Are you wondering what is spiced rum? Well, you are not alone. To really learn about spiced rum, I talked with our resident bartender, talked with our local liquor store owner, and studied in depth about the process of making spiced rum.
Let’s just say that I geeked out. In my pursuit to truly learn about spiced rum, I even tested out what happens when you freeze spiced rum and spent far too much time researching the various makers of rum.
Yes, I learned a lot, and now I will share the most essential points with you.
Spiced rum is a rum that has been infused with spices. So if you are curious about what kind of alcohol spiced rum is, it is rum. Depending on the brand of spiced rum, rum may start as white rum or gold rum.
Spiced rum is a flavorful and rich variation of traditional rum. While we don’t all of the spices used in any particular brand, we do know the most used spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and sometimes vanilla and allspice.
The spices give the rum a unique and aromatic flavor. This adds a level of complexity to the rum that especially makes it delicious in cocktails. There are so many different spiced rum drink recipes to choose from these days. Feel comfortable experimenting and having fun with this versatile liquor.
How to drink spiced rum
My first recommendation is to try spiced rum, neat. This means that you would sip on the spiced rum without any ice in the glass. The reason that I recommend this is so that you can get a good sense of the flavors.
The most common method for drinking spiced rum is as a cocktail mixer. For example, spiced rum is a fantastic alcohol in Pina Coladas. The spiced rum adds a richer flavor to the drink than ordinary rum.
Some other popular ways to drink spiced rum are with Coke or iced tea. I prefer to mix it with fruit juices and create a fruity cocktail.
Popular Spiced Rum Brands
If you are curious about exploring some spiced rum brands, check out these recommendations:
- Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
- Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
- Kraken Black Spiced Rum
- Bicardi Spiced Rum
Each of these brands offers its unique take on spiced rum, with its own blend of spices and flavors. Whether you prefer a more traditional spiced rum profile or something with a bit more intensity, you’re sure to find a bottle that suits your taste. For example, Karen is a bit more robust in flavor, and Captain Morgan is a bit softer in flavor.
What does spiced rum taste like
The flavor of spiced rum is a bold mix between sweet and spicy. The aroma of spiced rum is quite strong, and that is the first thing that will hit you as you raise the glass. You will smell it long before you taste it. The smell is far stronger than the taste, but it tastes sweet and finishes with the lightest kick of heat.
Rum has a naturally sweet flavor, and then when the rum is spiced, you will get a subtle level of heat in the taste that comes from the cinnamon, cloves, and hints of vanilla and citrus. The taste does vary greatly depending on the brand.
What makes spiced rum spiced
Spiced rum is a rum that has been infused with spices. The most common spices in spiced rum are vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Spiced rum also has hints of citrus and cardamon as well.
The way that it is made is that after the production of rum, it is then infused with spices. So imagine that you have a barrel of rum, and then they toss in some spices and allow the rum to soak up the flavor of those spices.
These spices vary based on the brand. For example, Bacardi says that their spiced rum is infused for 1 to 2 years, and then filtered.
The filtering process is just the act of straining the spices out of the room and filtering it to remove any fine particles that remain after that.
The bottom line
Spiced rum is a delicious variation of rum. It is infused with fall spices, such as vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. It has a very strong aroma and a sweet and smooth taste with a tiny bit of heat from the spices. Oh and learn all about my experience freezing spiced rum. Hot tip, it doesn’t fully freeze, but there are important notes.