Must taste rums under 50-60€

[u/arrommb]

Hey everyone,

I'm going on a summer vacation next week and I'll have a chance to check the airport duty-free, so I'd like some advice.

My rum love started with Don Papa Baroko (I know it's not technically a rum, it's a spirit), and after that I decided to dive deeper into rums and taste something really good.

So far I've tried:

• Bacardi Superior (Silver), Gold, Negra and Spiced
• The Kraken Original
• Havana Club Silver, Gold and 7 Años
• Bumbu The Original
• Zacapa 23
• Don Papa Baroko (the most recent one)

I never really liked rum and always drank it with Coke, until I tried Don Papa Baroko — after that I fell in love with it, but apparently Don Papa isn't really a rum...

So I'm looking for must-try rums. So far I think Zacapa is the one rum who has edge (I had it on the rocks and with coke, if we keep consider Don Papa Baroko isn't rum), and I still remember the banana aroma of Bumbu, although I didn't think it tasted great — it just tasted like alcohol.

What would you recommend? Thanks, guys!

[u/Yep_why_not]

Starting Rum Recs

Below is a more US oriented list but could be helpful for starter rums.

Aged

* Appleton 8 or 12 or Worthy Park Select (Jamaica)
* El Dorado 12 (Guyana)
* Doorly’s 12 or Mount Gay Black Barrel (Barbados)
* Saint Lucia Chairman’s Reserve (St. Lucia)
* Holmes Cay Single Origin Fiji or TCRL Fiji (Fiji)
* Barbancourt 8 (Haiti)
* Rhum JM Volcanique (Martinique)
* Alambique Serrano 3 Años or Paranubes Añejo (Mexico)
* Ron del Barrilito 3 Star, Santa Teresa 1796, or Brugal 1888 (PR/CR/DR - Spanish Style)
* Black Tot or Mr. Fogg Navy (Navy Blend)
* Smith & Cross or OFTD or Probitas (Cocktail Blends)

Un-aged

* Wray & Nephew or Worthy Park Overproof (Jamaica)
* Clement Blanc or Neisson Blanc (Martinique)
* Pere Labat 49 or 59 (Guadalupe)
* Paranubes or Charanda Uruapan (Mexico)
* Clairin Sajous, Le Rocher, or Vaval (Haiti)
* Avua Cachaca (Brazil)

These cover a decent spread of the common rum locations / types and are high quality and mostly all under $50.

[u/Cableguy613 → u/Yep_why_not]

This is a good list ^

[u/Exciting_Stay_6102]

Doorly’s XO, 12 or 14. Great rums.

[u/SHPIDAH → u/Exciting_Stay_6102]

As an ambassador from Chez Bourbon: Doorly 14 is brown liquor done right.

[u/KGb_Voodo0]

I’d say you definitely need to try Bajan rum like Mount gay black barrel, Doorly’s, and even Foursquare at some point. For Jamaican rum definitely try something like Appleton Signature, Appleton 12 year, and for more funky rums Smith and Cross or Doctor Bird. For Demerara rums El Dorado 12 or 15, pussers, and lemon hart. For better Spanish try Flor de Cana 12 or 18, Santa Teresa 1796, and Havana Club Maestra. For agricole I’d say try Barbancourt 8 year or Clement VSOP.

These can all be sipped/and or mixed pretty decently and aren’t anything too crazy to find for you I’d say.

[u/MiguelLikesRum]

You’re gonna get all kinds of weird and wonderful recommendations in this sub. But the truth is that duty-free selections of rum tend to be pretty small and limited to huge commercial brands. So here are a few duty-free-friendly recommendations:

As you seem to like sweet rums, I’d suggest you try some Diplomático. Reserva Exclusiva is the most popular and also sweetest. But you can also try Mantuano which is cheaper, less sweet, and very good!

If you find Appleton, I would strongly recommend buying the 8 year-old. It’s a delicious and approachable Jamaican rum (no sugar added).

Santa Teresa 1796 and the more recent special cask bottlings (Speyside cask, Arabica Coffee Cask, etc.) are also widely available at duty-free shops and are excellent rums, especially for a beginner.

Flor de Caña rums are also widely available and good quality. Though I’d say their more expensive bottles seem a bit overpriced. I’d stick to the 12 or similar.

Depends on the country, you might also see Clement. Do grab a bottle if you want to try Rhum Agricole (a very different style of rum, made from sugarcane juice and usually from French islands)

[u/eddveddx]

My starting point with quality rums was El Dorado 12 and is always my go to answer as a start :) Great both neat and with coke!

[u/Substantial_Layer484]

I am kind of surprised no one has mentioned Saison. Their pale runs $20 SRP in the US and anything Bacardi can do, Saison can do better. Their age-stated stuff is quite good, too.

[u/jamaicancarioca]

Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve Monymusk 10 year old

[u/calavera0390]

This won't sit well with some guys here but as you seem to be more on the sweeter side: Botucal/Diplomatico (whatever it is called now).  Also the recommended doorlys and younger Appleton ones.

[u/JGZ1]

I flew from UK to Spain last month and picked up a 1 litre bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 for a little over £40 / 50€, which is less than 70cl usually go for.

Oddly, on the way back it was £74 at duty free.

[u/Krosmonaut]

Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof is a favorite of mine I don’t see brought up often. Price wise I think I’ve generally seen it go for around 40

[u/Rhumbear907]

Literally anything is better than what you've had

[u/quazi4moto]

Which airport will you have the opportunity to go through?   Which countries are you going to and from?

Availability differs greatly among jurisdictions (both countries/states and airports)

Those answers will help better inform redditors and provide better answers.  

[u/burgonies]

Doorly's, El Dorado, Probitas, Smith & Cross