This article was originally published in the Winter 2016 issue of Cottage Life magazine.
Rum—also called “kill devil” by 17th-century drinkers—is no longer just for giving cocktails their punch. Dark aged rums can rival single-malt Scotch or cognac as a sipping drink. Starting at about $40, these rums are pricier because they require more time and care in the making: years in oak barrels to develop their colour, aroma, and complex flavour.
The pride of Caribbean distilleries, sipping rum makes a great holiday gift for special friends…or yourself. Serve neat or, at most, with a single cube of ice.
Mount Gay Rum Extra Old
This rich, oaky blend of 8- to 15-year-old rums from Barbados was aged in bourbon whiskey barrels and tastes of toffee, banana, and warm spices.
Angostura 1919
With a front-and-centre caramel and vanilla aroma, this super-smooth eight-year-old from Trinidad makes a great introduction to sipping rum. Try it after dinner, paired with dark chocolate.
El Dorado 12-Year-Old
Guyana’s distinctive demerara sugar cane is the starting point for this spicy-sweet rum; some even prefer it to the pricier 15-year-old Special Reserve.
Do you have an aged rum you’d recommend?
More from Cottage Life:
Related Story 14 Canadian-made spirits you should try this winter
Related Story Drinking glasses you need at the cottage according to a mixologist