The 8 Best Sipping Rums That Are Older Than a 6th Grader

For far too long now, rum has been met with disdain by whiskey fanatics, who see it more as blender fuel than a brown spirit worthy of sipping and savoring. But that’s all changing as drinkers are becoming more familiar with aged rum. That's because rum is a spirit that, when distilled, blended and aged thoughtfully, can hold its weight against the finest cognac or single malt scotch.

These are eight great sipping rums that have been aged for at least 12 years, and have the body and palate to show for it.

The Rundown

Appleton Estate 21 at Drizly ($80)

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Diplomatico Ambassador at Drizly ($230)

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Don Pancho 18 Year at Drizly ($78)

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El Dorado 12 Year at Drizly ($24)

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Kirk and Sweeney 18 Year at Drizly ($43)

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Parce Rum 12 Year at Drizly ($30)

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Real McCoy Barbados Rum at Drizly ($23)

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Plantation Barbados 2002 at Flaviar (See Price)

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Appleton Estate 21

View On Drizly $80 View On Flaviar View On ReserveBar $144

Joy Spence is the first female master blender in the rum industry and something of a legend. At Jamaica’s Appleton Estate, she helps oversee the distillery’s cane-to-cup method, where the sugar cane is grown on the same property in which the rum is distilled and aged. Appleton stocks several outstanding aged products, but the 21-year-old shines brightest—a funky but complex spirit that could excite the geekiest of whiskey nerds.

Diplomatico Ambassador

View On Drizly $230 View On Flaviar View On ReserveBar $263

Venezuela’s Diplomático rum distillery has a wide range of expressions. But Ambassador, part of the distillery’s Prestige Range, may be one of its best, a fantastic sipping rum with prominent notes of raisin, chocolate and baking spice. Ambassador is a blend of 100% pot-still rums aged in American oak for at least 12 years, followed by two years in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, a one-two punch that diversifies and amplifies the flavor.

Don Pancho 18 Year

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

View On Drizly $78 View On Flaviar View On Wine.com $90

Yes, there’s an actual Don Pancho. He’s originally from Cuba but has been distilling rum in Panama for many years for various brands. His own project is this eponymous rum, and the 18-year-old bottling is a fine example of his craft. The rum was aged in new American oak casks from Kentucky, giving it notes of vanilla, oak and nutmeg. Sip it neat or on the rocks, and pair with a nice cigar, if that’s your thing.

El Dorado 12 Year

View On Drizly $24 View On Wine.com $43 View On Flaviar

Guyana may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of rum, but this small South American nation produces some high-quality spirits. El Dorado 12-year-old is a blend of rums aged for a minimum of 12 years in ex-bourbon casks, which gives it an undercurrent of spice, topped with hints of honey and oak that permeate the liquid.

Kirk and Sweeney 18 Year

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

View On Drizly $43 View On Flaviar View On Wine.com $48

A great deal of rum is aged in the solera system, meaning there’s both older and younger liquid in the blend. Kirk and Sweeney employs this practice as well for some of its age-statement expressions. But the 18-year-old rum is composed entirely of juice that has spent at least that amount of time in used American oak before being batch-blended. The result is a deep-amber-colored rum with notes of sherry, raisin, vanilla and oak on the palate.

Parce Rum 12 Year

View On Drizly $30 View On Flaviar View On ReserveBar $68

A relative newcomer to the scene, Parce Rum was founded by three brothers who were infatuated with Colombian rum. They paired with a father-and-son distilling team based in Bogotá to source and blend their product. Parce bottles eight- and three-year-old expressions, but the 12-year-old is the richest and most flavorful, with big notes of toffee, tobacco and vanilla and a surprisingly dry finish.

Real McCoy Barbados Rum

View On Drizly $23 View On ReserveBar $52 View On Wine.com $58

During Prohibition, the famous rum runner Bill McCoy was your best bet for quality product. If you got your rum from him during those dark, dry days, you could count on it being legit. The Real McCoy founder and CEO Bailey Pryor is a fount of rum knowledge and insists on producing rum with integrity, honesty and transparency. The Real McCoy is distilled at Barbados’ Foursquare distillery in Coffey and pot stills. In the 12-year-old, look for notes of caramel and wood, with spice and chocolate on the nose.

Plantation Barbados 2002

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

View On Flaviar

Plantation, a brand owned by cognac producer Maison Ferrand, gives its juice a French touch. The Barbados 2002 vintage was aged for 15 years—12 in bourbon casks in Barbados and three in cognac casks in France. This double-aging technique allows the rum to spend time in a cooler climate, reducing the angel’s share and also imparting unique flavors from the cognac casks, like tropical fruit, tobacco and vanilla.