You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a properly good bottle of rum. The category is still one of the best-value corners of the spirits world, and a lot of the rums that bartenders and enthusiasts keep coming back to sit comfortably under £40.
This list covers ten of them. Some are easy-going bottles for sipping or mixing, some are older, drier styles, and a couple are bold pot still rums with plenty of character. They come from Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba, Saint Lucia, Guyana, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, so you can get a feel for how different the regions are.
Most of these sit well under £40, and the few that hover close to it are included because they are exceptional value for what they are.
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The list
1. Mount Gay Eclipse
Barbados · 40% ABV
Mount Gay traces its history back to 1703, which makes it one of the oldest names in rum. Eclipse is its easy-going everyday blend of pot still and column still rums, matured in ex-bourbon barrels. It is versatile enough to drink over ice, in a highball or in a Daiquiri.
Mount GayEclipse Dark RumDark rum | Barbados | 37.5% ABV | 70cl
Original price was: £24.50.£18.38Current price is: £18.38.
View at Master of Malt2. Havana Club 7 Year Old
Cuba · 40% ABV
A Cuban rum aged for at least seven years, and a good example of the dry, aged Cuban style rather than a sweet one. It works well neat or on the rocks, and it is also a good choice for a more serious Mojito or a Cuba Libre.
Havana ClubAnejo 7 Year Old Dark RumDark rum | Cuba | 40% ABV | 70cl
£26.03
View at Master of Malt3. Chairman's Reserve Original
Saint Lucia · 40% ABV
Made by Saint Lucia Distillers, this blends pot still and column still rums and ages them in ex-bourbon barrels. The pot still element gives it more character than most rums at this price, which is why it is popular for both sipping and mixing.
St. Lucia DistillersChairman's Reserve Finest St Lucia Dark RumDark rum | Saint Lucia | 40% ABV | 70cl
Original price was: £29.00.£26.90Current price is: £26.90.
View at Master of Malt4. Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve
Jamaica · 43% ABV
Appleton Estate is one of Jamaica’s best-known distilleries, and this blend of pot still and column still rums has a minimum age of eight years. It is a reliable, widely loved introduction to aged Jamaican rum, and it works neat or in a classic cocktail.
Appleton Estate8 Year Old Reserve Dark RumDark rum | Jamaica | 43% ABV | 70cl
£31.49
View at Master of Malt5. Doorly's XO Dark Rum
Barbados · 43% ABV
Made by R.L. Seale & Co., the family behind the Foursquare distillery, Doorly’s XO is aged in ex-Oloroso sherry cask, adding Chocolate and Spice to the Tropical notes.
Doorly'sXO Dark RumDark rum | Barbados | 43% ABV | 70cl
£39.10
View at Master of Malt6. Wood's Old Navy Rum
Guyana · 57% ABV
A navy strength rum in the traditional Demerara style, bottled at 57%. That is roughly the proof of the old Royal Navy rum ration. It is dark, heavy and full of flavour, so it is best sipped slowly with a drop of water, or used where you want a rum that stands up to other ingredients.
Wood'sOld Navy Dark RumDark rum | Guyana | 57% ABV | 70cl
£31.50
View at Master of Malt7. Angostura 7 Year Old
Trinidad and Tobago · 40% ABV
Angostura is best known for its aromatic bitters, but the company also makes rum in Trinidad. The 7 Year Old is a smooth, mellow rum that suits sipping neat or mixing into a highball without getting lost.
Angostura7 Year Old House Signature Dark RumDark rum | Trinidad and Tobago | 40% ABV | 70cl
£27.00
View at Master of Malt8. Brugal 1888
Dominican Republic · 40% ABV
Brugal 1888 is double aged, first in ex-bourbon barrels and then in Spanish sherry casks. That gives it a drier, woodier character than most rums at the price, which makes it a good bridge for whisky and brandy drinkers.
Brugal1888 Double Aged Dark RumDark rum | Dominican Republic | 40% ABV | 70cl
£38.66
View at Master of Malt9. Mezan Jamaica XO
Jamaica · 40% ABV
A blend of Jamaican rums from the Monymusk and Hampden distilleries, with ages ranging from four to twenty-three years, which are then re-casked and left to marry before bottling. The profile leans towards ripe banana, vanilla, toffee and mixed spice, and it finishes spicy with a little candied peel. You’re getting a lot of aged Jamaican rum for this money.
MezanJamaica XO Dark RumDark rum | Jamaica | 40% ABV | 70cl
£37.50
View at Master of Malt10. Flor de Caña 7 Year Gran Reserva
Nicaragua · 40% ABV
Flor de Caña is made at the foot of the San Cristóbal volcano in Nicaragua and aged for seven years. It is a lighter, smoother and drier style than the Jamaican and Demerara rums above, so it suits people who find heavier rums a bit much, and it works neat, over ice or in a premium mixed drink.
Flor de CañaFlor de Cana 7 Gran Reserva (37.5%) Dark RumDark rum | Nicaragua | 37.5% ABV | 70cl
Original price was: £27.50.£25.99Current price is: £25.99.
View at Master of MaltWhich one should you buy?
Best for sipping
Doorly’s 12 Year Old or Appleton Estate 8 Year Old
Best all-rounder for cocktails
Mount Gay Eclipse
For fans of bold, funky Jamaican rum
Mezan Jamaica XO
For whisky drinkers
Brugal 1888 or Wood’s Old Navy Rum
The lightest and smoothest
Flor de Caña 7 Year Gran Reserva
A good dry, Cuban-style sipper
Havana Club 7 Year Old
