Rum guide: white, spiced, dark and aged

Rum is a spirit distilled from sugarcane juice or molasses, and the styles you will meet most are white, spiced, dark and aged. This guide explains what separates them and what each is good for, with the bottles we stock in Westford. You can browse the full rum shelf online or come into CBC Liquors at 142 Littleton Rd.

What is rum, and how is it made?

Rum starts with sugarcane. Some distillers ferment fresh cane juice, but most use molasses, the dark syrup left over when sugar is refined. The liquid is fermented, distilled, and then either bottled fairly quickly or rested in barrels.

That last step explains most of what you see on the shelf. A rum bottled soon after distilling, or filtered after a short rest, stays light and clear. A rum kept in oak picks up colour, vanilla, caramel and baking-spice notes. Added spices or flavourings create the spiced and flavoured bottles.

Because sugarcane grows in warm climates, rum comes from all over the Caribbean and Latin America, and from other parts of the world too. Each region has its own habits, which is why two bottles labelled rum can taste very different.

What is the difference between white, spiced, dark and aged rum?

White rum, sometimes called silver or light rum, is clear and clean-tasting. It is the usual choice when you want the rum to support lime, mint or fruit rather than lead the drink.

Spiced rum has spices and often vanilla added, which makes it warmer and sweeter on the nose. It is easy to sip over ice and equally easy to drop into a mixed drink.

Dark rum is deeper in colour and heavier in flavour, with molasses, caramel and dried-fruit character. Aged rum, often labelled reserve or gran reserva, spends more time in barrel and is generally meant to be sipped slowly, much like a good whiskey. Age statements and the words on the label vary by country, so read the back label if you want to know exactly what you are buying.

Which white rum works for cocktails?

For classic drinks like the daiquiri, mojito or a simple rum and soda with lime, you want a white rum that stays out of the way. Bacardí Superior White Rum is a straightforward bottle for that job, light in character and built for mixing.

A daiquiri is just white rum, fresh lime juice and a little sugar, shaken hard with ice. A mojito adds mint and soda water. Both are better when the rum is clean, because there is nothing to fight with the citrus.

If you are stocking a home bar and only have room for one rum, a white rum covers the widest range of recipes.

What is spiced rum good for?

Spiced rum is the easiest rum to enjoy without any recipe at all. Pour it over ice, add a splash of cola or ginger ale, and you have a drink in under a minute. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum is one of the best sellers we have in stock now, and it suits exactly that kind of simple serve.

It also works in warm drinks. A spiced rum added to hot cider or hot tea on a cold New England evening picks up the cinnamon and clove notes already in the glass.

Spiced rum is sweeter than a white rum, so you generally need less sugar in a recipe. If you swap it into a daiquiri, taste it before adding syrup.

What about coconut and dark rum?

Coconut rum is rum flavoured with coconut, and it leans sweet and tropical. Malibu Original Rum is the familiar example. It suits pineapple juice, a piña colada, or a tall glass over ice on a summer afternoon.

Dark rum goes the other way. GOSLINGS Black Seal Rum is a dark rum from Bermuda, rich and full, and it is the traditional base for the Dark 'n' Stormy, which is dark rum, ginger beer and lime. That drink works because the rum is strong enough to stand up to the sharp ginger.

Both bottles show how much one spirit can vary. Coconut rum is a sweet mixer's spirit, while dark rum has enough body to carry a drink.

Is there a rum worth sipping neat?

Yes, and the signal is usually age. A bottle labelled gran reserva or reserve has typically spent longer in barrel, which smooths the spirit and adds notes of oak, toffee and dried fruit. ZAYA Gran Reserva Rum is the bottle on our shelf that fits this style.

To taste an aged rum properly, pour a small measure into a glass with a bit of room, let it sit a minute, and sip it slowly. A single cube of ice is fine if you like it cooler, but try it neat first so you know what the rum is doing.

If you usually drink bourbon or other brown spirits, an aged rum is a natural step sideways. You can compare it with our bourbon shelf or the wider whiskey range.

What do you mix with rum?

Most rum drinks need only two or three ingredients. Citrus, cola, ginger beer, pineapple, coconut, soda water and mint cover a long list of classic serves. Our mixers page is the place to look for the bottles that go alongside your rum.

A good rule is to match the weight of the rum to the weight of the drink. Light white rum suits fresh, sharp, citrus-led cocktails. Spiced and coconut rums suit sweeter, fruitier long drinks. Dark and aged rums suit simple pairings with ginger or a single cube of ice.

If you are planning drinks for a gathering, the party planner is a place to start thinking it through. Whatever you serve, pace it, offer water and food alongside, and make sure everyone has a safe way home.

Can you pick up or get rum delivered in Westford?

Yes. CBC Liquors in Westford offers pickup and delivery as well as walking in, and we also ship. You are welcome to browse online first and then collect the bottle on your way past.

Store and pickup hours are Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Delivery runs slightly shorter: Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM.

Beyond Westford, we also serve Chelmsford, Carlisle, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsborough, Lowell, Billerica, Boxborough and Dunstable. Check the delivery areas page for your town. Rum sits within our wider liquor department, which is part of a shop with 4,624 products in stock from 1,893 brands, and our Google rating is 4.7 out of 5 from 339 reviews.