The Best Rums for Mojitos

Produced by the Pacheco family in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico, Charanda is a sugarcane distillate with its own Denomination of Origin established in 2003, limiting production to sixteen municipalities in Michoacán. The Blanco is a blend of 50% fresh-pressed sugarcane juice and 50% molasses, with the cane grown at over 4,000 feet above sea level on the family's single estate. The sugarcane juice is open-air fermented for eleven days before being twice distilled in wood-fired copper pot stills, while the molasses is distilled in a short French-style column still. The family has been producing Charanda in Uruapan since 1907. Bottled at 92 proof.

From Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados, established in 1703 and the world's oldest running rum distillery, Silver is a blend of pot and column still rums redeveloped by Master Blender Trudiann Branker and relaunched in the US in 2025. While the column still component is unaged, the pot still portion is aged up to two years in ex-American whiskey casks. The rum is double filtered, including once through charcoal for color removal, with no added sugar. Available in 1L bottles at select on-premise accounts in the US beginning November 2025. Bottled at 80 proof.

A single estate rum from Guatemala's Pacific south coast, Botran is made from first-press sugarcane juice rather than traditional molasses, using two varieties of estate-grown sugarcane. Aged using a solera-style dynamic aging process in American whiskey casks for three to eight years before being charcoal filtered for clarity, it holds a Protected Denomination of Origin certification as a Ron de Guatemala. Relaunched in the US in August 2022 with updated packaging. (SRP $24.99)

Produced at Copal Tree Distillery on the grounds of the Copal Tree Lodge in Belize, Copalli was launched in 2019 by marine conservationist Todd Robinson and Anya Fernald. Made from only three ingredients — fresh-pressed organic sugarcane juice from heirloom cane grown on the adjacent Copal Tree Farm, collected rainwater, and non-GMO yeast — it is a blend of pot and column distilled rum rested in stainless steel before bottling. No sugar or additives are used. Bottled at 84 proof.

Produced at St. Lucia Distillers in Roseau, Saint Lucia, Chairman's Reserve White is made from 100% molasses. Fermentation is 36 to 45 hours in concrete tanks using a proprietary yeast strain and water from the Roseau River. Distilled in a combination of Coffey column and copper pot stills, the rum is then aged two to three years in ex-bourbon barrels before being charcoal filtered for clarity. Bottled at 80 proof.

Produced at Destilería Serrallés in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Don Q Cristal is a molasses-based rum distilled using a five-column still system, with fermentation carried out using a proprietary yeast strain that dates back over 75 years. Aged one and a half to five years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels before being charcoal filtered for clarity. Bottled at 80 proof.

A blend of molasses-based rums from three Caribbean distilleries: West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica, and Trinidad Distillers Ltd. in Trinidad. The Barbados and Trinidad rums are fermented for 72 hours, while the Jamaican rum undergoes a two-week fermentation for added depth and character. Distillation methods vary by origin: twin column and pot stills in Barbados, a John Dore pot still in Jamaica, and a column still in Trinidad. Bottled at 82.4 proof.

Produced at Habitation Clément in Le François, Martinique, Clément Blanc is an unaged rhum agricole distilled from fresh sugarcane juice at Fonds-Préville Distillery using a Creole copper column still. Fermented with French baker's yeast in open tanks for 24 hours, it is then rested in stainless steel and gradually proofed over six months before bottling. Available in three expressions bottled at 80, 100, and 110 proof respectively, with no added sugar.

Founded in 2019 by Trinidad-born Marc Farrell, Ten to One is an independent rum bottler sourcing and blending from across the Caribbean. The White Rum is a blend of unaged column still rum distilled from sugarcane juice in the Dominican Republic and unaged pot still rum distilled from molasses in Jamaica, finished in American oak ex-bourbon barrels before bottling. No added sugar, coloring, or other additives. Bottled at 90 proof.

A joint project between Foursquare Rum Distillery in Saint Philip, Barbados and Hampden Estate in Trelawny, Jamaica, Probitas combines unaged pot still rum from Hampden Estate with an unaged Coffey still rum and a two year old pot still rum, both from Foursquare. Bottled non-chill filtered at 94 proof with no added sugar, flavoring, or coloring.