Golden & Spiced Rum

Guide to Golden & Spiced Rum

When looking at golden and spiced rum the most important piece of information to consider is that when rum is first distilled it comes out as a clear white liquid and only gains a golden colour from either time spent ageing in a barrel or due to the distiller including additives, such as caramel colouring, to the spirit prior to bottling.

This is important because the resulting flavours and quality of the rum depends greatly upon how the spirit came to be the golden colour it is.

For this reason, many distillers choose to label their products aged rum instead of golden rum, to help make clear the distinction between their superior rum product and the inferior products produced by some of their competitors.

As a general rule, however, golden and aged rums have a far more developed flavour profile to that found in white rums, that includes flavours of toffee, oak, banana, honey, and butterscotch.

Spiced rums, on the other hand, are a breakaway version of golden and sometimes of dark rums that exist as easily the most uniquely flavoured types of rums on the market, a reputation gained by the distiller including spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and sometimes coconut or fruits to the product before bottling.

Map of Golden & Spiced Rum Distilleries & Brands

Thanks to the overwhelming success of brands such as Captain Morgan and Bundaberg in the global spirits market, there has been a surge in the number of distilleries and brands producing golden and spiced rums.

Due to the fact that some distillers use artificial colours or flavours when producing their golden and spiced rums, it is highly recommended that you be careful when choosing which bottle you buy as quality can vary greatly.

Easily the most identifiable producer of rum in Australia is the Bundaberg Distilling Company, who are famous for their Bundaberg Original UP Rum.

Whilst this product is best used as a cocktail base, other products by the distillery, such as the Bundaberg Small Batch Vintage Barrel Rum, has won numerous awards thanks to its exceptional quality and flavours of sweet spice and dried fruit.

Outside of Australia, Captain Morgan, which is owned by Diageo, is famous for their wildly popular Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold Rum Drink.

This rum, however, is not recommended to be consumed on its own and is most commonly used as a mixed drink with cola.

Some of the more premium bottles of golden and spiced rums available for purchase are those such as the Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, known for its smooth finish and toffee sweetness, Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Rum, which contains flavours of butterscotch, raisins, and sweet spice, and finally, Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum, easily recognisable as one of the best sipping spiced rums on the market.

To explore other bottles in this category, head to this site.

Pairing Food with Golden & Spiced Rum

As this category of rum can vary so widely in terms of flavours, quality, and price, it is difficult to generalise how best to consume every bottle of golden or spiced rum available.

Lower priced bottles such as the Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold Rum Drink, Bundaberg Original UP Rum, or Bacardi Carta Oro Superior Gold Rum are often best used in popular rum cocktails, including the Rum Sour, Rum Old Fashioned, and the Ace of Clubs Daiquiri, or sometimes commonly consumed with cola or dry ginger ale.

These and other lower priced bottles of golden and spiced rums are typically enjoyed mixed due to the fact that they are rougher on the finish and the flavour profiles are too artificial or too overpowering to be enjoyable neat or over ice.

This site explores some of the best cocktails to have with these types of rum.

Some of the more premium bottles, including Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum, or Bundaberg Small Batch Vintage Barrel Rum, can easily be enjoyed in the same fashion as a good quality bottle of whisky, which is to say neat, over ice, or with a splash of water.

When it comes to pairing food with golden and aged rums, the sweet and oaky flavours present in the bottle often complements dishes that also contain these types of flavours.

Such dishes could include jerk chicken, often eaten alongside gold rum in the islands of the Caribbean, smoky barbecue ribs, or other barbecued meats that involve heavy glazes.

For the more sweetly flavoured spiced rums, be sure to match these with many sweet desserts, including vanilla slices, rich chocolate mousse, or date puddings.