National Rum Day doesn’t come until August 16, but if your dad likes rum, why not celebrate it a couple months early, i.e., on Father’s Day? Here’s a round-up of some delicious rums to gift your dad.
The Rum Cooperative Volume 3, $43.99
Bully Boy Distillers in Boston love rum, and they take the art of blending rum seriously. For their latest release, Volume 3, they blend 12-year-old rums from the Dominican Republic, Panama, Barbados, and Brazil. Their goal, as always, is to blend them in such a way that each rum complements and elevates each other so that the blend is stands above.
Named in honor of both “Papa” Ernest Hemingway and his boat, the Pilar, this rum is as complex as … [+]
Papa’s Pilar dark rum, $44.99,
If your dad is a bookworm or boating enthusiast or an Ernest Hemingway fan, then why not give him a premium rum inspired by this rum-loving author himself? The rum is named for Papa Hemmingway and his yacht, the Pilar. Made of hand-selected rums blended in bourbon barrels, port wine casks and sherry wine casks, this rum is delicious and complex like the man himself.
Holmes Cay specializes in importing rare and distinguished rums like Barbados 2012 Port Cask.
Holmes Cay Barbados 2012 Port Cask, $99
Only five barrels of this gold medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition were released for this year in the entire country. If your dad is a bourbon fan, then he’d probably swoon for this rum, which was aged first for eight years in Barbados, then finished for a year in port casks in New York. Its rarity alone makes it a gift worth giving.
Don Papa is a rum that is aged in the foothills of an active volcano in the Philippines.
Don Papa 7-Year Rum, $40
Distilled from some of the finest sugar cane in the world, Don Papa is a premium, small batch, aged rum from the Philippines. Aged in oak barrels in the foothills of an active volcano, Mount Kanlaon, this rum is an absolutely distinctive gift to give your father.
Candela Mamajuana tastes great by itself and mixed in cocktails.
Candela Mamajuana spiced rum, $31.99
Made of Dominican rum, spices and just a bit of honey, a bottle of Candela Mamajuana is sure to surprise your dad. Mamajuana is is one of the most traditional drinks of the Dominican Republic, and Candela is one of the only Mamajuanas available outside of the country. Serve it neat, over ice or blended into one of your dad’s favorite rum cocktails.
Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve is aged 15 years.
Rhum Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Years Old, $55,
This smooth and mighty rum hails from Haiti, and it undergoes a very specific type of aging, through three different types of oak barrels. If your dad prefers a rum to sip, this elegant and agile rum might make a very, very suitable gift.
BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho is a delicious rum that’s been aged for eight years.
BACARDÍ Reserva Ocho, $29.99
BACARDÍ Reserve Ocho, as its name implies, is made from a special selection of rums, aged for a minimum of eight years in barrels. This velvety, rare gold rum is one of the oldest, private rum blends in the world, and it’s best enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in an old fashioned.
SelvaRey white rum is an aged white rum that pairs beautifully into cocktails.
SelvaRey white rum, $35.99
Looking for an unexpected yet aged rum? SelvaRey’s white rum is a smooth rum that’s been aged for three years, which gives it a rich flavor, but it’s charcoal-filtered to remove the color. Owned by Bruno Mars, this sustainably produced, single estate rum received the highest ratings for a white rum by The Tasting Panel.
Matusalem Gran Reserva is aged 15 years, and it tastes great over ice, with just a squeeze of lime.
Matusalem Gran Reserva 15, $24.99
This dark rum is the flagship of Ron Matusalem, a rum brand that was originally born in Cuba in 1872. Today, this rum is made with its signature, time-honored recipe in a solara aging system in the Dominican Republic.
Old Line Spirits takes its aged Caribbean Rum and finishes it in their single malt casks.
Old Line Aged Caribbean Rum Single Malt Cask-Finished, $35
Old Line Spirits founders Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins met in the Navy flying EA-6B Prowlers before they later founded their craft distillery in Baltimore. The two set aside a small amount of their aged Caribbean rum to finish mellowing in their single malt whiskey barrels, which creates the perfect rum for whiskey drinkers.
Dos Maderas 5+5 tastes delicious in an espresso martini.
Dos Maderas 5+5 triple aged rum, $44.99
A blend of 5-year-old Bajon and 5-year-old Guyanese rums rest for an additional three years in casks that previously contained 20-year-old Palo Cortado sherry, then aged another two years in cakes that previously contained 20-year-old Pedro Ximenez sherry. This dark Spanish rum is is so good, your dad might even want to flamenco.
Bespoken Spirits dark rum is aged using modern, sustainable techniques.
Bespoken Spirits dark rum, $48.99
The founders of Bespoken Spirits use craft maturation and sustainable practices to precisely tailor the aroma, color and taste of each of their spirits, including their dark rum, which won several gold medals, including most resenting at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
This aged organic rum harvests its sugar cane from some of the wildest fields in the Dominican … [+]
Barceló organic rum, $24.50
This limited production rum is made from fresh sugarcane juice sourced from some of the oldest and wildest fields in the Dominican Republic. Aged in select oak staves without prior use, this rum is sustainable and delicious, perfect for the eco-conscious dad.