The best spiced rum for 2024

Score: 87/100

With notes of caramelised pineapple and coconut, this sweet rum won the panel over with its totally tropical flavour profile. The all-important spice comes via warming cinnamon and ginger on the finish, which together ensures a winning base for your next pina colada or mai tai.

Score: 87/100

Made in small batches and infused with pineapple, banana, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and fiery ginger, this Caribbean-inspired rum comes via Salford.

Taste-wise, it’s like a warm slice of apple pie, with one tester likening it to calvados. It’s fruity and tart, with hints of orange, apple and raisins.

Score: 86/100

A blend of Caribbean rum and Christmas cake-like spice, this Cornish-distilled, spiced rum would be perfect served alongside ginger beer. Alternatively, the light, smooth spirit — with its notes of pineapple, caramelised banana and touch of vanilla — make this the perfect base for a classy pina colada.

What's more, for every bottle sold, a percentage of profits is donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a charity that helps saves lives at sea.

Score: 84/100

Like vanilla-flavoured cola and sticky toffee apples, Ableforth’s Rumbullion! impressed our panel with its spiced caramel flavour.

There’s plenty of depth too, thanks to the addition of herbaceous, earthy spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. A great choice for shaking and stirring into cocktails, or serving on the rocks as a digestif.

Score: 84/100

Naturally flavoured with fresh clementines and warm Caribbean spices (ginger, cinnamon, star anise and clove), Diablesse is another Manchester-based spirit (the area has a rich history of rum production).

Sweet, spicy and moreish, our testers enjoyed the strong Cointreau-esque element, suggesting it would work well in fruity cocktails that need a bit of fireball oomph, or alternatively just add a splash of ginger ale.

Score: 83/100

This spiced rum is unlike any other you'll have tried. Indian spices such as cinnamon, cloves and cardamon give it a botanical flavour more in line with your favourite gin. As a result, it's beautifully complex, with a long, evolving finish that would benefit from being sipped neat.

Score: 83/100

8Track is summer in a bottle. We think it's an excellent cocktail rum, with enough to stand-out (think cinnamon bark, crystallised ginger, candied orange and natural vanilla), while seamlessly blending with other ingredients. Try it with cola and lime, tonic or ginger ale.

Score: 81/100

Partial to an espresso martini? If so, we reckon this would be your rum of choice.

Complex and bittersweet, the experts enjoyed the super-smooth notes of rich coffee liqueur and cacao nibs, and thought it would make an excellent twist on the classic cocktail. If not, try a splash in your coffee, for a delicious end to the evening.

Score: 81/100

This tropical little number doesn’t take itself too seriously, and would work well in a fruity pudding (pineapple rum cake anyone?) or a tiki cocktail. However, it’s not at all one-dimensional.

To get the nuanced flavour, fresh pineapples are steeped in the barrel and then redistilled, before the fruit is re-immersed and blended together, creating a subtle caramelised effect. Ripe banana, clove and smoke provide added depth.

Score: 79/100

So dark and brooding it’s almost black, Kraken’s mythical giant squid-like sea monster adorns the iconic bottle. There’s an initial touch of spice, which quickly moves into a long caramel finish, with some moreish maple and vanilla notes too.

This is a tad strong for sipping, so we’d recommend stirring into your favourite cocktail.

Score: 79/100

If Christmas pudding in a glass sounds appealing, allow us to introduce one of Cornwall’s best spiced rums, presented in a beautiful nautical-inspired vessel.

It's previously picked up a gold medal at the World Rum Awards due to its appealing nose of dried fruit and winter spices and complex, citrus-soaked spicy palate. Our panel found it very striking and thought it would make the perfect gift.

Score: 78/100

We’re not sure the Cotswolds has had much of a run in with pirates, but that hasn’t deterred this brand from putting its stamp on the historical spirit. Supporting the preservation of British bees, Keepr’s has taken Floridian rum and infused it with raw, unprocessed honey.

It’s not as sweet as you might think though, with a kick of ginger, cinnamon and cardamom coming through on the palate. Testers thought it would be nice with either ginger beer or apple juice to balance out the flavour.

Score: 78/100

Like any good recipe, a pinch of salt can bring underlying flavours to life. It’s used to great effect in this cask-aged Bajan rum, which is macerated with ingredients from around the world.

Madagascan vanilla and Peruvian cacao adds a Bailey’s familiarity, while the dried fruit finish reminded others of bourbon. Finish with plenty of lime to serve.

Score: 78/100

Who needs dessert when you can have a glass of this premium spiced rum, infused with citrus and salted caramel instead? There’s some sweet tropical fruit, ginger and cinnamon too, much like a freshly baked gingerbread man.

Score: 77/100

Opening with a sweet, caramelised pineapple aroma (think old school upside-down cake), our panel felt this offered a punchy rum kick, perfect for pairing with coconut cream, pineapple juice and plenty of ice for a spiced pina colada. Topped with a kitsch maraschino cherry, of course.