17 Must-Try Dark Rum Brands

The mix uses high-quality burnt sugarcane to complement the natural sweetness, creating a classic and unique dessert rum. Home-grown on the Saint Aubin plantation in Mauritius, you will also notice herbal tones, designating this dark rum as a fruit of the earth.

Each bottle of Zacapa 23 contains rum aged up to 23 years. The dark rum culminates soaking up the essence of the wines, whiskies, and sherries the barrels contained, creating a full-bodied flavor. You’ll experience scents of toffee, pineapple, and banana while enjoying the tastes of tobacco, apricot, and oak. Few dark rums compete with the sensory feast of Zacapa 23. As it goes down, you can enjoy the unique, stark aftertaste of butterscotch with a hint of spice.

The Papa’s Pilar brand oozes with the adventurous spirit of Ernest Hemingway’s stories. The Dark 24 rum is a combination of Spanish sherry, Bourbon, and Port Wine that echoes the exploits of brave sailors. The primary flavors are vanilla, cinnamon, and coffee, making for a dark rum that tastes great on its own. You’ll notice the spice with each sip. Sweet tones counter that spice to give the drink a robust finish.

This dark rum is Appleton Estate’s oldest brew, sitting in Jamaican barrels that give it a unique tropical taste. You will notice fruity tones of orange peel, apple, cocoa, nutmeg, and other savory flavors. The pungent bottle smells like a bouquet of fresh flowers and harvested nuts from the moment it opens. The purity of taste comes from the limestone-filtered water Appleton Estate uses in each cask. You won’t find a tropical rum this smooth anywhere else. 

As the name implies, this British dark rum grows in depth during its fifteen-year aging process. It has a unique taste of sweet molasses, island spices, and caramel, creating an exotic mix. The flavors embody the journey of a British Navy soldier’s life spent on the seas. This is one of the best dark rums for sipping straight from the bottle, though it makes a fantastic cocktail ingredient. The warm, memorable finish will linger in your mouth.

Although this dark rum is brewed in Jamaica like the Appleton Estate representative on this list, it has a very distinct flavor. Distillation in white oak barrels brings out an impressive range of flavors. Each note promotes the rich taste of Jamaican molasses. You’ll taste hints of dark chocolate, raisin, and fig. Among them are traditional notes of tobacco, leather, and caramel. It’s a smoky mix with an aromatic bouquet. It’s no surprise this dark rum is what Myers is best known for.

Quality dark rum doesn’t have to be expensive, and Cruzan Aged is a perfect example. This mix is aged for two to four years, culminating and accumulating its unique, butterscotch mouthfeel and sweet flavor. Wood and honey tones make each sip taste natural and refreshing. The flavors complement any base, making this a great cocktail mixer. Thanks to Cruzan, almost anyone can afford a high-quality dark rum that doesn’t disappoint.

This dark rum embodies the culture of the Caribbean. This concoction is aged for up to twenty-three years. During the production process, rums are purified several times over activated charcoal before aging in oak barrels. What remains is a delightfully mellow chocolate and vanilla mix interwoven with fruity tones. For a sweet rum full of history and drawn-out flavor, try this Puerto Rican mix.

This eight-year-aged rum boasts a complex palette of flavors beginning with its pure sugarcane base. Despite having tasting notes of vanilla, pepper, and fruit, this dark alcoholic drink balances perfectly. Drinking it straight from the bottle or on the rocks will be smooth from start to finish. If you’re wondering about the intense aroma of oak, you can thank the French Limousin barrels used to age the rum. They give Rhum Barbancourt a unique identity and an unforgettable taste. 

Plantation’s original dark rum expands on the island brewing treatment. The alcohol ages further after shipping to Cognac, France, which is the home of a luxurious French brandy. Before this process, the rum has notes of banana, vanilla, and plum. Distillation transforms it into a full-bodied mix with flavors of dried fruit, cinnamon, and clove. Its tropical composition makes Plantation Original an excellent ingredient in cocktails or with ginger beer.

Kraken Rum Original is another one of our favorite dark rums to either mix up a cocktail or sip straight on the rocks. Either way, it's a delightfully flavorful experience that's a match for any pirate. This Caribbean spiced rum is unlike any other, and the rum masters over at Kraken have even come up with a couple of concoctions that we think you should check out called The Kramble and Banana Old Kraken.

Flor de Caña 12 ages for twelve years in Nicaragua, adopting a bold flavor palate. It is one of the only dark rums on this list with no added sugar. It ages among volcanic soil in bourbon barrels with plantain leaves, slowly absorbing natural notes and sweetness from the environment. You will taste notes of baked apples, wood, vanilla, and honey with every sip, heightened by the purity of rich volcanic filtered water. 

Hamilton Overproof is a strong, thick dark rum that suits anyone who enjoys heavy drinks. Made primarily from rich fermented molasses, the concoction ages for five years to bring out its full flavors. Burnt cane, treacle, brown spice, and subtle fruits are just some of the notes you will experience. Overproof rums are designed primarily for cocktails, so I recommend trying this one in a daiquiri or rum punch. 

This artisan rum combines 5-year and 14-year aged rums in American whiskey casks for a year, creating a plethora of flavors. Cherry, dried fruit, almond, and oak are some of the intense notes that you will taste in this limited-edition dark rum. Non-chill shipping ensures that each bottle retains its maximum feel, flavor, and finish. Although this rum has a limited annual release, the depth of taste and feel are legendary.

When it comes to rum, there's one name that even a landlubber should recognize: Captain Morgan. Most know The Captain for his spiced gold rum, but the dark rum is what really shines, in our opinion. This rum deep, smokey notes of flavor that make it perfect for sipping neat, but don't be afraid to mix up a stiff drink with this liquor, either. Captain Morgan recommends a Planter's Punch cocktail!

This twelve-year-aged rum is perfect for sipping. It matures in bourbon casks in Venezuela and then finishes by spending two years in sherry casks. The result is a candied, fruity rum that goes down smoothly. Cooking brings out its intense chocolate and coffee aromas. Whether you’re drinking it straight or using it as an ingredient, you’ll enjoy the complex flavors of this all-around great choice.

This extremely dark rum is almost pitch-black inside the bottle. Once you pour it, you will notice that it’s truly a deep amber color reflective of its molasses, vanilla, and toasted nut flavors. It all begins with an aromatic scent of sweetness and ends with a full-bodied finish. Gosling’s Black Seal Rum works excellently as a cocktail ingredient, but it performs just as well when enjoyed on the rocks.