Folks here we are again another year, another riveting Rumcast fantasy draft between John and Will of the Rumcast, with guest Arminder from The Rum Revival making his return as the reigning champ. These are my sole thoughts on these as the rum draft expert. I broke down the tape, talked to the coaches, and am ready to analyze how these rums will perform at the next level. Will Arminder go for a repeat? Can Will get the trophy back? Can John stop being the Kent State of this competition? Only time will tell.
Links to these fine folks:
https://www.rumcast.com/episodes/fantasy-rum-draft-2025
https://www.youtube.com/@therumrevival
Best Pick: Unaged Rum Category
John: Hampden 8 Marks Collection – Unaged
Will: Wray & Nephew Overproof
Arminder: Worthy Park Overproof
Winner: Arminder
Best Pick: Lightly Aged Rum
- John: Smith and Cross
- Will: Worthy Park 109
- Arminder: Hamilton Demerara 151
Winner: John
I’m not much of a cocktail guy which is what all of these rums are playing in and where they shine the best. I have to go with the funk monster here as my go to for cheap lightly aged rums presented here. It brings the HOGO. While the WP 109 is very good it just doesn’t hit quite the same, and the Hamilton 151 I just don’t use enough.
Best Pick: Aged (5-13 Years) #1
- John: Shakara 12Yr Thailand Rum
- Will: Appleton 8
- Arminder: Appleton 12
Winner: John
In a shocking upset to most people who know my love for Jamaican rums, I am taking the Shakara 12 year here. For me, it edges ahead of the Appleton 8 year (which I prefer over the Appleton 12). The Shakara has more depth for me, bring a bit more punch, and just has an amazing bit of flavor. A very tough category to parse but John is jumping out to an early lead here. Perhaps there is hope yet!
Best Pick: Aged (5-13 Years) #2
- John: Hamilton Guyanese 13Yr, Port Mourant
- Will: Roaming Road Worthy Park WPM 12 Year
- Arminder: El Dorado High Ester LBI/DHE
Winner: Arminder
When this rum came out, John and Will on their year in review asked, “Are we the assholes” for not getting this rum. Yes, you are. This is one of the best recent releases from DDL and the El Dorado High Ester blend may not be what you expect from a rum labeled high ester, but, it’s a high quality tropical aged Guyana rum. It has so much flavor and is just that classic well aged tropical DDL rum that we don’t get enough of.
Best Pick: Long Aged (14+Years)
- John: Doorly’s 14 Barbados Rum
- Will: Foursquare Equidem Barbados Rum
- Arminder: Raising Glasses Yowie 16yr Australian Rum
Winner: Arminder
As much as I love Barbados rum this Raising Glasses Yowie 16 year is one of the best Australian rums I have ever had. It has such distinct grapefruit flavor and is just a wholly unique experience especially, in this case, when put up against some very incredible rums from Foursquare.
Best Pick: Cane Juice Unaged
- John: Worthy Park 9th Floor WPE-CNJ
- Will: Mater Sicilian Yellow Cane Rum
- Arminder: Clairin Vaval
Winner: John
Yeah this one wasn’t even close. This Worthy Park Cane Juice is one of the best rum releases from this year and is among the all time great unaged rums I’ve tried. A true battering took place here and a great selection by John.
Best Pick: Cane Juice Aged (Any Length)
- John: Alambique Serrano – 3 Anos French Oak
- Will: Rhum JM Epices Creoles
- Arminder: Alambique Serrano Blend #6 Otono
Winner: Arminder
This was an incredibly tough choice between the two Alambique’s, but my nod has to go to the Blend #6. These blends are some of the best and most interesting rums releasing today and this blend was no different. The French oak 3 year is also quite good, but Arminder edges ahead here.
Best Pick: Multi-Country Blend
- John: Transcontinental Rum Line High Seas
- Will: Black Tot Master Blender’s Reserve 2022
- Arminder: Ten to One White Rum
Winner: Will
Will takes the cake here with the Black Tot Master Blender’s reserve. The other two are cocktail rums but this is a sipping blend of rums that just punches above the other two. It wasn’t a close choice for me and Will adds an excellent rum to his bar.
Best Pick: Non-Caribbean
- John: Holmes Cay Reunion Island Rum Traditionnel
- Will: Alambique Serrano Cartier 30
- Arminder: Holmes Cay Reunion Grand Arome
Winner: Will
Will gets the back to back wins here with one of the best rums I’ve ever had here. The Cartier 30 is one of the most unique rums you will ever taste and is a must have in my bar no matter if im on an island or anywhere else. This would be a 1st overall pick for me if I was going to be doing a rum draft, or very close to the top based off all the factors that make it so ubiquitous.
Best Pick: 100% Column
- John: Raising Glasses Muki – Ecuador 2018 6 Yr
- Will: Raising Glasses Union 7yrs Reunion
- Arminder: Pere Labat 59%
Winner: Arminder
Here we have another clear with the Pere Labat 59 going easily over the other two rums. Both are strong prospects in their own right but Pere Labat 59 sits at an incredible corner of well priced, versatile, high proof, and just so damn delicious. This is a bottle that is always in my bar and will continue to be as long as I can get it.
Best Pick: 100% Pot
- John: Papalin Jamaica High Ester 5 Year
- Will: Clairin Le Rocher
- Arminder: Hampden HLCF Classic
Winner: John
Whew this is a tough one. An admitted super fan of all Hampden rums going up against a high ester blend from various Jamaican distilleries. I have to go with the Papalin here as it’s a very special rum. It can be sipped neat and explore, it’s a great cocktail rum, and its super affordable for being one of the nerdiest products available. Its something that has to be in your bar if you are a rum fan.
Best Pick: Best Overall Bench
- John: El Dorado 12 & El Amparo
- Will: Doorly’s XO & Barbancourt White Rum Haitian Proof
- Arminder: Doctor Bird & Chairman’s Reserve Original
Winner: John
John takes the bench category here if only for versatility for me. I am a huge fan of the El Amapro and while the other two categories offer some great rums I think the huge difference here between the classic 12 year El Dorado and the unaged cane juice rum just make for the better bench.
Overall Winner: John
For me, this was one the closest rum drafts we have had happen even if it turned into a two man race. John and Armidner battled back and forth across the entire draft as did Will, but John and Arminder’s selection just eked out ahead of Will’s. Though a tie by overall score across all categories including the bench, when I sat down and looked at which bar I would want the most it had to be John’s and that, in this case, happened because viewing their bars in totality, yeah the Hampden 8 marks set swung me back as a mini tie-breaker due to the uniqueness and how great Hampden estate is. So at least for this rum writer, John win’s this year.
Overall Draft Grades:
- John: A
- Will: B+
- Arminder: A-
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