Top 10 Rums of the year 2024
This is Master of Malt’s Top 10 Rums of the Year 2024. See anything missing? Send us your suggestions in the comments.
Rum always needs to have a defining year. For the last decade, people have proclaimed the upcoming twelve months would be the “year of rum”. Can it move away from its “party spirit” reputation? Can it achieve the holy grail of “premiumisation”? A word no human in the real world has ever said.
We certainly see more than enough good new rum on our virtual shelves next to the not-inconsiderable amount already there. So while others debate, we’re happy to welcome Christmas by pouring ourselves a glass of something brilliant. Because across 2024 plenty of fine rums were released. Now as the year draws to a close, we’ve selected standouts.
Here’s the Master of Malt Top 10 Rums of the Year 2024.
Top 10 Rums of the Year 2024
Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve – 2024 Edition Rum
Master Blender’s Reserve is an annual highlight so there’s no surprise that it has made the cut. For 2024, Black Tot shifted its focus to one country – Barbados. Rums from there form 60% of a blend aged in a combination of American and European oak casks and offered un-chill filtered at 54.5% ABV.
O Reizinho – Batch 4 – 9 Month Old (That Boutique-y Rum Company)
O Reizinho Distillery makes Agricole rum on Madeira and trust us, it’s waiting to knock your socks off. For this rum, it doubled its Madeira magic by housing it in a cask that had previously held fortified wine for nine months. Plus, the label has a Funky Olive King. What’s not to like?
Rump@blic Origins Ghana/eSwatini
Rump@blic launched this year to explore the history and geography of rum. This rum came from Africa, a blend of 55% unaged Ghanaian pot still rum distilled from cane juice and 45% unaged eSawatini column still rum distilled from molasses. Unique and interesting, just what we like!
Caroni 25 Year Old – Forgotten Gems Rum
From the sadly long-lost Caroni distillery and indie bottler Forgotten Gems comes a magnificent rum matured for 25 years, including a finish in first-fill oloroso sherry casks. A 61% ABV, this is a big, beautiful rarity to savour.
Merser White Rum
A super cocktail rum here from Merser that’s an unbelievably good price. Made from a blend of unaged rums from Barbados, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, you can make a Daiquiri, Mojito… whatever your heart desires.
DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum
The first barrel-matured rum from English distillery DropWorks is a beauty: fermented using a signature trinity yeast, distilled from scratch, and aged in custom hybrid casks, including American and Portuguese oak.
Revival Rum Pure Cane Spirit
For those who love a raw, rugged Pure Cane Spirit, Revival treated you this year. It’s made using high-grade cane molasses and cane Demerara sugar from the Caribbean. Try it in a classic Daiquiri. Shake 50ml Revival Rum, 25ml lime juice and 10ml sugar syrup. You can even add a twist by using some blended strawberries. Beautiful.
Elizabeth Yard Sherry Cask Edition (Holyrood Distillery) Rum
Holyrood Distillery treated us with a Sherry Cask Edition of its Elizabeth Yard rum this year. The array of rums in this blend is incredible, with spirits from the likes of Ghana, Vietnam and the Philippines included and all married together in quality sherry casks.
Rhum St Barth Se Mettre Au Vert Rhum Agricole Blanc Rum
A superb agricole rhum here from St. Barths, created with mixology in mind. If you’ve never made a Ti’ Punch before, now’s your chance. End 2024 with a new favourite cocktail, Martinique’s national drink, one that blends sugar sweet and citrus sour with rum in a holy trinity that never disappoints. Just add a splash of cane syrup and a squeeze of lime to a rocks glass followed by your your Rhum Agricole and a few ice cubes then stir it all together and garnish with a lime coin.
Dictador 17 Year Old 2005 (cask SH-528) Libreto Sherry Cask Rum
The final entry to our Top 10 Rums of the year 2024, from Dictador in Columbia. The brand releases limited editions that showcase the ability of master blender Hernan Parra, who selects batches of particularly excellent sherry cask-finished rum. This single cask expression, Libreto, was distilled in 2005, with most of its 17-year maturation occurring first in American oak. Whisky fans will appreciate this approach as much as rum fans.
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