Havana Club’s Primer Maestro Romero, Don José Navarro, describes the brand’s Añejo Blanco as “The whitest of all aged rums, the most aged of all white rums”. The Havana Club Añejo Blanco is distilled and aged in Puerto Rico for one year. Then, the aged rums are blended together and aged for another two months. XA or “extra aged” offers an unparalleled blend of dark rums aged up to 23 years with a deep amber color. It combines some of the oldest, most coveted rums to produce an incredibly smooth and mellow bottle that’s perfect for sipping. Enjoy the tasting notes of chocolate, dark caramel, and toasted walnuts. It’s the best top-shelf rum on our list. Privateer also doesn’t rush the process of fermenting and distilling its rum. Particularly the case for its Navy Yard rum, the mixture is left to ferment for six days to really bring out the richness and complexity of the spirit. The rich fertile soil, exotic climate and volcanic landscape of Guatemala help to produce a rum that is unique and full of flavour. A sip of Appleton Estate’s 50 Year offers an explosion of taste on the palate with prominent notes of maple sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and a dash of licorice. Its finish is almost endless; a rich and luxurious sip that keeps on going.

In eastern Guatemala, 229m above sea level, lies the town of Zacapa. Founded in 1876 as a bustling railroad stop, the resident population was soon joined by travellers from around the world, leaving a legacy that can still be seen today in local surnames. In 1976, the town reached its centenary. To celebrate this historic event, Guatemala's premier rum-producing company decided to create something special. By harnessing expert knowledge gained over many years, a unique premium spirit was born: Ron Zacapa Centenario.

Ron Zacapa 23 Cocktail Suggestions

Crafted in Guatemala, Ron Zacapa distills its rum at 2,300 meters above sea level in the highlands of Quetzaltenango to ensure a unique-tasting spirit. It’s a well-known brand that combines richness, quality, and mastery to create a range of delicious bottles.

In the highlands of Quetzaltenango, 2300m above sea level, lies The House Above the Clouds. This stunning location - one of the highest ageing facilities in the world - is where Zacapa Rum slowly develops its complex flavour and character over time. Here in the mountains, the cool temperature slows the ageing process, while the thinner air and lower atmospheric pressure helps intensify the infusion of flavours from the barrels. Only in this precise spot can Zacapa's exceptionally deep aroma, full colour and rich palate emerge to reach perfection.

In the “Sistema Solera”, art and tradition encourage the blending of rums of different ages and personalities so that they may continue to mature in select barrels. This dynamic and artisanal process culminates only after the complexity of aromas and flavors confirm that unique, mature rum has been created” Ron Zacapa is cleverly marketed by Diageo as “Sistema Solera” which whilst a perfectly legitimate method of producing rum, immediately leads many to believe they are buying a rum that is 23 years old. This is something which is often frowned upon by rum connoisseur’s and reviewers. Personally, I have never bought a rum based solely on the age of the rum. I have of course bought an older expression, if for instance it is on sale and is less than the lesser aged rum but it is not something which I judge rum’s upon. There are rum’s in my cabinet which I rate very highly and I do not actually know how “aged” they are. The “Sistema Solera” method is described on the cardboard sleeve as…. If you prefer to read about rum before opening the bottle, jump to our sections below to learn more about rum. You can find out more about the terminology you should know about rum and our selection process for drawing up the best rum brands of the year at the end of this article. 1. Ron Zacapa Given the price tag, this is a more luxurious every-day sip, but the versatility gives you plenty of options to serve and enjoy this rum. Closing Thoughts Given the oily signature of this sipping rum, the pairings for me are rather obvious. You could easily drink this velvety spirit with an equally luscious dessert: given it’s not a sweet overkill for you.

If you want to contrast and challenge your palate, I would recommend a fresher choice with citrusy top notes, like a key lime pie. Or you could alternatively consider pairing this with a freshly cut ceviche, where the tangy acidity perfectly matches with the rum. The alternate method is to use the freshly fermented sugarcane juice, in a method called ‘rhum agricole’. These rums are commonly found on the French islands but are rare to find elsewhere. The sugarcane mixture is pressed to the point that all of the juice has been extracted before it’s fermented with water and yeast and then distilled. The sugarcane used is exclusively grown on the Appleton Estate and takes the title of the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica. The brand’s rum is perfected by Master Blender, Joy Spence, the first woman to be appointed Master Blender in the world. The "z" rums - Zaya, Zacapa, Zafra - as well as Diplomatico and others have led people to believe aged rums should be sweet and smooth, while drier genuine rums - Appleton 12 yr, Mount Gay extra old, Flor de Cana, Seales 10 yr, any agricole rhum - are more indicative of what rum SHOULD taste like in its unaltered state, but less appealing to most people's palates.

PREPARATION

Diplomatico aims to support its home country through its rum production by providing sustainable jobs and keeping the health of the environment at its core. The brand uses an ecological treatment process to transform residual water into fertilizer for its sugarcane. Unlike many other spirits that are limited to one geographic location, rum can be produced in many places across the world. It’s a spirit made from sugarcane and has been made and sold in countries ranging from Nicaragua to The Philippines, Barbados, and India. Sugarcane comes in plenty of different varieties and each type and the region it’s grown in plays a big role in the overall taste and aroma of the rum. This bottle is aged for up to 12 years and combines mostly sweet flavors like fruit cake, rum and raisin ice cream, cocoa, dried ginger, cinnamon, and clove. It’s a dark, golden rum that’s smooth and delicious.