7 Of The Best Rum Under $50 That You Need To Try

If you're looking for the Best Rum Under $50 for 2022 and beyond, you've come to the right place. With new innovations, outstanding production methods, aging procedures, and flavors to suit every sipper or mixer, excellent tasting and reasonably priced rum are easier to come by than ever before. Whether you're searching for a white rum or a more mature-aged blend, this list of the best rums under $50 has something for everyone.

While the Caribbean is most renowned for its rum, there are wonderful brands produced all over the globe. It's a diversified category of liquor, with many excellent brands, labels, and styles to choose from. If you're seeking something fresh to add to your favorite rum cocktails, you'll be spoilt for choice. Before we get on to the best rums under $50, let's delve a little deeper into this incredible spirit to really appreciate it.

What is Rum Made From?

Rum is an alcoholic spirit distilled from fermented fruit, sugarcane byproducts, molasses or other substances. The most common type of rum today is made from sugarcane juice and molasses. Rum flavors vary widely depending on where it's made and how it's aged. It can be golden-brown, amber in color, or clear and light.

7 Main Types of Rum

Rum has come a long way from its days as cheap swill served on the rocks to sailors and other sailors-of-the-cloth. But most people don't know what they're buying when they go rum shopping. You might be surprised to learn that there are many different types of rum out there — some so similar that they're practically interchangeable.

Dark Rum

Color may be used to identify a bottle of dark rum. It comes in brown, black, and red. The color comes from molasses and the aging in charred oak barrels. The longer the rum is aged in the barrel, the greater the taste.

White Rum

White rum is a popular drink in Puerto Rico and is well represented by Bacardi, the largest rum maker. These are quite plain with only a hint of sweetness. Light rum is also known as silver or light rum, and it is normally filtered to remove any color from the barrels.

Gold Rum

Gold rums, sometimes called Amber rums, are medium-bodied and flavorful. The time spent in the barrels gives it that beautiful golden hue. They're often in bourbon barrels.

Premium Rum

Premium rums are often the best and most premium as the name suggests, but they are expensive. These are top-shelf rums that are manufactured and distilled with precision.

Spiced Rum

Rum is actually quite popular as flavored alcohol. It's created the same way as regular rum, but with additives after distillation to enhance tropical fruit flavors.

Overproof Rum

This is a stronger liquor version of the original, making it one of the best rums with a kick. This rum typically contains 40% alcohol by volume. Overproof rum is between 150 and 160 proof, pushing the ABV above 80%. Bartenders often use it to make cocktails.

Spiced Rum

Spiced rum is rum with added spices like cinnamon or cloves which also contribute to its darker color. It's said to be one of the best rums since it's so flavorful.

Best Rum Under $50

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum is one of the fastest-growing brands in the world, and it’s no wonder. It’s a unique, spicy Caribbean rum redolent of nutmeg, toffee, ginger, cloves, and vanilla. The perfect companion on a chilly night or whenever you just want to toast with something special. A great dark spirit to introduce to the veteran spiced rum drinker and new taster alike or an awesome way to mix up your old favorites.

Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar Rum

Brugal Rum Bar 1888 Ron Gran Reserva is a seductively smooth volcanic-ash rum, made in the Dominican Republic by blending rums of four to fourteen years' aging. Brugal 1888 Rum has a dark, amber hue, along with an aroma of milk chocolate, roasted coffee, and dried apricots. It reveals its full bouquet when aromas are on air; the aftertaste offers silky liquors from the grapefruit peel, citrus marmalade, cinnamon sticks, and ginger that linger into the swallow for long after each sip of rum.

Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum

Santa Teresa 1796 is a top-shelf Venezuelan rum aged between 5 and 35 years. The Santa Teresa Solera Rum collection represents a legendary distillation process, with the unique and delicate Santa Teresa 1796 being produced by the traditional method. The process of aging began in a cellar of oak barrels underground where the premium ingredients were bottled and left to mature in cool, dark conditions, which led to better aging of the spirits within. When it comes to taste, this rum is similar to a fine cognac; soft, smooth, and well-balanced with incredible depth of flavor. It's smooth, very dry with a slightly bitter finish. This is a wonderful product that offers terrific value for money!

Pusser's British Navy Rum Gunpowder Proof

They don’t make rum like this anymore. Gunpowder Proof is produced using an authentic Royal Navy style recipe established in the nineteenth century. Sipping Gunpowder Proof is like resting your hand on the tiller of a good ship, an action that feels as good as it looks. We're reminded of old-guard naval gunpowder proofs and British Royal Navy flags. If you’ve been thirsting for a taste of yesteryear, now's your chance. It’s very strong and full-bodied yet sweet, fruity, and smooth! Whether you drink it neat with ice or combine it, you will not be disappointed.

Havana Club Añejo Clásico Rum

Originally created in 1934, The Havana Club Anejo Clasico is the rum most people have ever experienced. This word-class rum comes in an eye-catching decanter with an embossed textured surface. Once opened, it tastes as one might expect and upon smelling rum, both lemony and minty notes as well as vanilla finish to give you a taste of old-school Cuban glamor. It speaks to new drinkers of the classic Cuban culture, with its distinctively sweet, soft taste and smooth finish. Its rich color and subtle flavors are reminiscent of aged rums from the 1800s. We love it in our cocktails or just sipping straight up. A natural choice for all occasions.

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum is an irresistible concoction of bold, spicy flavors. Based on the real-life Sailor Jerry, a world-renowned tattoo artist who was also a fan of rum and brewed his own. He loved to drink the spiced rum straight and so it was named after him. It is this very bottle that encases his own recipe but with a higher alcohol content than others of its kind so that it can also be used in cocktails or as a mixer. This spiced rum is bottled at 92 proof--a higher proof than many others of its kind, making it an even better ingredient in mixed drinks. A wonderful addition to any home bar or beyond!

Bacardi 8 Year Old Reserva Ocho Rare Gold Rum

Aged for 8 years, the rum is complex, strong, and warm thanks to the savory spice, dates, and sweet oak. This is definitely one of the best sipping rums on the market. With the taste of oak, spices, and dates, it has just a hint of smokiness from nearly a decade inside a barrel. Its potency—and pleasant aftertaste—make it an excellent choice for sipping cocktails. It works particularly well in classics like the Old Fashioned or Manhattan. When shaken and poured over ice, Bacardi Reserva Ocho can be enjoyed by both non-rum drinkers and rum connoisseurs.

Whether you are looking for a bottle to add to your home bar or perhaps just to sip on after work with friends, there is a rum out there for you. Those featured here are but a small selection of what’s available, and if you get the chance to try others, we highly recommend giving them a little taste.

Considering that rum is produced in many regions, the price really depends on the location and how much attention the brand is getting. A ton of advertising money and popularity usually comes with higher prices. However, there will always be some cheap brands that are just as good as their more expensive competitors. The choice is yours!