The 12 Best Rums Under $200 To Try In 2022
Rums have a sweet toasted sugar profile that makes them some of the most enjoyable liquors in the world. With its links to piracy and the navy, there is also plenty of history behind the infamous drink. In modern times, distillers are experimenting with ingredients and creating more interesting rum flavors like spiced and flavored rums, so the drink is increasingly growing in popularity.
However, getting a great bottle of rum should not cost you an arm and a leg. That is why we have taken the time to select the best rums under $200. These are great-quality yet pocket-friendly rums that you should get in 2022.
Best Buy
1. Flor De Caña 25 Year Rum
Flor De Caña is the number one premium rum in the Americas. The ultra-premium full-bodied rum comes in dark amber color. It is aged in bourbon barrels for 25 long years. The rum contains no artificial ingredients or sugars. It is also gluten-free and kosher certified.
If you want sustainable products, this is the rum bottle for you. Flor De Caña is produced with 100% renewable energy, with all CO2 captured during the fermentation.
The bottle and packaging are both stylishly luxurious. You’ll know right away that you are buying something special. The content is also incredible. The sweet aroma comes with notes of vanilla and dark cocoa. The palate is fruity notes of almonds and nuts mixed with the sweetness of dry oak spices, and this leaves a long, lingering finish.
Though bottled at 40% ABV, the Flor De Caña has no burn whatsoever. It’s so mild that anyone would enjoy drinking this neat or on the rocks. If you want a rum that is worth saving for special occasions, it is Flor De Caña.
2. Rumbullion!
Rumbullion! is a world-beater from Ableforth’s. The incredible rum is a blend of fine Caribbean rum, creamy Madagascan vanilla, as well as orange peels, cinnamon, and cloves. It is bottled at 46.2% ABV.
The nose is extremely inviting, bringing together sweet Madagascan vanilla, fruity orange peel, and cinnamon and clove spiciness. The spices ring loud and clear in the taste. Orange and cola also come alive with a hint of honey. Complimenting the flavorful taste is a very long creamy vanilla and spicy finish.
Also, the Rumbullion! bottle is exotic. It is wrapped in crinkled brown paper, wound with twine, and sealed with black wax. This makes the Rumbullion! the perfect rum bottle for gifting. It’s a rum that is great whatever the weather. With it being an incredibly tasty rum, it is great for sipping but can also be enjoyed with all manner of cocktails.
3. Bacardí Gran Reserva Limitada
Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada is an exceptional bottle from the world-famous rum experts, the house of Bacardi. Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada is an interesting and complex bottle that combines rum exceptionally aged for up to 17 years with younger-aged rum. The aging occurs in lightly charred oak barrels. The rum is bottled at 40% ABV.
The nose is light, with gentle oak and hints of vanilla and fruit leather. Admittedly, the nose might not blow you away, but that will change if you sip the rum. Brown sugar and caramel initially warm the mouth before giving way to notes of dried fruits, and then end with floral notes and a gentle brewed-coffee flavor. The finish is long and fairly dry and is best for drinking neat or on the rocks.
4. Seven Fathoms Premium Rum
Seven Fathoms Premium Rum is handcrafted in a distillery in the Cayman Islands. The rum is distilled using molasses from sugarcane. It is aged for about three years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels held 42 feet underwater. The underwater pressure and the action of the waves facilitate maturation, allowing the wood to give the drinks their characteristics in less time.
Sevens Fathoms premium rum is bottled at 40% ABV. On the nose, the rum is sweet and fruity with some interesting spiciness. On the palate, Seven Fathoms pleases. Caramel, peaches, and some lighter fruits can be tasted, and this is balanced by salty mineral and oak tannins notes. The finish is warm, a little dry, and moderately lingering.
Seven Fathoms premium rum is easily the best tasting rum in Cayman. The dark caramel-colored rum may have a regular bottle, but it comes alive once you pour it into a glass.
5. Zacapa Xo
Zacapa XO, which is produced in the Highlands of Guatemala, is regarded as one of the best rums in the world. This is a rum like no other. First, instead of molasses from sugarcane, Zacapa XO is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice. Also, it is aged at 7,544 feet above sea level at temperatures of 62°F. The solera process is employed in the aging of the rum. This includes aging rum for six to 25 years using bourbon, wine, and sherry barrels and finishing in cognac barrels.
Zacapa XO is bottled at 40% ABV. On the nose, Zacapa XO is everything as exotic as the bottle promises. You’ll be delighted with vanilla, spices, and a light woody smoke. Your eyes will light up once you taste the rum.
The goodness of marzipan and oranges is mixed with spicy zest and held together by oak and vanilla. The finish is long, allowing you to savor the flavors. It comes in a unique and fancy bottle with an impression woven around the middle. This makes it a fine gifting rum bottle.
6. Don Q Signature Release Single Barrel Rum
Don Q Signature Release Single Barrel rum is produced at the Destileria Serralles in Puerto Rico. The Don Q brand is inspired by the world-famous novel Don Quixote which had a somewhat radical message when it was released in the 1700s. While there is not much that is radical about the Don Q Signature Release Single barrel rum, the Serralles family has stuck with old family traditions in making rum in small batches.
This rum is produced from sugarcane from the family’s own plantation. It is aged for 10 years in charred American oak barrels. The Signature Release Single barrel rum entices with its gold color. The enticing increases when you open the bottle. It comes with a sweet and spicy aroma with hints of wood. This carries to the taste of caramel, orange, cinnamon, and charred oak that are evident. The finish is long-lasting.
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7. Fallen Angel Spiced Rum
Fallen Angel Spiced Rum is everything its name says. It is a sweet, richly spiced rum from Fallen Angels Drinks who have a commitment to making not just world-defining spirits but also world-defining bottles to house the spirits.
The Fallen Angels Spiced Rum is fully flavored. The rum graces the nose with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The flavors and spices carry to the taste, and it finishes with a long-lasting sweetness.
If you like your rum richly spiced and flavorful, you’ll like the 41.4% ABV Fallen Angel Spiced Rum. With its sweetness and spiciness, it’s one of the best rums to drink neat. You’ll also like it if you are tired of the regular bottles. It comes in a black devil-head-shaped bottle that properly carries the fallen angel theme.
8. Angostura 15 Year Old 1787
Angostura 15 Year Old 1787 celebrates the year that the first sugar mill was established in Trinidad. Maybe, this is the rum that should accompany your celebrations. Angostura 1787 is aged in charred oak ex-bourbon barrels for 15 years. The long maturation gives the rum a dark hue and a massive flavor profile.
It’ll excite your nose with aromas of dried apricot, vanilla, as well as oak, and cinnamon. The taste is initially sweet with ripe fruits, and this is mellowed down by a sound spiciness and charred oak notes. The finish is a lingering brown sugar sweetness. Overall, Angostura 1787 is a very fruity rum and quite spicy, making it excellent for drinking neat.
9. Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks
The 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks is an interesting rum from Jamaica’s Appleton Estate, which is one of the world’s largest rum brands. To enhance its complexity, the rum is aged for 21 long years in the tropical climate of Jamaica. The result is a luxurious drink with a mahogany hue and rich floral scents.
The rum impresses right from the bottle. Engraved on it is “1749” in reference to when the Appleton Estate was started. The long history of the maker is a pointer to the quality of the rum.
Opening the bottle will not disappoint. Wafts of floral goodness and nutmeg spiciness warm the nose. The taste is also fantastic with vanilla, orange peels, nutmeg, and warm coffee coming together. The 21-year-old rum is best enjoyed sipped neat in a snifter glass.
10. Diplomático Single Vintage 2005
Diplomatico Single Vintage 2005 is a vintage blended rum produced at Distilerias Unidas, Venezuela, and is distilled from sugarcane using the 2005 harvests. The rum is aged in bourbon and whisky casks for 12 years. Then after blending, it is aged in sherry barrels for another year. The different casks give it a unique complexity.
On the nose, coffee, charred wood, and spices fly without restraints. The taste starts sweet, with molasses and vanilla dominating before giving way to the gourmet bitterness of coffee and wood notes. The finish lingers for a while and warms with fading spiciness.
11. El Dorado 21 Year Old Special Reserve
This is a rum of supreme quality that reflects over 300 years of Caribbean rum making. It is aged in oak casks for at least 21 years in the unique Demerara climate of Guyana. This blesses it with rich color, aroma, and flavor. It is artfully blended and bottled at 43% ABV.
On the nose, El Dorado 21 YO Special Reserve is exciting with toffee, mocha, tobacco, and dark spices. On the palate, the rum is velvety smooth, tropical fruits dominate, while coffee and rich toffee wrap it up. The finish is smoky with notes of raisins and cinnamon. The El Dorado Special Reserve comes in a special bottle and packaging that’ll make it an incredible gift for a special person.
12. Yolo Rum Gold 10 Year
Yolo Rum Gold is an award-winning rum crafted in the classic Cuban style. The rum is distilled from sugarcane molasses using proprietary yeast. It is then aged in charred American oak barrels for 10 years giving it the tawny color, rich flavor, and smooth taste.
Pouring a glass, Yolo Rum Gold embraces the nose with wafts of charred wood, burnt sugar. On the palate, vanilla mixes with cinnamon and hints of wet wood. The vanilla carries into the finish, which is long and dry and ends with hints of raw cocoa.
Yolo Gold Rum is sugar-free with no additives or preservatives. The bottle may look standard, but there’s a lot going on in the bottle. It’s one of the best rum you can get for under $200.
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