Rum is synonymous with the Caribbean–it’s tropical, sweet, and best enjoyed on the beach! There are hundreds of different distilleries in the Caribbean, each with its unique flavors and methods for crafting the perfect sugarcane spirit. Curious which rum might be crafted towards your liking? Here are three delicious distilleries to try on your next Caribbean vacation to help you find your rum of choice.
The basics
Rum’s main ingredient? Sugarcane. The sugarcane is fermented and distilled to produce molasses using column or pot stills. Long story short, column stills allow for a more industrial distillation process and have a higher ABV, whereas pot stills use a technic dating back to the 15th century, topping out anywhere between 60 to 80 percent ABV. Almost all rum is blended, so you can expect most rums to be a mixture of different ages, barrels, and flavor profiles.
Barbados
Arguably known as the birthplace of rum, Barbados is home to Mount Gay Distillery, the oldest-running rum distillery in the world. It was established in 1703 and is admired worldwide for its masterful and unique distillation. The distillery uses column and pot stills as well as coral-filtered water from the island’s surrounding barrier reefs to distill its rum. The dual distillation process gives its rum a balanced flavor profile with hints of cooked bananas, vanilla, chocolate, and almond.
Puerto Rico
One of the most popular rums in the world, Bacardi, is produced just outside San Juan at Casa Bacardi, the world’s largest premium rum distillery. Bacardi undergoes multiple distillations on column stills, creating a light and smooth spirit with aromas of soft vanilla and almond developed through aging in white oak barrels. A bar staple, Bacardi doesn’t overpower a cocktail with bold and robust flavors and pairs seamlessly with tropical cocktails like piña coladas and mojitos.
Jamaica
Jamaican rum does not shy away from big and bold flavors. It’s smooth like molasses and picks up notes of baking spices and tropical fruits. Appleton Estate is Jamaica's oldest sugar estate and distillery, beginning its rum production in 1749. It leans on traditional pot stills to retain the fruity and spicy flavors before turning toward column distillation. It produces a flavorful rum–think aromas of orange, brown sugar, and nutmeg–and is best enjoyed on its own. Does rum truly taste better on the beach? Find out for yourself and book your Caribbean vacation with BeachBound.
