In a world where tastes shift quickly, rum is a timeless and versatile spirit. Its ability to level up a cocktail or be savored straight has made it a crowd favorite for centuries. These days, rum is experiencing a renaissance as distillers turn out a seemingly never-ending stream of richly complex premium rums. Unlike their standard counterparts, these rums are designed to be enjoyed straight, showcasing layers of flavor that reflect careful aging and expert craftsmanship.
Guidance is crucial for those seeking to navigate this sea of exceptional bottles. Enter the world’s foremost international spirits competitions—arenas where only the finest rums are submitted, and blind tastings ensure unbiased judgment. In 2024, these experts selected five standout bottles, each embodying the very essence of what makes premium rum extraordinary.
From the golden hues of a Cuban gem to the smoky complexity of a Jamaican treasure, these rums promise not just to satisfy but to transport. Each sip evokes visions of swaying palms, endless beaches, and the warm embrace of the tropics—a sensory journey that transcends the glass. If you want to see what some of the finest rum distillers on the planet are doing, look no further. Here are the best rums of 2024.
Eminente Gran Reserva Edition N°1
If one people should know what great rum is, it would be the British. Their military and shipping fleets literally introduced the spirit to the rest of the world from its Caribbean birth in the seventeenth century. So, you should pay attention when the 2024 London Spirits Competition (LSC) picks a rum to be the best in its entire show
At the recently concluded LSC show, Eminente Gran Reserva Edition N°1 took home the Rum of the Year and Spirit of the Year. Crafted by César Marti, one of Cuba’s up-and-coming rum makers, it’s a masterful blend of 80% aguardiente (Cuban molasses eaux-de-vie) and light rum aged at least ten years. It was designed to be sipped neat and is loaded with flavors. Here is what the judges had to say about it: This aged rum blends chocolate toffee, tropical fruits, and spices. Its nose hints at caramel, muscovado sugar, cloves, and cherries, while the palate offers nutmeg, figs, cloves, and pineapple.
Star & Key Rum VSOP Single Cask Rum
Hailing from the tiny remote island of Mauritius in the middle of the Indian Ocean, this rum from Star & Key perfectly highlights how rum makers worldwide are producing incredibly full-flavored liquids that are changing how rum is perceived. Using estate-grown sugar cane and a carefully monitored single-cask aging process, each release of their rum comes with its own distinctive character and flavors.
Their VSOP Single Cask Rum earned a Double Gold medal and was named the Best Overall Rum at the 2024 New York World Spirits Competition. It was aged in slow-toasted French Oak cognac casks that imbued the liquid with layered flavors and richness. As a fresh sugar cane rum, it is brimming with aromatics, highlighting its honey, toasted nut, and brown sugar flavors. Here is what the judges had to say: It opens with inviting aromas of warm vanilla, caramel, and subtle spices, leading to a full-bodied palate with notes of toffee, oak, and tropical fruit. The finish is long, smooth, and complex, showcasing the depth achieved through single-cask aging.
R L Seale Foursquare 14 YO Equipoise Rum
Tucked away in the southwest countryside of Barbados, the Foursquare Rum Distillery has produced exceptional and authentic Barbados rum since 1996. As the only family-owned distillery on an island known as the birthplace of rum, its rums have become famous worldwide among aficionados for their deep flavors and subtle blends. Distilled by Master Distiller and Blender Richard Seale, their single blended 14-year-old Equipose Rum was named Best In Show Rum at the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC).
As the oldest such event in the world, the IWSC has a long and celebrated history of uncovering the best spirits in the world from the thousands they taste each year. The winning rum is crafted from a blend of two 14-year-old rums. The first was aged five years in ex-bourbon barrels and nine years in ex-cognac casks. The second spent twelve years in ex-bourbon barrels and two years in ex-Camus Cognac casks. The resultant liquid is brimming with flavors.
Here is what the judges had to say: Enticing aromas of leather and olive oil greet the senses, leading to a tantalizing blend of citrus peel, cinnamon, oak, dark chocolate, and nutmeg. Plummy, spiced fruit dances on the palate, upon a soft, sweet mouthfeel. A dry, tangy finish lingers, revealing layers of caramel, banana bread, and tobacco. Luxurious and long-lasting.
The ImpEx Collection 2007 Long Pond Distillery 15-Year-Old Jamaican Rum
Everyone should take notice when a brand takes home a best-in-show trophy from the prestigious San Francisco International Spirits Competition (SFWSC). Long known for its ability to sniff out up-and-coming brands and hidden gems, the event is the largest such spirit competition in the world. It named The ImpEx Collection 2007 Long Pond Distillery 15-Year-Old Jamaican Rum, both its Best Extra-Aged Rum and best-in-show Aged White Spirit for 2024.
If you haven’t heard of ImpEx you should search them out. Founded in 2008 as an importer of premium and rare spirits from around the globe, they have recently been branching out, creating their own limited-release products. Working with many of the best distillers and blenders in the world, their products are fantastic and have been racking up awards. The liquid in their SFWSC winning bottle was sourced from the famed Long Pond Rum Distillery in Jamacia and spent fifteen years in barrels. The resultant liquid is filled with funky botanical flavors with a hint of sweetness.
Hamilton Ministry of Rum Lost Voyage Rum
You know the scene. You are sitting at the bar, and you tell the bartender to pour you a taste of something special that only insiders know about. They think for a moment, pull out a bottle you have never heard about, and pour you an amazing drink. You are hooked and start telling others about this amazing find. If you like rum, this hidden gem fills that bill for you. Made by industry legend Ed Hamilton, it was named the Rum of the Year at the 2024 Bartender Spirits Awards, an event designed to introduce drinkers to unheralded bottles.
A prolific sailor and blogger, Ed Hamilton has chronicled his passionate love affair with rum for decades. So, when he decided to try bending his own rums, the Hamilton Ministry of Rum was born. Each release is a passion project that pays tribute to another adventure that Hamilton has partaken in, which inspired a new rum. Lost Voyage is from the South American country of Guyana, famous for producing incredible rums. Here is what the judges had to say about it: Perceivable fruit and coffee character. Subtle wood and a dry finish makes it a fun rum.
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