bourbon cask-aged in Barbados, then sailed across the ocean in barrels to the southwest of France for further maturation in small Ferrand French oak casks.

The “double aging” process imparts incredible smoothness creating a palate of dark chocolate, vanilla, ripe banana, roasted coconut, and a hint of tropical fruit. It’s a tremendous rum to savor from the craft distillery that makes the tremendous Plantation Reverend Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum.

El Dorado Single Barrel EHP Demerara Rum

The rum is derived from sugar cane juice grown along the Demera river. All Demerara rum is distilled in Guyana, regardless of where it may be aged and bottled (with plenty of this happening for brands elsewhere in the world).

This highly regarded craft rum expression is called EHP after Edward Henry Porter, founder of the Enmore sugar factory. The original wooden Coffey Still from the Enmore sugar factory is the last of its kind in the world and was used to distill this full-bodied rum. El Dorado is a quality, rich flavored rum great for use in premium classic cocktails such as a rum punch or daiquiri, or as a simple mixed drink with lime juice.

Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum

Crafted from the same Bermuda blend as their popular Black Seal dark rum, Gosling’s Family Reserve Old rum is left resting in once used charred oak barrels, then aged until it has acquired a complexity similar to Scotch whisky or cognac. The Family Reserve old rum features a nose of leather, dark chocolate, baking spice, and a hint of pepper with a palate of smooth vanilla and cigar box tones from the oak barrel aging that makes way for a long, smooth finish akin to a premium style black spiced rum.

This vintage rum is aged for between 16 and 19 years and is made to pair with a rich dessert, or a cigar if you possess the inclination. Each black bottle of dark rum is hand-filled, hand-labeled, and numbered, then stopped with a cork and covered in sealing wax.

Bonus White Rum: Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum

The most inexpensive bottle on this list, iconic Jamaican rum brand Wray and Nephew’s White Overproof Rum carries an extra wallop (at 63% ABV) and is designed with your party in mind. It’s responsible for 90% of domestic Jamaican rum sales and is the pre-eminent “strong” overproof white rum sold worldwide.

Wray and Nephew has a naturally sugar-sweet aroma with overtones of the fermented molasses. The palate is fruity, and the extra booze kick is tangible alongside notes of banana and a little oak.

The finish is long and filled with a flavor synonymous with Caribbean spiced rum. It’s a fruity, fiery white spirit for the rum lover who enjoys holding court in social situations, and is best used in a traditional rum cocktail such as a pina colada, daiquiri, or mai tai.

See more about - The 10 Best Dark Rum Brands To Try In 2021

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