Dark Rums for Stormy Nights

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.

After the sugar makers have extracted everything they can from the cane juice, blackstrap molasses remains. It's this molasses that lends its name to Cruzan Rum's most interesting product: a dark rum with such a unique flavor profile, it cannot be substituted for. Made on the island of St. Croix, this column-distilled rum is aged one to two years in ex-bourbon barrels and flavored with molasses.

Released in April 2019, Ron Barceló Gran Añejo Dark Series is made much like the brand's Gran Añejo using estate-grown sugarcane and rums which are aged for up to six years in ex-bourbon barrels. The difference here is that heavily-charred barrels are used rather than medium light char barrels.

Selected and imported by MinistryOfRum.com founder Ed Hamilton, this black rum is a blend of extra light, light and heavy pot-still rums. The molasses used is from sugar grown on the Worthy Park Estate where the rum is distilled. Located 1,200 feet above sea level, the distillery is situated in the Vale of Lluidas, and produces mostly bulk rum.

Ten To One Caribbean Dark Rum is a blended rum made with column still rums from the Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and Barbados and Jamaican pot still rum. After blending, the rums are finished in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. No added sugar, colors, or flavorings added. Bottled at 80 proof, this launched in summer 2019 in the New York market.

Blackwell Rum is the creation of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and a pioneer in the music industry. Blackwell helped bring the likes of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh to the international stage and has joined forces with Joy Spence (master blender for Appleton Estate) to revive an old family recipe. Incidentally, his mother's family previously owned Appleton Estate and J. Wray & Nephew. Pot and column distilled rums are aged in American oak barrels for 18-24 months.

Denizen Vatted Dark Rum is a blend of dark rum from Guyana (80% of of the blend) and unaged rhum agricole from Martinique (20% of the blend). The Guyana rum portion is made from three different rums: 25% was distilled in French Savalle and Wooden coffey stills then it aged in ex-bourbon barrels, 25% was unaged wooden pot still rum, and the remaining 50% was dark unaged wooden pot still rum. Denizen Vatted Dark Rum is bottled at 100 proof.

Goslings flagship rum is a blend of pot still and continuous still rums imported into Bermuda and aged in single-use bourbon barrels. The result is a rich and complex dark rum. Its name comes from the black wax that was used to seal reclaimed champagne bottles.

Ron Zacapa Edición Negra launched in March 2016 as an exclusive for the Travel Retail Market, but the rum is now widely available. Aged from 6-24 years, the dark rum is aged in double charred American oak casks. Master Blender Lorena Vásquez had been in her role for almost 25 years when she created this expression to honor Guatemalan culture and heritage.

Planteray Original Dark Rum is part of the brand's Bar Classics portfolio. This expression consists of a blend of two molasses-based rums. One was distilled at West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados (twin column still and pot still rum) and the other distilled at Long Pond in Jamaica (John Dore pot still). After blending, it is given a 15 g/L dosage and is bottled at 40% ABV.