Spiced rum might still conjure images of a certain swashbuckling captain but today’s category reaches far beyond the familiar. Modern producers are redefining what the spirit can be, crafting complex, characterful spirits that reward those bold enough to explore.
At its core, spiced rum is a flavoured style of rum, typically made from molasses and distilled in the exact same way as any other molasses-based rums. The distinction comes after distillation where a blend of spices, botanicals and occasionally even fruit is introduced, either during ageing or as a finishing touch to add more flavour.
While the style may once have been used to soften or disguise harsher spirits, that approach has broadly been left in the past. Today, many distilleries approach spiced rum with precision and creativity, using carefully selected ingredients to enhance instead of mask the base spirit. The result is a diverse and increasingly sophisticated style of rum, offering everything from warming, spice-led drinks to brighter, more citrus-driven variations.
This year’s IWSC results underline the global appeal of spiced rum, with the top ten bottles spanning an impressive range of regions, from Fiji and India to the Netherlands and the Caribbean. It’s a category no longer defined by a single place but shaped by producers worldwide bringing their own intriguing stylistic influences.
Among this international line-up, Scotland stands out as an unexpected hotspot, accounting for three of the top ten expressions. Known primarily for whisky, Scottish distillers are increasingly making their mark in spiced rum.
Leading the Scottish contingent is Ninefold Distillery’s Celestial Spiced Rum, awarded 95 points and a Gold medal. IWSC judges praised it for its ‘citrusy notes of orange and lemon’ layered with flavours of ‘vanilla, burnt sugar and gentle cardamom’. It sits alongside other Gold medallists from across the globe, including Nusa Caña Spiced Island Rum from the Netherlands, noted for its vibrant candied citrus character, and Fiji’s Ratu 5 Year Old Spiced Rum, which impressed with its honeyed sweetness and warming spices.
Elsewhere, NB Distillery’s Spiced Rum secured 93 points and a Silver medal, with judges highlighting its notes of ‘creamy caramel and green peppercorn’. Rum Cay Rum’s Bahamian Spiced Rum, also produced in Scotland, achieved 91 points and stood out for its ‘liquorice-forward nose’ and delicate aniseed and toffee notes.
Together, the results reflect a category defined by diversity, not just in flavour but in geography, with producers across the world reinterpreting spiced rum in their own distinctive ways. Read on for ten of the top rums from the IWSC 2025.
HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE SPIRITS?
We run a tightly structured, rigorous spirits tasting process. That means that each spirit sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC spirit judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the drinks industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.
HOW DO WE SCORE THESE SPIRITS?
Only the best spirits sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, spirits have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.
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Ten of the best spiced rums from the IWSC 2025
