Yo ho ho And a Bottle of Rum!

So please put down the cake for a few moments and read on...

All for Rum and Rum for all

Rum probably has the broadest range among all of the spirits. Originating in the Caribbean in the 17th century, today it is produced all over the world and in a variety of different methods, although with the idea of a 'good' Rum remaining rooted to Cuba and the other Caribbean islands.

The one global certainty of Rum is that its production involves sugarcane, but this can mean coming from fresh sugarcane juice, cane syrup, or molasses, and in some cases also other sugarcane processing by-products.

If you tried Rum once but didn’t like it, follow the advice we at Flaviar always like to serve up: try another one, then another one, and then… ok, you get our point. But really, never forego the opportunity to try out a different Rum and we guarantee that you'll find one that you absolutely adore.

Depending on the duration of ageing process, there are three different kinds:

★ Light Rum, which is usually aged for around a year,
★ Gold (pale, amber) Rum, aged for at least three years, and
★ Dark Rum, which will have gone through at least five years of the ageing process.

Whilst the absence of clearly defined standards means these general rules are not always adhered to, they nevertheless remain useful guidelines.

Flavoured and spiced rums are also becoming a very prominent category of spirit and many of them are quite simply superb, just make sure to stick to the good quality ones. If ever in doubt as to what these are, Uncle Flaviar is always on hand to offer sound advice!

All roads lead to Rum...

...and the journey is always a good one. Rum is truly a very versatile drink, the best of which should be drunk neat (i.e. nothing but that well selected Rum in your glass!) to fully appreciate it.

You can also add a few drops of water to it, which in releasing the bouquet will make it smoother and easier for you to distinguish all of its aromas. Or Rum can be used with almost any mixer and is the base for a countless number of cocktails, making it a 'must-have' of any spirit cabinet.

Traditionally the heavier and darker Rums have been enjoyed on their own while the lighter Rums and spiced Rums have tended to be used with mixers, however today's Rum consumption and consumers are moving away from this traditional viewpoint.

Silky smooth for less Shilling

Many of the great, well-aged Rums can easily compete with Cognacs, Whiskies or any of the other noble spirits, yet they have one clear advantage: a much lower price.

On that note: Browse our selection of Rums under $100.

Spending the equivalent amount of money will give you much more smoothness with a Rum than with a Whisky - if you want it by proportional value, we’re seriously talking about a half, or even a third, of the Whisky price that for Rum triggers the same score on the smoothness-ometer!

Rum will put a bit of Rum-ba in your life!