Flavoured Rum: how to choose the right one
Choosing the right flavoured rum can be a hard task.
Are you looking for an after-dinner dram? A tipple to have with friends? Maybe it’s for mixing in cocktails. Or you like giving unique and special gifts to friends. Or perhaps you’re drawn by the flavoured aspect and just want to have a good choice of rum on the shelf for when you want to try something new.
In this guide, we will try our best to cover all these aspects and hope it is useful to you when choosing your rum of choice!
Flavoured rum: what are my options?
Rum comes in lots of flavours – banana, pineapple, grapefruit, mango, blackcurrant and coconut and cherry to name but a few.
What style of spirits are you looking for? Does it have to be loaded with sweetness? Does it have to have an intense taste?
Some rums are super light and very easy to drink with an almost neutral taste, however, they still pack lots of rich indulgent flavour so can be used in a variety of different ways.
Flavoured rums are often given a lot of sugar, which makes them perfect for adding syrupy undertones without adding too much alcohol to your mixed drinks. Flavoured rums form the base for many cocktails, for example, the famous Mai Tai, which is traditionally made with flavoured rum and lime juice or passion fruit juice.
How to pick your flavoured rum: tips and tricks
Take colour into account
Many flavoured rums are dark in colour compared to their unflavoured counterparts. Often rum is flavoured by soaking the spirit with fruit, which creates its dark appearance.
How sweet is the rum?
Some flavoured rums are very syrupy tasting, others are subtle and light.
How strong is the flavouring?
Flavoured rums can vary from subtle to powerfully taste, so take this into consideration.
Does it contain any artificial flavouring?
If you prefer ‘natural’ flavouring over artificial flavouring, then check that worth considering if you are looking for a flavoured rum to splash in your cocktail or one to savour on its own.
What is the flavouring like?
Perhaps you enjoy tropical fruits, maybe cherry flavoured rums are more your thing. Or do you prefer something with spice rum hints? Maybe it’s banana flavoured rum that tickles your fancy.
What is flavoured rum best for?
Flavoured rums have lots of uses, but here are the top 3:
- Can be enjoyed on their own – many flavoured rums can be enjoyed on their own or even straight after dinner as an after-dinner drink.
- Can be used in flavoured cocktails – flavoured rums are suited to flavoured cocktails due to their intense, strongly flavoured taste. They can also be mixed with other spirits and liqueurs in different recipes as a flavour-filled characterful base.
- Can be enjoyed as shots – flavoured rums are often fresh-tasting and light, so make great shots.
How does flavoured rum get its taste?
There are a number of ways that rums can be flavoured including
- Rum that is flavoured with fruit juices or concentrated fruit syrups to add sweetness and flavour
- Rum that is flavoured by infusion, which means soaking the spirits with ingredients such as spices, roots and herbs
- Rum that is flavoured with real fruit extracts
- Rum that is flavoured by fractional distillation of the flavouring ingredient – this means taking flavouring items, usually fruits or vegetables, through a small still which filters out the flavouring item entirely from the alcohol base to leave just the flavouring component.
The first three of these flavouring methods are common in flavoured rums you will find on the shelf, whereas fractional distillation is more specialist.
Popular flavoured rum brands
Dead Mans Fingers
Dead Mans Fingers rum is flavoured with a mix of spices, fruit extracts and sugar. It was developed at the Rum & Crab Shack in St. Ives, Cornwall in the UK and is guaranteed to provide something different with fruity infusions all available in the brand’s iconic skull design.
Langs
Langs flavoured rum contains no artificial flavouring or colouring making it a popular choice. It is made by soaking the spirit with tasty citrus hues to produce an intensely flavoured rum. The mango and ginger is a favourite here at the wine box.
Tarquins
The Tarquins rum company make rum flavoured with sugar and real fruit extracts. It has an intense flavour flavoured by lychee, pineapple and grapefruit which can be enjoyed on its own or in flavoured cocktails.
Break out the rums! Here are some flavoured rums you might like to try
At The Wine Box we stock a wide range of traditional flavours, here are some of our favourites.
Cherry rum
This flavoured rum is a classic! Its cherry taste is easy to drink either on its own or in a cocktail and looks great in any bar set-up.
Banana rum
A very fruity flavoured rum, this is a medium flavoured option that is great as a flavouring for cocktails or as an after-dinner drink. The dead man’s fingers bottle design makes for fun gifts too.
Mango rum
A delicious flavoured rum with a fresh, fruity taste and the kind of bright colour you’d expect from a flavoured rum made with real fruit juices. Mangoes are a delicious fruit source of vitamins and minerals, so perfect for flavouring rum.
Pineapple rum
Super sweet-tasting pineapple flavoured rum liqueur that is great for flavouring cocktails or as an alternative to vodka in drinks like the Pina colada. Langs do a great one or try dead mans fingers pineapple rum with its iconic orange bottle.
Coconut rum
The perfect flavoured rum to use in tropical cocktails, this coconut rum makes a great gift and has a really smooth taste.
Tropical rum
These flavoured rums are made with authentic tropical fruit juices. They have an intense flavouring and smell great, which makes them perfect for use in cocktails too.
Convinced to give flavoured rum a try but not sure where to start? Our great value Dead Man’s Fingers Rum Taster Pack gives you three small bottles of flavoured rum to choose from so you can find out the best taste for you from the range!
Visit our flavoured rums to discover the perfect one for you. We stock a variety of flavoured rums, including dead mans fingers, so whatever you are looking for, look no further than The Wine Box.
Wait, before you go – always remember; drink responsibly!
Photo by Jakub Dziubak on Unsplash
