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<\/a><\/p>\n2024 was another embarrassingly great year for rum, perhaps further evidence that we should all be paying closer attention to the category when it comes to ultra-premium spirits. Alas, rum\u2019s ascendance, while forecast for at least a decade, continues to be \u201ccoming soon,\u201d with the tropical spirit still not getting the respect it deserves. You needn\u2019t sit on the sidelines however. Any one of our top 10 rums of the last 12 months are worth seeking out and savoring.<\/p>\n
As always, you can find more great options on our previous top 10 rums of 2023<\/a>, 2022<\/a>, 2021<\/a>, 2020<\/a>, and 2019<\/a>. You can also search multiple stores at wine-searcher<\/a> to find the best prices on all these products and more.<\/p>\n 1. Appleton Estate Rum Hearts Collection 1998<\/a><\/strong> (Jamaica) \u2013 Appleton\u2019s Hearts Collection, now spanning 8 releases, keeps getting better and better, to the point where we face the collection as an embarrassment of riches. This 1998 release is 25 years old and showcases the very best that Jamaica has to offer, a slick load of estery fruit, coffee, and rolling molasses, with a slug of molasses on the finish. Fruit\u2019s in there, but it\u2019s well-hidden, encouraging the addition of water one drop at a time to coax it out. 126 proof. $550 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n 2.\u00a0Hampden “Great House” Rum Distillery Edition 2024<\/a> <\/strong>(Jamaica) \u2013 This rum (now in its sixth edition) is consistently great every year, and this is the second time it\u2019s made an appearance on our Top 10 Rums of the Year list. Aggressive fruit notes evoke notes of torched pineapple, papaya, and guava, paired with lit matchsticks and a bubblegum finish. All kinds of nuance awaits provided you have patience and just a little bit of water. 114 proof. $120 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n 4.\u00a0Transcontinental Rum Line Panama 2015<\/a> <\/strong>(Panama) \u2013 This column-distilled rum is just six years old, but it pours on gorgeous tropical fruit flavors, slick baking spices, and a finish that oozes vanilla. It\u2019s on the sweet side but so refreshing that I found it difficult to put down. The price is perfect for cocktailing, making this an easy go-to for mai tais. 86 proof. $60 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n 5.\u00a0<\/strong>Lost Spirits Japonisme Rum<\/strong><\/a> (U.S.) \u2013 This is a wild and wholly unexpected rum from the mad scientists at Lost Spirits, which rapidly age products, especially rum, with a patented technology. Japonisme is made using Kokuto black sugar from Okinawa, which gives the rum made from it an extremely dark color \u2013 almost black. The rum\u2019s flavor is equally dark, an immersive combination of barrel char, raisins, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts. Wild, wild stuff worth seeking out. 99 proof. $99<\/strong><\/p>\n 6.\u00a0<\/strong>Roaming Road Spirits Belize Rum 17 Years Old<\/strong><\/a> (Belize) \u2013 A new independent bottler on the scene, Roaming Road came out of the gate strong in 2024 with a collection of rums as old as 20 years in age. This column-still rum is easily the best of the lot, a fruity and spicy experience that pours on notes of blackberry, baking spice, and gingerbread. The collection of flavors evoke a high-grade brandy in the best possible way. 124.4 proof. $160<\/strong><\/p>\n 8.\u00a0Single Cask Nation Uitvlugt Rum 24 Years Old<\/a> <\/strong>(Guyana) \u2013 Another indie bottling (originally dropping in 2023 but slow to make its way to us), made in Guyana on one of the oldest pot stills in the world and one of only two wooden stills in existence. Sugary and a little industrial, this is the funky, fruity rum experience your mother warned you about. All manner of candy finds a home amid tastes of coffee ice cream and cream soda, with tons of clove on the finish. 100.2 proof. $210<\/strong><\/p>\n 9.\u00a0<\/strong>Ten To One Five Origin Select Rum<\/strong><\/a> (Trinidad, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana) \u2013 This rare blend may sound like a one-off, but it\u2019s actually a permanent addition to the Ten To One lineup, and an affordable one at that \u2013 despite the addition of 11-to-15-year-old rum produced on the Port Mourant wooden pot still that we just mentioned in the #8 writeup. Straightforward with sweetness and overripe banana up front, it settles into a toastier, wood-heavy note as it develops on the tongue. Plenty of spice on the finish, making for a versatile, rounded, and reasonably affordable offering. 92 proof. $50<\/strong><\/p>\n 10.\u00a0Brugal Rum Coleccion Visionaria Edicion 02, Coffee (2024)<\/a><\/strong> (Dominican Republic) \u2013 Round two of Brugal\u2019s Coleccion Visionaria is another unique, top-shelf experience \u2013 an experimental expression that flavors the rum without flavoring<\/em> the rum, in this case by using coffee beans to toast the casks used to age the spirit. It\u2019s a crazy idea that works really well, adding a mild, almost subdued character to an already standout rum, which otherwise connotes a heavy barrel char character followed by ample berry-focused fruit. I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll find a more unique rum on this list, save for #5. 90 proof. $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT<\/a>] [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n The post The Top 10 Rums of 2024<\/a> appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 2024 was another embarrassingly great year for rum, perhaps further evidence that we should all be paying closer attention to the category when it comes to ultra-premium spirits. Alas, rum\u2019s ascendance, while forecast for at least a decade, continues to be \u201ccoming soon,\u201d with the tropical spirit still not getting the respect it deserves. You […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12029],"tags":[24698,213],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-38442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alcohol","tag-rums","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>3.\u00a0Holmes Cay Infinity Cask<\/a> <\/strong>(Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Venezuela, and Brazil) \u2013 Like all good infinity casks, Holmes Cay\u2019s one-off expression is a m\u00e9lange of rum. It hails from 13 different distilleries, 7 countries, and comes from barrels produced as long ago as 1976. Describing its flavors is a much tougher task than laying out the back story, but should you find yourself in possession of a glass, watch for beautifully integrated butterscotch, apple cider, ginger, and lingering coconut notes. Bring your Visa card. 116 proof. $1800<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a>7.\u00a0Mount Gay Single Estate Series 24_02<\/a> <\/strong>(Barbados) \u2013 The second release in Mount Gay\u2019s Single Estate Series, this rum is unique in that it is entirely made on Mount Gay\u2019s land, from growing the sugar cane to fermenting the juice to distillation to aging. The attention to detail shows \u2013 Mount Gay even let us taste the raw sugar and molasses it made \u2013 with a brightly fruity, chocolate-laced rum that finds room for bites of green banana and toasted almonds. A delight. 110 proof. $400<\/strong><\/p>\n