Which are the 5 best cheap rums quality-price wise in 2021?

The rum is one of the most popular aged drinks that exist, the best white rum brands are made in Central America and the Caribbean, they have been spread over the world by famous cocktails such as the Cuba Libre, Mojito and Daiquiri.

The best cheap rums are not often drink pure, they’re quite strong, taste too much like alcohol or can be too sweet. Thus, they’re used to make rum cocktails; they don’t need great complexity in their preparation for the outcome to be delicious, striking and pleasant.

There are hundreds of different ways to mix it; I love it with a bit of ice, soda and lemon, which is typical of where I come from. However, not all rums deserve to be combined with other drink; you have to know how to identify them, due to there are some that are so complex that adding something to it doesn’t make sense; worry not, I’ll help you.

Next up I show you a selection of the best cheap rums, that can work perfectly to make your own rum-base cocktails.

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Comparative table between best cheap-rums quality-price

 

 

Which are the best cheap rums quality-price wise in 2021?

Matusalem Aged Rum

This is one of the best rums of the brand that can be considered as the emblem of distillery, the Matusalem Aged Rum is made under the solera method, which gives it the characteristic flavor.

The smell is very special, a great variety of aromas can be detected, among the most outstanding are wood, dry fruits and caramel.

As for the flavor, the truth is that is very tasty, smooth and nice to the palate, it leaves cocoa and toasted oak flavors; at the end it looks like the drink was a cognac.

The main advantage is its price, in this category has the highest grade. It also stands out for being smooth and easy to drink.

As for its inconveniences there are some who claim its flavor disappears quickly.

I recommend you drink it alone first, to appreciate its flavors, after a couple drinks you can add a bit of ice to it or use it in a shaker.

Pros

• Price
• Smooth

Cons

• The flavor doesn’t stay for too long.

Price

 

 

Don Papa Rum

This is one of the best rums produced in the Philippines by distillery, Don Papa Rum is maturated in American oak barrels for at least 7 years.

It has a light amber color, and for its aroma the vanilla, honey and caramelized fruits can be clearly appreciated.

It has a smoked and smooth flavour; with a fine texture. On the finish, wood and vanilla touches remain.

Its strengths are the sweet taste it has, it’s easy to drink, very aromatic and that it goes along perfectly with cocktails.

Its main weakness is that some users claim it has cough syrup-like taste, as if it had artificial flavours. There´s also some who claim it doesn’t have the quality of a rum aged that time.

Pros

• Sweet and aromatic taste
• Easy to drink
• Perfect for cocktails
• Best rum for baking

Cons

• There are some who claim it has low quality
• It seems to have an artificial flavor add to it

 

Price

 

 

Diplomático Mantuano Rum

It’s a Venezuelan rum created by a mix of many high quality rums that come from the sugar can and molasses. It’s maybe one of the best cheap rums to make cocktails you can find.

The Diplomático Mantuano Rum is matured for at least 8 years in white oak barrels that previously had American whisky and malted scotch.

It has a dark golden color; plums, oak and a bit of a spicy aroma. Its flavor is complex but balanced; with dry fruits, wood and vanilla. Ending with a slightly dry touch.

Its main strength is that when combined, new flavors and smells come to light.

Its inconvenience is that there are some who claim that drinking it pure can be tough and the flavor disappears quickly. Is recommended drinking it with cocktails as the Mary Pickford and the Negroni.

Pros

• Good price.
• Recommended for cocktails.
• Best rum with coke.

Cons

• Its flavor might not last.
• It can be too strong.

 

Price

 

 

Kraken Black Spiced Rum

It’s made in Trinidad and Tobago; the Kraken blacked spiced Rum is aged in oak barrels for 12 to 14 months. It’s a black type rum and with added spices.

Near 13 exotic spices have been added in its preparation; its color is dark, it has a caramel and spice aroma.

For the taste, the cinnamon, vanilla and the nuts stand out. It ends with a spicy touch that goes away too fast.

Its strengths are, it has a striking bottle, it’s really good to make cocktails and has a different taste than the traditional rums

Its weaknesses are, it can be cloying and there are some who claim it has too many spices.

A great variety of cocktails can be created with this rum, like the Toucan and the Sea Monster Mai Tai.

Pros

• Striking bottle.
• Great for cocktails and flavor.

Cons

• It can get cloying.
• Too many spices.

Price

 

 

Flor de Caña 12 years

It is one of the best cheap rums at the time, the Flor de Caña 12 years is made in Nicaragua. Distilled up to 5 times and maturated under the process called slow maturation for at least 12 years.

A premium rum with a great body, has an opaque golden color. Its aroma is very refined, berries, honey and nuts, can be appreciated.

For the flavor, it has wooden, vanilla, smoked apples touches. The ending is smooth and very light.

Its main strength is the flavor, it´s a rum that doesn’t have any waste. There are people who claim the flavor, although intense, doesn’t last much.

Highly recommended to drink pure or with a little of ice, it has great flavor.

Pros

• Excellent flavor.
• Good price.

Cons

• Some users claim the flavor doesn’t last.

Price

 

Koko Kanu Rum

Koko Kanu is a subtle blend of the finest white aged jamaican rums steeped with tropical coconut flavour. the rums were chosen for their natural coconut notes, and are aged for a minimum of one year. after aging, the rum is then charcoal filtered to achieve its crystal clear colour at 37.5% abv, koko kanu enjoys a delicious full body rum texture balanced with a light, refreshing taste of coconut.

Koko Kanu’s delicious, vibrant flavour will take you back to an era full of rustic elegance, lustful adventure, and exotic charm.

Koko Kanu. inspire adventure

Pros

• Best rum for eggnog.

Cons

• Worse value for money than other Coconut rums.

 

Price

 

 

What do you have to consider to buy the best cheap rums?

The best rum to buy doesn’t have to be necessarily very expensive, there are distilleries that make really good rums made to be raw material for a series of drinks. There are no better or worse, it all depends of what would you use it for and what type of cocktail you’ll make.

You should keep in mind, that regardless of the country of origin, there are types of rum and each one has a different goal. I’ll tell you briefly what they’re about:

Types of rums

• White rum: The main characteristic of this one is that it is colorless and it’s not aged, this rum is the base of the industry. This type of rum is sweet and with little aroma, they aren’t very good to drink pure; it’s more adequate to make cocktails such as punch, Daiquiri, Mojito and Cuba Libre.

• Golden rum: With a bright amber color, aged in wood for a long time; it doesn’t strain, caramel is added to make the color more intense. Its flavor is a little more intense than white, they are ideal as digestives and for its sweet aroma is used in pastry.

• Black rum: It is dark, unlike the others this one is distilled, it’s black due to the colorants added when it’s aged. This is one of the sweetest, if you’ve ever tried molasses, that´s how it tastes.

• Aged rum: It’s one of the most popular, they usually have a maturation time of 3 to 6 years; you’ll see in its label “Gran Reserva”, “Reserva”, “Extra aged”. They are perfect to drink in more complex cocktails, they are tastier; also, you can drink it pure or with ice, but they’re strong.

• Premium rum: This one generally makes reference to the one each brand considers one of its best, it has different quality controls, they come from of fine rums mixes, aged for time, with spiced flavors. It depends of each distillery and the master that creates them.

What should you keep in mind to buy a good cheap rum?

• Choose the type of drink you want to create, they are some like the Mojito for which white rum is used, others like Cuba Libre where aged or golden rum is used.
• Don’t look for the rum’s aging time, for this type of rum is not common for them to be maturated for a long time. The golden color will give you an idea of how young they are.

Disadvantages of buying cheap rum

• Usually the bottles don’t have dispenser, be careful with who you buy it from and when you serve the drink.
• It can leave you with a strong hangover.
• They’re too strong to drink pure.

Advantages of buying cheap rum

• It has a wide variety of countries to choose from, you can vary with the origin of the rum you use for a cocktail, and see which one is better for you.
• You can find really great deals.

Rum cocktails

Cuba Libre

Ingredients

• One portion of your preferred rum
• Two portions of Cola.

Preparation

Mix and serve with ice.

 

Mojito

Ingredients

• One portion of your preferred rum.
• Lemon slices.
• 12 fresh mint leaves.
• 2 heaped teaspoons of sugar.
• One portion of soda.