Tiki Tasting: The Cane Mill Rum, 8 year

When we’re shopping for rum, we are always on the lookout for something new to add to our collection. Since rums are so unique, you never know (ok, sometimes you know) when you will stumble upon one that will bring your Rum Barrel to the next level. The Cane Mill Rum is a brand that is sold at Total Wine & More as part of their Spirits Direct program, meaning it is exclusive to that chain. They offered a 5 year and an 8 year, and we opted to pick up a bottle of the 8 year. The rum is made in Barbados/West Indies and is aged in oak barrels. The rum has an eye-catching label and an even more eye-catching price point (well under $20 in our area), which made it worth a look for us.

The Cane Mill Rum has a dark caramel color and smells of toffee, banana and toasted nuts, though it isn’t as deeply aromatic as some other similarly aged rums and has a bit of sharpness to it at first. On the palate, the rum is quite smooth, with strong flavors of molasses, burnt honey, toffee and a chocolaty tobacco note, but no strong tropical fruit notes. The finish is medium-long and leaves a lingering hint of sweetness, as well as a bit of astringency. It’s a very pleasant rum and definitely a good value for the price considering the age. While the rum isn’t extremely complex, it certainly has enough flavor to make an impact in a cocktail that needs a dose of aged rum to give it some body and it offers a very good value at its price point.

Rum Rating: 3/5

Rum Rating Scale:
0/5 – Is this even rum?
1/5 – Bad. Not worth buying and not worth drinking
2/5 – Not very good, but could be covered up with mixers.
3/5 – Good, versatile rum.
4/5 – Great rum, with complex flavors that is good on its own or in cocktails.
5/5 – Amazing rum. Don’t even think about covering it up with mixers.