01
White / Light Rum
Cuba • Puerto Rico • Column Still
Lightly aged then carbon filtered back to clarity, so the cane character stays crisp and clean.
- Crisp
- Light bodied
- Faint vanilla
- Dry finish
THE FIELD GUIDE VOL. I
182 Rums, Decoded
Filter by how you would actually drink each one: built for a glass with a single cube, or built for classic cocktails.
THE FIELD BOARD
From Sugar Cane to Liquid Gold
Rum Types Explained
02
Gold / Amber Rum
Barbados • Jamaica • Oak Rested
A few years in ex-bourbon oak give colour and body without burying the cane.
- Toffee
- Baked banana
- Medium body
- Mixable
03
Dark / Black Rum
Jamaica • Guyana • Bermuda
Heavy molasses distillate, often pot still, with caramel colouring adding depth and weight.
- Molasses
- Burnt sugar
- Full bodied
- Rich
04
Aged / Añejo Rum
Latin America • Long Cask Ageing
Extended barrel time, sometimes in solera systems, builds a soft sipping spirit.
- Dried fruit
- Oak spice
- Rounded
- Often sweetened
05
Overproof Rum
Jamaica • Trinidad • 57%+ ABV
Bottled far above standard strength. Wray & Nephew White Overproof sits at 63% ABV.
- Fierce esters
- Overripe fruit
- High proof
- Use sparingly
06
Rhum Agricole
Martinique • Fresh Cane Juice
Distilled from fresh-pressed cane juice rather than molasses. Martinique holds an AOC granted in 1996.
- Grassy
- Olive brine
- Vegetal
- Bone dry
07
Spiced Rum
Flavoured • Usually Sweetened
Rum infused after distillation with vanilla, cinnamon, clove and citrus peel.
- Vanilla
- Baking spice
- Sweet
- Soft
08
Navy Rum
Blended • 54.5% ABV Tradition
Robust blends echoing the Royal Navy ration, bottled at the historic proof of 54.5% ABV.
- Deep
- Funky
- Structured
- High proof
09
Cachaça
Brazil • Fresh Cane Juice
Brazil's own cane spirit, legally distinct from rum and bottled between 38% and 48% ABV.
- Green cane
- Funky
- Earthy
- Bright
Quick Comparison
| Type | Base | Ageing | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | Molasses | None to 3 yrs, filtered | Crisp |
| Gold | Molasses | 2–8 yrs oak | Rounded |
| Dark | Molasses | Oak + caramel colour | Heavy |
| Aged / Añejo | Molasses | Long or solera | Sipping |
| Overproof | Molasses | Usually unaged | Intense |
| Agricole | Cane juice | Blanc or aged | Grassy |
| Spiced | Molasses | Infused post-still | Sweet |
| Navy | Molasses blend | Blended, 54.5% ABV | Bold |
| Cachaça | Cane juice | Unaged or wood rested | Vegetal |
Myth vs Fact
MythDarker rum always means older rum.
FactColour can come from caramel colouring, and many pale rums are aged then filtered clear. Production method and age statement tell you far more than shade.
Did You Know
Rum has no single global rulebook. Each producing country sets its own definition, which is why ageing claims, additives and minimum strengths vary so widely from island to island.
Behind the Bar
Match weight to the drink. Light column rums keep citrus-forward sours clean, pot-still and agricole rums push flavour through fruit and syrup, and overproof works best as a small accent rather than a base.