If you want REAL rum, go get yourself a bottle of Ron Zacapa Centenario, or if you can’t find/afford that, get some Mt. Gay Extra Old or Cruzan Single Barrel or maybe Pyrat XO, although I think it’s a step down from the other 3.
I’ve tried both the 8YO and the 15YO Barbancourt. Both very tasty and still available. Interestingly, this is a case where, IMO, there’s no reason at all to spend the extra for the 15YO - I don’t think you gain much, if at all, and you definitely don’t gain enough to justify the extra cost.
Blackstrap Rum (made by Cruzan, I believe, and probably others as well) is quite an experience. It tastes like spiked molasses.
But my all time favorite rum is Wray & Nephew’s Coco Mania rum. I’ve only found it in Jamaica, but it is wonderful. Cruzan and Bacardi sell pale imitations in the US market.
Rum is my go-to alcohol. For years, my favorite was One Barrel, a Belizean rum. Very hard to find here in the US, though.
But now, my favorite is Koloa Rum, which is produced on the island of Kauai. Unfortunately, there are only a few states which import it, so I’m *still *out of luck. It’s a good thing that I don’t drink very much at all.
Kraken and Sailor Jerry are my standard go-to rums. Both a relatively inexpensive and easy to find and work by themselves or mixed.
Don’t know if they still do (and it doesn’t matter because I can’t get it where I live now) but Whalers used to do a very black strong rum that I really liked. Haven’t seen anything but their light flavored rums since I left California in the late '90’s.
Are you looking for spiced rum, or just rum? There’s a difference, you know.
The makers of Patron make a very fine rum, Pyrat. Probably out of your price range at <$25, but worth it.
That depends a lot on location (both geographical and what store). Most places I see it it runs about $21-22, but I know a couple of places I can get it for $15.
ive had the flavored cruzan before and it was kinda meh.but blackstrap sounds pretty good from what your saying
Oh and Malibu is an abomination unto God (and yes it’s not technically rum).
For store-bought rum, I prefer Captain Morgan Private Stock. No need to mix anything with it! If I have some cola around the house, I’ll mix it with regular Captain Morgan or (if I’m feeling nostalgic for college) some Bacardi O.
How about a craft rum? Ration Rum from Maine Craft Distilling is very nice…of course, it may be a bit difficult to obtain, depending on where you live.
I buy Gosling’s ginger beer all the time, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried their rum.
Combine the two with some lime, and you have a drink called a “Dark & Stormy”, which is excellent.
Fantastic stuff.
actually in terms of sailor jerry.whats the difference between the spiced and the spiced navy rum
Old New Orleans Rum makes some good rum. Its a small operation and (I think) they sell only in the southeast. They also make a 20 proof ginger ale that’s really tasty. I think you can only buy that at the distillery. If you visit the Big Easy take the tour. $10 includes transportation from the Quarter.
Has anyone revived rum making in Medford, MA? It was popular in the day-Daniel Webster drank it every day. It is also mentioned in Moby Dick!
Something to keep in mind with rum - while usually if someone likes, oh say, the 5-year rum from a particular distiller, then their 10-year one will be even better, etc. However, the price will keep going up and there will be a tipping point where the next age doesn’t have as big of a “taste gap” and the difference in taste is no longer worth the difference in price. (Yes it’s better, but it isn’t $20 worth of better, for instance.) I find that it’s usually the 10 or 15 year mark that is the tipping point for me.
If you really want to splurge, there’s always Black Tot if you can find it… but honestly, you’d be paying for having a bit of history rather than for having a (expensive!) drink.
Think with all the brands mentioned in this thread, I have a new shopping list for the next time I visit a liquor store. 
<< Where’s the… oh, never mind. >>
I really don’t like rum at all. But I’m married to a Newfoundlander, and they love it up there. They drink something called “screech,” which is pretty poisonous, if you ask me.
They prefer dark rum (and my wife told me that she didn’t even know there was another kind until she got to the US).
Might be a bit above the price level you’re looking for, but I’m a big fan of 12 YO Appleton at around $35 a bottle.