I love a good rum. I made the switch while at University away from beer and never looked back. Especially after a personal tour of the Takamaka Bay distillery in the Seychelles where I learnt a lot more about what goes into various types of rum, how to drink it, and what to look for. Gone are the days of a Bacardi and coke, or a Captain Morgan's Spiced with lemonade. Oh no, bring on the good stuff!


So, here's all 54 of my rum history:

Rum
Tasting notes
Rating
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Tobacco Ron Miel Spain Spain
Oh boy, such a delicious rum liqueur. Sweet honey with just enough rum aftertaste to remind you that you aren't drinking pure honey. Great on a warm summer evening
Ron Abuelo 15y Tawny Port Panama Panama
Lovely smell out the bottle. Delicate first sip that leaves a punch to warm the throat. A sweet note, but not too much - just enough from the tawny cask.
Takamaka Bay Coconut Seychelles Seychelles
Wonderful, light, real coconut taste, Seychellians drink it with a solitary ice cube. Probably the memories of a Seychelles Honeymoon help the rating!
Don Papa Masskara Philippines Philippines
A bit sweet, but not overly so. A nice warming drink to enjoy while playing games. A touch fruity but it treads the line of whether it's real or chemical. Either way, skol!
Sticky Toffee Rum Liqueur United Kingdom United Kingdom
So smooth, so sticky, so toffee, and so rum! I have a feeling it's too much of a liqueur to be a proper rum, but that won't stop me taking a sip on a warm summer's eve.
Wood Stork Germany Germany
Warm spiced tipple. Probably the review is aided by the memories of Black Forest holidays. Easy to drink, and fine with an ice cube on a warm summer's eve.
Black Tears Cuba Cuba
Nice and smooth. Slight hint of caramel. Very aromatic even if there is a bit of coffee in there somewhere. Lovely spiced drink.
Shack Red Spiced Barbados Barbados Guatemala Guatemala Haiti Haiti Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago
A lovely warming spice that smells delicious. Not sure how so many countries for involved in making it, but they seem to have got it right.
Compañero Ron Elixir Orange Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago
A very strong taste or orange, but it fits the rum quite well. Not too strong a rum, probably toned down by the orange tones. An ice cube might be useful to take away a small amount of sting, and to go with the summer feel of the sip.
Curaçao Rum Raisin Liquer Curaçao Curaçao
Lovely and sweet, and not an artificial taste. A good dollop of orange peel to add some flavour and it's a very nice evening digestive. Can definitely relate it to the ice cream flavour, all that's missing is some cold vanilla! After a while, the 25% feels much stronger, so I have to mark it down a tad.
Old Man Rum Project One Caribbean Caribbean
Nice sweet vanilla aroma that has a hint of whiskey barrel about it. Not so strong and a very pleasant drink with just the right balance between sweet and smokey
Dead Man's Fingers Cherry United Kingdom United Kingdom
A sweet tipple that doesn't do much in the way of cherry. Something nice is in there though as it tickles down the back of the throat.
Discarded Banana Peel United Kingdom United Kingdom
An overwhelming aroma of bananas (to be expected), but not much banana to taste. Smooth and warming, it seems to hold its own - there's no hint of chemical fruit flavouring, and it stays warm in the belly.
Rumbullion! Guyana Guyana
Tangy sip, with an aroma of orange (or some citrus-ness) and maybe some other nice spices. I cannot help but shout it's name with the exclamation point! Certainly does earn the punctuation mark. Delicious!
Dead Man's Fingers United Kingdom United Kingdom
Vanilla, Cinnamon, Orange, oh my. Lovely little tipple from Cornwall. Wonderfully spiced, and an excellent little tipple. And bonus points for the name!
Cocal Canary Islands Canary Islands
Honey liqueur so it's sweet, but not too much and just right on a warm summer's eve. Not as good as other honey rums from the islands, but definitely a solid drink.
Smuggler's Cove Canada Canada
Delightful smell. Tastes like they've even managed to squeeze some maple syrup into it for a truly patriotic sip (although it's probably molasses or caramel of some kind and I'm just think of maple syrup because it's Canadian). Warming, but not too strong so I'll be drinking it again on a sunny patio.
Bacardi Caribbean Spiced Puerto Rico Puerto Rico
Coming soon...
Xmas Pud Rum Liqueur United Kingdom United Kingdom
Does the job of feeling like Christmas - nice and warm, and makes me crave a mince pie! Shame it's only acceptable at Christmas. But great that it's from near my hometown!
Guajiro Canary Islands Canary Islands
Nice honey taste, something the Canaries do well. Warming taste, and it sticks on your lips well. It gives me a puzzler now for which honey rum to order on my next trip to the isles...
Captain Cook's Spiced Black Germany Germany
Lovely sip with an ice cube. Not too heavy, and far better than other captains are neat. Very nice aroma too so quality drink from start to finish - doubly so when I find it's Lidl's own brand rum...
Maman Brigitte Barbados Barbados Jamaica Jamaica Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
A nice blended rum that probably shouldn't work given the different ages of rums, but it works well. A nice sip that doesn't need an ice cube
Olivers Maximo Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
Nice aroma of burnt caramel, followed by very nice dark rum. Ever so slightly smokey.
Rum Magec PX Spain Spain
Nothing special about the aroma, but a nice little rum with a hint of caramel in there somewhere. Quite pleasant and maybe worth another shot in the future.
Dictador 12 year Colombia Colombia
An excellent starter rum, with a smooth soft oak taste. Warming and tingling on the lips, it is a pleasant balanced flavour. Nice amber colour, and a drop of ice does nothing to water it down as the flavours still hold.
New Groove 8 year Mauritius Mauritius
Doesn't taste as pungent as other 8 year olds I've had. A pleasant aroma, and nothing too harsh as it goes down, so a very good tipple. Probably similar to others in my cupboard, but it's certainly looking good for Indian Ocean islands
Groom D'or Luxembourg Luxembourg
A first Luxembourgish rum for the cupboard. I'm not a fan of golden rums, but this one isn't too bad. A sweet taste and not as strong as other golden rums. Tipp topp!
Gun's Bell Caribbean Caribbean
Review coming soon
Millonario 15 year Peru Peru
A touch of almond somewhere in there. Nice tipple, but it gets better if I leave it to air a bit first. Could do with an ice cube maybe, but otherwise fine.
Barceló Añejo Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
As a gold rum it's obviously a bit sharp and I can already feel its effect after a few sips. But on a warm night with plenty of ice cubes it's not too bad.
Hampden Estate 8y Jamaica Jamaica
Sharp rum, but a beautiful aroma. Definitely a slow sipping rum though, as the 8 years of matury certainly packs a punch after a while.
Don Papa Philippines Philippines
At first I thought it was a little too artificial, but adding an ice cube makes it a very pleasant sip. Aged in oak, you can definitely get a hint of that.
Sikkim India India
Nice and warm, and very good after a curry. Strong smell, but if it sits for a while, the aroma dissipates quite quickly. Strong, but not unpleasantly so.
Don Q Añejo Puerto Rico Puerto Rico
Sharp smell but the taste is a bit lighter. Not much though, but proves you shouldn't judge a rum by its nose
Pyrat XO Guyana Guyana
There's a hidden aroma in there somewhere but it's pleasant. A little harsh before it warms the throat, but an ice cube does the trick to calm it down nicely. Not worthy of buying a bottle, but as a shot in the bar, not bad.
HMS Victory Rum England England
A lovely smell, but a little too harsh when it enters the mouth. Down the throat it's very warming though. It's navy strength, so that's probably why. But now I know there's rum to be had on the Isle of Wight
Ron Esclavo XO Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
Not bad, but similar to others in my cupboard
Ron Malteco 15 Panama Panama
A strong aroma, but a subtle taste. Still strong, but the oakyness makes it fairly pleasant. Three hairs added to chest at least!
Rum Malecon 12 year Panama Panama
Nice aroma, the first sip hinted it would be strong, but it was pleasant in the mouth. By the time it reached the stomach, the warmth had nicely heated my innards.
Wild Tiger Rum India India
Lovely aroma, and great looking full sized bottle with tiger stripes, but the taste is distinctly average
Ron Jaguar Edicion Poas Costa Rica Costa Rica
Pleasant aroma and a nice warning taste. Nothing special, but if I stumble upon it again I'll give it another go.
Black Tot Caribbean Caribbean
First sip is a tad too whiskey like. But it settles warmly, despite it's strong punch. A bit too much "peaty"ness I think for me, but probably well suited to those with Scottish whiskey leanings
Compañero Ron Gran Reserva Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica Jamaica
A powerful smell, but a nice slightly oaky taste accompanies the strong alcohol taste. If it wasn't for the strength it would be quite pleasant
Don Pancho Origenes Reserva 18 Panama Panama
Pleasant. Nothing spectacular, but a hint of oak in there somewhere?
Tres Hombres Porto Bayan 2005 Barbados Barbados
I forgot to write a review for this one
Ron Esclavo 12 Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
I forgot to write a review for this one
Bristol Spirits Reserve Mauritius Mauritius
A sharp smell followed by a strong, young, rum. Could probably do with an ice cube to calm it down as it was a bit too strong for me.
Ron 1914 Edicion Gatun Panama Panama
A fairly normal rum smell with nothing of note. The taste is a bit harsh until it gets down to the stomach, could do with some flavour to make it more interesting
Rum-Bar Gold Jamaica Jamaica
Indifferent nose, but a very warming sensation just after it clears the gullet. Probably an excellent choice on a frozen winter's night, but as it's only nippy, it doesn't get the chance to shine or warm the soul.
Séverin XO Rhum Vieux Agricole Guadeloupe Guadeloupe
Potency itself, there was talk of vanilla, but all I could taste was the 45% alcohol. Too strong for me.
Wild Tiger India Spiced Rum India India
Smells oddly of 'nice dentist', reminding me of how clean and precise their surgeries are. Taste wise, it's pleasant, but a kind of cardamon pod after taste brings it down at the end
'By the Dutch' Batavia Arrack Indonesia Indonesia
Oh boy, this one's potent. It's a very light coloured rum, and I often find them a bit harsh, but this one was too much, a pleasant warming, but too harsh to enjoy even that
Platino by Atlantico Rum Dominican Republic Dominican Republic
I've never been a fan of neat white rum, and the aroma suggested this wouldn't change my opinions. But the light taste that doesn't really taste of anything makes it a lot more drinkable. Just a shame that there is next to no taste.
Ron Aldea Caña Pura Canary Islands Canary Islands
Oi! Sorry but the Canary Islands should stick to their honey rums, this is far too strong and I'm struggling to drink it without making amusing faces for those watching me