The World's Best Aged Rums, According To The SF World Spirits Competition

Forbes

31-05-2025

The Aged Rum Finalists From The 2025 SFWSC
Five rums are finalists for the World's Best Aged Rum at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The SFWSC is one of the world's most prestigious spirit judging events, and both consumers and the beverage industry closely follow its results. Below are brief backgrounds and tasting notes for the finalists.
Jamaica's Worthy Park Estate has been distilling rum since 1741 and is renowned for its molasses-based, 100% pot still rums. The Select Rum is a lightly aged expression, typically matured for 4–6 years in ex-bourbon barrels at the estate. It's a classic Jamaican pot still rum.
The rum is bold and expressive on the nose, featuring ripe banana, molasses, baking spice, and a hint of funky overripe mango. It's rich and robust on the palate, showcasing layers of tropical fruit, vanilla, caramel, and charred oak, balanced by peppery spice and earthy undertones. The finish is long, fruity, and slightly dry, with lingering notes of banana bread, clove, and subtle smoke.
Worthy Park's 109 Rum is a high-proof expression created as a modern take on overproof rum. It is a blend of pot-still rums aged 4 to 10 years. Its deep mahogany hue suggests significant oak influence. It's designed for bartenders and rum enthusiasts who crave intensity and depth in a rum.
The rum is intensely aromatic on the nose, featuring pronounced notes of molasses, cola syrup, baking spice, dried pineapple, and classic, funky Jamaican ester aromas. It's full-bodied and robust on the palate, showcasing dark/burnt caramel, charred wood, grilled banana, and spicy notes of cinnamon and clove. The high proof adds structure and brings out the flavor components, without adding harshness. The finish is long, with lingering notes of nutmeg, black tea, and funky stone fruit.
Worthy Park 109 is a high-impact rum that strikes a balance between power and polish, making it ideal for sipping with a splash of water.
Fine Cuban cigars and glass of rum on wooden table
Despite its clear appearance, Planas is an aged rum from Venezuela's Diplomático Distillery. It's matured for up to 6 years in ex-bourbon, ex-malt whisky, and ex-sherry casks, then charcoal-filtered for clarity. It blends column, batch kettle, and pot still rums, showcasing finesse and complexity.
The rum is elegant and aromatic on the nose, featuring notes of coconut cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and subtle almond and caramel undertones. It's creamy and smooth on the palate, exhibiting notes of white chocolate, toasted coconut, citrus peel, and a slight undertone of caramelized sugar. The finish is long and refined, with lingering notes of vanilla, nutmeg, and subtle floral aromas.
Kaniché Fiji is a Fijian molasses-based rum aged first in Fiji, typically in ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in cognac casks in France by Maison Ferrand. This double cask maturation imparts both fruity tropical richness and a French oak polish.
The rum is fruity and aromatic on the nose, featuring ripe banana, honeycomb, baking spices, and toasted coconut aromas. The palate is smooth and full-bodied, with nuanced complexity showcasing notes of vanilla, caramelized pineapple, dark cocoa, wood spices, seasoned oak, and a subtle leather note. The finish is long, with lingering notes of fig, baking spices, and seasoned oak wood.
Xaymaca, pronounced zay-muh-kah, the indigenous name for Jamaica, is Planteray's homage to 100% Jamaican pot still rum. It's a blend of distillates from Long Pond and Clarendon, which are either unaged or minimally aged. It is designed to showcase the funky, ester-rich character of classic Jamaican rum.
The rum is aromatic and funky, featuring notes of green banana, grilled pineapple, fermented mango, and a touch of olive brine. It's dry and robust on the palate, showcasing notes of unripe banana, citrus pith, clove, burnt sugar, and leather, with a subtle earthy and slightly savory undertone. The finish is long and complex, with lingering notes of pepper, tropical fruit, allspice, and an ester-rich, funky character.
These rums have all been aged five years or less; nonetheless, they showcase powerful, robust flavors and a pronounced cask wood influence. They will add character and depth to rum cocktails and can also be enjoyed straight up. From the classic aromas and flavors of funky Jamaican rums to the lighter, fruitier style of Venezuelan and Fijian rums, there's a rum here for every palate.