9 Rums You Should Leave On The Shelf, Based On Reviews

My first significant introduction to rum was probably through the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. At the time, my understanding of rum was limited. I knew it was an alcohol, it was popular in the Caribbean, and Jack Sparrow really, really liked it. When I got older, I realized I generally preferred rum over other liquors and rum-based cocktails over other types. I also realized that there are a lot of different types of rum, and some are definitely not worth buying.

While many alcohols come from fermented grains, rum comes from the fermented juice of sugarcane or sugarcane byproducts; molasses is a common base. This means two things: one, that many rums come from the Caribbean area, as this is an area of the world with abundant sugarcane, and two, that it tends to be sweeter than many other liquors. It often has flavors such as vanilla and caramel, depending on the type of rum. Rum can also range from clear and crisp to dark and rich, depending on how long it's aged. The sweet taste of rum is what makes tropical rum-based cocktails so popular — as long as you avoid some common mistakes. Additionally, to be legally considered rum in the U.S., the drink needs to have at least 40% alcohol by volume, but there are rum-based drinks on the market with a lower alcohol by volume content.

There are a lot of rums on the market, and this is no time to waste your money on bad rum. We took to the internet, using reviews on sites such as Total Wine as well as forums and websites specifically for rum lovers, to determine which rums are better left on the shelf.

Kraken Rum is a New Jersey-based company offering a black spiced rum as well as a gold rum, with the black spiced rum as its original offering. The base rum for this spirit comes from the Dominican Republic, where it's been distilled from molasses. After the rum has aged one to two years, it's infused with the typical best spices to use for spiced rum, such as cinnamon, ginger, and clove. It's meant to have flavors such as cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg, with a lingering, spicy finish. The rum comes in a Victorian-style bottle, with handles on the stem and the brand's namesake sea monster on the label.

Reviews are mixed on this dark rum. On the Total Wine website, product reviews lean toward positive, with many reviewers saying that the rum is smooth and that they like the taste. Others disagree, with one saying it tastes very strongly of rubbing alcohol. Over on Reddit, some folks are not impressed at all. One Redditor says it doesn't even make for a good rum and Coke. Another on Reddit calls it "characterless and artificial." A third says they couldn't drink it or give it away, so they ended up pouring their bottle down the drain, and someone else replied to that comment, saying, that when they got divorced, the only argument over possessions was who had to take the bottle of Kraken. The mixed reviews mean you might enjoy it, but you would probably be better off spending your money on an option more universally loved.

Bumbu XO is another rum that has decent reviews on Total Wine's website, but it is absolutely panned by those on the r/rum subreddit. The Bumbu Rum Company currently sells three products: Bumbu Original, Bumbu XO, and Bumbu Creme. Of those, only Bumbu XO technically qualifies as rum; the original has only 35% alcohol per volume in North America, while the creme is a cream liqueur, like RumChata and Baileys, which are similar but have different flavor profiles. Bumbu Creme has only 15% alcohol per volume. The Bumbu XO, meanwhile, has the necessary 40% alcohol by volume.

This rum is made in Panama and matured for up to 18 years in ex-bourbon barrels followed by white oak sherry casks. It results in a spirit that has notes of orange zest, pepper, and even coffee. The brand claims it's perfect for sipping.

Many Redditors disagree, saying it's way too sweet and the flavors taste artificial. "Do you like additives and hate the taste of rum? You'll love this product!" jokes one Redditor. On the same Reddit thread, another calls it "undrinkable crap." A slightly more recent post is no kinder, with one Redditor calling it an abomination and another saying it's horrible. While some product reviews on Total Wine are much kinder, they're still in disagreement, with one negative review saying it's too sweet and another saying the alcohol taste is way too strong.

Probably one of the best-known rum brands, Bacardi is also the largest privately owned spirits company in the world. It was founded in Cuba in 1862 and today offers over 200 different products across the globe. However, just because it's a popular and successful brand doesn't mean all its products are hits, and Bacardi Superior is one example of this.

Bacardi Superior is the current version of the brand's original rum and is made from sugarcane molasses filtered through charcoal. It's a white rum, which is a light rum and the best type of rum for a mojito. Light rums are clear and filtered, typically not aged for very long, and have a more subtle flavor than their darker counterparts. The flavors of this rum are meant to be creamy and nutty, and the finish is meant to be smooth and dry.

However, while light rums are meant to have subtle flavors, many reviewers say the Bacardi Superior's flavor is too subtle. On the Rum Ratings website, reviewers gave it a rating of 3.5 out of 10, calling it the worst rum on the market, the bottom of the barrel, and lacking any quality flavor. On Reddit, one commenter says it "tastes and smells like rubbing alcohol," while another on Reddit says they used it in place of vodka when making pasta sauce with "no appreciable difference, if that says anything."

When your company mass produces so many different products, it's expected that you'll have a few that aren't received so well. Bacardi Black Rum, formerly called Carta Negra, is one of a handful of Bacardi's dark rums. Dark rums are aged the longest of the rums, usually in charred oak or wooden barrels that help infuse flavors into the spirit. Dark rums are great for pairing with chocolate desserts and coffee. Bacardi Black is aged in charred oak barrels and then filtered through charcoal. The company says that it should have flavors of tropical fruit, caramel, and vanilla and offer a smoky finish.

On Total Wine's website, reviews are mixed. Several customers say they like it, especially in mixed drinks. A few, however, say it has an awful medicinal taste, while others say it tastes like dish soap, charcoal and rubbing alcohol, or lighter fluid. On a site called thefatrumpirate, a reviewer said it was like Bacardi took its Superior rum and "added a hefty dose of tar and nasty burnt tobacco." Over on Reddit, one poster who was desperate to find a use for this rum said, "If someone asked you what trauma mixed with diesel and coal tastes like, just pour them a glass of Bacardi Carta Negra."

Pyrat XO Rum is currently the Pyrat brand's only product. It's a dark rum with an amber hue, meaning it's been aged longer than white rum, but not as long as darker-colored rums. Pyrat XO is aged for up to 16 years and comes from the British West Indies part of the Caribbean. The company says it crafts the spirit to offer richness and complexity, and the taste is meant to be smooth and a little sweet and have hints of fresh spices and orange zest. The bottle is short and round and is topped off with a cork.

This rum is pretty strongly panned on Reddit. One commenter on Reddit says that it "tastes like orange-flavored gasoline," and the replies unanimously agree, with one person saying, "Pyrat is so bad it makes Bumbu taste real in comparison." Another says it's the only rum they've ever poured down the drain, and they aren't alone. On a different Reddit post, another commenter also says it's the only rum they've poured out, as they thought it tasted like cork, spices, and industrial alcohol. While the drink has some positive reviews on Total Wine, with some commenters saying it's the best rum they've ever tasted, others say it has an artificial or chemical taste and recommend staying away.

The low price tag should be the first red flag for Classic Club's Gold Rum. Now, there's nothing wrong with shopping on a budget, especially in this economy, and there are plenty of good, affordable rums out there. Classic Club is a brand that prides itself on offering these types of affordable options. Unfortunately, it often toes the line between affordable and just plain cheap. The rum comes from the West Indies and should have notes of vanilla and other spices; the brand says it's great for mixed drinks.

Many customers at Total Wine beg to differ. This is one of the lowest-rated rums on the chain's website, with reviewers simply calling it not good and bland. One tried to use it in a punch, but that didn't work well, while another purchased it for making hurricane cocktails but found it too weak. They said it was more like rum-colored water, while another reviewer said it was nothing more than distilled sugar. Several mentioned they appreciate the low price -– as of publication, this rum is $6.49 for 750 milliliters -– but that you definitely get what you pay for. That being said, there are some reviewers who appreciate the mild flavor.

Stade's Rum Barbados Bond No. 8 is the lowest-rated rum on the Total Wine website that fits our list criteria. This is a gold rum that comes from the historic West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, as the name suggests, a distillery that opened in 1893 and even offers tours to interested visitors. Stade partners directly with Total Wine to sell its Beach Vat No. 1 rum and Barbados Bond No. 8 rum. Neither has great reviews, but the Barbados Bond No. 8 is the lower rated of the two, probably because it ... well, it's got a lot going on. According to the brand, the flavor should start with notes of tobacco, ginger, and cloves, then transition into flavors that include dark chocolate, golden syrup, and cinnamon.

These complex flavors don't work for everyone, though. One Total Wine reviewer says it has a medicinal aftertaste, while another says it's like drinking from a dirty ashtray, and a third said it tastes like plastic. Several say it's the worst rum they've ever tried, and one jokes that it makes Bacardi look sophisticated. Of course, there are a few who like the rum, saying it has a smooth, sweet, warm taste, although several admit that the flavor profile is a bit unusual for rum.

Largo Bay is another discount rum brand, though its prices are slightly higher than Classic Club. Unfortunately, that slightly higher price doesn't necessarily correlate to higher reviews. Largo Bay is another brand that Total Wine partners with directly, and it makes a variety of spirits, including silver and gold rums and flavored options such as coconut, mango, and pineapple. While the brand's gingerbread spiced rum seems to be a common favorite, the silver rum is on the opposite end of the spectrum, as one of the lowest qualifying rums Largo Bay offers.

The Largo Bay silver rum comes courtesy of Puerto Rico and is meant to have notes of vanilla, almonds, and tropical fruits. However, many reviewers don't taste these notes at all. On the Total Wine website, over a dozen reviewers say it smells and tastes like rubbing alcohol, and those on Rum Ratings agree. Reviewers on both sites also say it's worse than Bacardi and that it's more akin to a vodka than an actual rum. They also say it's not smooth at all and doesn't even work in mixed drinks; one reviewer even says the only thing you should do with Largo Bay Silver Rum is pour it straight down the drain.

Don Papa is a company that manufactures small-batch rums from the Philippines. The brand offers several different rum options, most of which are aged for many years. The standard rum is aged in ex-bourbon American oak barrels for seven years, creating an amber color. It is described as having notes of vanilla and various fruits. Folks aren't in love with this rum; on both the Total Wine website and Rum Ratings, reviewers say the sweetness tastes artificial and is overwhelming. Others mention that it's certainly not worth the cost. On Reddit, a commenter says it tastes like cough syrup, while a Redditor in the replies adds they got notes of bubblegum and vape fluid, and that "whatever it was, it was revolting."

However, depending on who you ask, the 10-year-aged version may be disliked even more. This is the same as Don Papa's standard rum, just aged an extra three years. This additional aging, the company claims, gives flavors of dried cherries, pineapple, nutmeg, and chocolate. Reviewers aren't convinced, though. One on Rum Ratings says it tastes no different than the original and is definitely not worth the additional cost. Users on Reddit, as they tend to be, are a little more blunt, with one commenter on Reddit calling it "Nasty, sickly, confected, synthetic-tasting garbage" and "revolting."

Before jumping into which rums were best left on the shelf for this list, I needed to set parameters. I decided to only include liquors that are legally rum, meaning they have at least 40% alcohol by volume. This knocked out rum-based liquors, such as Malibu and many flavored rums, plus drinks like Bacardi spiced rum, which is one of the brand's lowest-rated drinks on Total Wine's website, but only has 35% alcohol by volume. I also focused on those with a decent number of reviews, typically at least 50 on the Total Wine website, or otherwise multiple mentions on other platforms.

This is where things got tricky, because, as we've mentioned, people's opinions of rum can vary significantly. I looked at which rums had the worst ratings through online retailers, such as Total Wine, and which ones had low reviews through forums such as Reddit or Rum Ratings. I put a little more weight into the latter, as these tend to be people who have tried a variety of rums. While they may not necessarily be experts, they're typically passionate about the topic, whereas retail product reviews can pretty much be written by anyone.