Community Favorites: Affordable Rums

Pyrat was originally conceived in 1997 by the Anguilla Rum Company and has since been acquired by Patrón Spirits. It is a blend of rums sourced from throughout the Caribbean, though the majority of its makeup consists of a Demerara style from Guyana. The rums are aged in a combination of American (ex-bourbon) and French Limousin oak, for as little as 2 years and as much as 15. The shape of the bottle is a throwback to the style of decanters favored by sea captains and pirates. The medallion around its neck is said to symbolize Hoti, the Patron Saint of Bartenders, despite the bottle’s somewhat unwieldy shape.

Foursquare Distillery, located in St. Philip, Barbados, is one of the stalwarts of Caribbean rum production. This release, conceived by 4th generation distiller Richard Seale, is a throwback to a time in early rum production when rum was transported in used sherry and port barrels. In this instance, the rum, produced in a combination of column and pot stills, was aged 3 years in ex-bourbon barrels and an additional 6 years in ex-port barrels.

Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum is named in honor of a British troopship that sank off the island of St. Kitts in 1782 and was recently rediscovered. This rum is distilled from fermented molasses before being aged for at least four years in charred American oak barrels.

What do you do when you want to test the strength of your rum but are on a ship in the middle of the ocean? Why you douse gunpowder on it to see if it will light to ensure your rum hasn't been watered down. At least that's what British sailors would do. This navy strength rum has been repackaged from a former blue label to a black label. Pusser's Rum Gunpowder Proof (Black Label) is bottled at 54.5% ABV.

This rum bottling previously had no age statement, but was widely known to have been aged at least 10 years. This Bajan rum is distilled at the Foursquare Distillery and adds no sugar pre-bottling. The packaging must be noted as it is black glass and appears to be melting.

This Navy Rum was created by London-born Alfred Lamb in 1849. His creation is a blend of 18 different rums from the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad. This is bottled at 80 proof. Note: This is currently not available in the US.

The El Dorado rums are distilled at the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) in Guyana from molasses sourced from 100% Demerara sugar. They have acquired quite a few different stills from closed distilleries on the island and use a combination of them for each marque. The 8 year uses four different types of stills including an Enmore wooden column-still and a two column-metal-Coffey still. The rum is blended and aged in ex-whiskey barrels.

El Dorado is distilled from molasses from 100% Demerara sugar. They have 9 different types of stills at the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and for this bottling they use a four-column French Savalle still and an Enmore wooden Coffey still. The rum is blended and aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

Myers's Rum, named for founder Fred L. Myers, has been produced in Jamaica since 1879. This molasses-based dark rum is a blend of up to nine rums made in both continuous and pot stills. It's aged up to four years in ex-bourbon barrels.

Malibu Original coconut flavored rum was designed as an all-in-one cocktail, a low-proof liqueur rather than a full proof rum for safe consumption in warm-weather party settings. It was later embraced by a generation of bartenders who used it in Piña Coladas and other tropical cocktails. The flavor is derived from coconut extract.