The Top 5 Rums to Make Your Summer Tiki-tastic

We powerfully advocate the consumption ofrum , especially when it ’s steamy than a Florida swamp outside . lately , though , the class has exploded , go forth even us at a loss for which bottles to grease one’s palms . Which is why this summer we ’ll be bring you portfolios of rums curated for specific United States of America . First up : tiki .

There ’s no better way to beat the heat than in proper Polynesian mode . While these for certain are n’t the only bottleful you ’ll require if you need to be the next Don the Beachcomber , they will help you get start or help beef up your growing collection .

Best Rhum: Boukman Wild Spice Rum ($42)

Boukman rummy is the first non - commercial-grade , small batch rummy from Haiti to be imported into the United States . extract from fresh cane succus ( much like Martinique ’s rhum agricole ) , Boukman is a spiced rummy made without artificial flavors or ingredients . ( In Haiti the mode is call Clairin Trempe . ) Instead , it is macerate with spices and botanical indigenous to Haiti . Dry and tannic with subtle vitriolic , root flavors like an amaro , it ’s surprisingly full in place of whiskey in an Old Fashioned or , of course , in a Rum Punch .

Best Overproof Rum: Damoiseau 110 Proof Pure Cane Rum ($35)

Pronounced dam - wah - so , this rhum agricole from the island of Guadeloupe is in a class all of its own . Only just now popping up on shelf , it is the only unfiltered , overproof agricole currently useable in the U.S. It taste like invigorated cut pot and in the raw cane sugar , with a diesel funkiness . Damoiseau plays well with other rum — specially aged , molasses or demerara rum — making it a staring contender for multi - rum cocktails like theMai Tai . You could also try drinking it like the Guadeloupeans , with just a touch of fresh lime and raw bread cane sirup — ice not include .

Best Gold Rum: Appleton Estate Reserve Blend ($28)

Appleton Estate Reserve Rum is pure Jamaican liquidness gold . It ’s expert than most whiskeys on the market and half the price . Take yourDaiquiristo the next level with this high-risk boy , or if you ’re not afraid to consecrate cocktail blasphemy , use it to make yourself one of the best Manhattans ever . ( Who needs whiskey ? ) The flavor profile is everything you could ever want from an aged purport ( rummy or otherwise ) with notes of baking spices , citrus zest , vanilla and earthiness .

Best White Rum: Banks 5 Island Rum ($30)

Many tiki boozing call for multiple rums from different Caribbean island . Rather than break the bank buying up the entire rummy section of a liquor storehouse , we suggest purchasing just one feeding bottle : Banks 5 Island Rum . A blend of twenty different rums from five different islands ( hence the name ) , this lily-white rummy work out well in just about any cocktail . It ’s uninfected and brilliant with just the ripe amount of depth and a touch of exotica .

Best Rum for Sipping: Ron “Navazos Palazzi” Spanish Rum ($150)

When we first essay this rum , we prove urgently to steal the bottle . A coaction between sherry manufacturer Equipo Navazos and Nicolas Palazzi of PM heart , it ’s a molasses - based rum that ’s age for five years in bourbon drum in the Caribbean , before being shipped to Spain where it spend another 10 years in oloroso sherry casks . Extremely circumscribed ( only 1,500 bottles were allocate to the U.S. ) and admittedly high-priced than the rest of the rum on our leaning , this is a wildcat of a spirit and not meant for mixing . It packs a gourmet gift field goal of flavour , ranging from prunes to fig kettle of fish to roasted almond and sea salt . If sipping rum straight does n’t vocalise very tiki to you , just consider this : What do pirates wassail ? Straight rummy . And it does n’t get much more tiki than a pirate .