Rum Bottles Worthy of the Splurge

Flor de Caña was founded in 1890 near the base of San Cristóbal Volcano, the highest and one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua. The brand's rums are produced from molasses from estate-grown sugarcane. American white oak barrels formerly used to age bourbon are used to age the rum. The 18 listed on the bottle isn't an age statement, but rather indicates an average of the rums used.

Clément 10 Year is a rhum agricole which mean it begins as fresh sugarcane juice which is then fermented and distilled under strict guideline from the appellation d'origine contrôlée (or AOC). The AOC is the certification granted to certain French products that ensures many rules are in place to control its quality. This rhum has been aged for a minimum of 10 years in a combination of virgin oak barrels and re-charred bourbon barrels.

J.M, named for founder Jean-Marie Martin, is Martinique's smallest distillery. The sugarcane is grown in the volcanic soils of the Mount Pelée foothills above the distillery, pressed within an hour of harvest. Aged for a minimum of 3 years, it spends some time getting acquainted with new oak before finishing in 1st - 4th use ex-bourbon barrels.

The Centuria is a solera-type blend of rums from the "Reserva de la Familia" aged up to 30 years in American whiskey barrels. Varela Hermanos, the distillery in Panama that produces this and other rum products, grows its own cane and controls the entire subsequent process from fermentation and distillation to ageing and assembly.

A blend of rums aged between 7 and 23 years, Facundo Exquisito is then finished for a month in sherry casks. This super-premium offering from Bacardi is one of four rums in the Facundo line, which are named after Bacardi Chairman Facundo L. Bacardi, the great-grandson of Bacardi founder Don Facundo Bacardi Masso.

This limited edition rum is created at the Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados by Master Blender Allen Smith. It is created using a blend of copper pot and copper column rums ranging from 10-30 years of age. Released annually beginning in 2009, this rum batch has recently undergone an updated packaging and and was formerly known as 1703 Old Cask Selection. This release will have 12,000 bottles available worldwide.

Created by Miguel Barceló this anniversary blend is aged for 10 years in used American bourbon barrels. The rum is then recasked in Chateau D’Yquem barrels for two years. Each year the company allocates a small amount of this product to the world market.

Crafted by master blender Joy Spence, Appleton Estate 30 Year is a limited edition release featuring rums at least 30 years old. Appleton Estate first released a 30 Year bottling back in 2008, but this 2018 edition is an updated version including rums up to 50 years of age. Available globally beginning December 2018 with just 4000 produced, 900 designated for the US.

Ambassador, named in tribute to 18th century distiller Don Juancho Nieto Meléndez, who was known as El Ambassador, strays a bit from Rum Diplomático’s usual style. They typically blend both column and pot still rums, but this one is a blend of 12 year-old 100% pot-still rums bottled at a slightly higher proof. On top of the usual ex-bourbon barrel aging, this one is given an extra 2 years in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Note: It is presented in a swank wooden cask.