Best Rums of September 2023

What were the hottest new rum releases in the past month? Which rums received the highest scores from our community? And where did most of the tasting take place? We are back with our Monthly Recap and will give you the key stats on what happened in the RumX world in September 2023.

Side note: In case you are interested in seeing the full rankings for September or any of the previous months, please jump to the RumX app, open the menu and click on “The best rums of the month” - you’ll find the extended monthly lists as well as all the historical rankings over there.

Monthly charts

With a total of 4,910 tasting notes added in September, we saw a modest uptick from August's 4,652 contributions. Similarly, bottle acquisitions rose to 4,421, a slight advance from the 4,297 we logged in August. On the discovery front, our database expanded with 188 new rums - a commendable number, though slightly trailing behind August's impressive 330 additions. Cheers to the ever-growing passion of the RumX community!

Most tasted rums of September 2023

With autumn's embrace just around the corner, the fervor in the rum universe shows no sign of cooling down. Our devoted RumX community has once again ventured far and wide across the world of rum, resulting in a vibrant tapestry of tastes this September.

In August, Foursquare and Spirit of Rum held the community's fascination by jointly securing the top spot. This September, however, Spirit of Rum firmly claims the crown with their Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 39 Guyana REV 2006 (RX16863) which was tasted a notable 22 times.

Foursquare, continuing to charm our community, had its 'Raconteur' 2006 (RX15940) relished 17 times. Notably, Savanna made a commendable ascent with its Unshared Cask for Germany 2006 (RX16505), recording 13 tastings, the same count as the intriguing Rhum Supérieur Grand Arôme from the 1970s (RX16715). How come a rare bottling like this one shows up in our most tasted list? Well, team RumX pulled together a beautiful rarities tasting set with the help of its core members. Don’t want to miss the next opportunity to secure sample sets from RumX?

Next one up is the Flensburg Rum Company bottling of Hampden Single Cask rum from 2007 under the marque of C<>H (RX17125), gaining popularity with 12 tastings - Hampden remains a sure shot and absolute crowd pleaser as the average rating of 8.7 points confirms. On rank 6 we find a new name in our top list (even though not a new name in the rum game, of course): Ron Barceló gained the interest of our group of rum enthusiasts with their Imperial Rare Blend Maple Cask (RX16804), which was tasted 11 times. 

Meanwhile, the J. Bally’s Brut de Fût 2004 (RX15598) and Elixir Distillers of London's Black Tot Rum Master Blender’s Reserve 2023 (RX16663) both took the limelight with 10 tastings each. And, keeping things lively at the tail end of our top list, a secret distillery from Jamaica secured a second slot in our list (who could that be? Well, things aren’t too difficult since the bottling shares both marque and vintage with FRC’s release). This recent release by That Boutique-Y Rum Company (RX16799) was tasted 9 times and scoring an average of 8.8 points - so even slightly more than the other 2007 release from Ham… erm, secret Jamaican distillery, of course. Last not least we find The Rum Cask’s next anniversary bottling, a Guadeloupe SFGB 1998 (RX17126), rounding off with 8 tastings.

Drawing a comparison with August, while familiar names like Foursquare and Spirit of Rum remain community favorites, September brought back some other community favorites like Savanna and Bellevue. In total, September's list displays rums from a staggering eight countries, reiterating the global appeal of this beloved spirit and the ever-broadening horizons of our community.

With the pace set by September, the anticipation for October is palpable. And with some key spirit fairs taking place these very weeks we are sure to find quite some new entries in our list again - we are curious to read all your impressions, RumX community!

Most added to the collection in September 2023

The gentle ripples created by the shifts in July and August's purchasing trends have further evolved in September. With a sharp glance back at the summer months, let's dive deep into the rum waves of September.

In September, Hampden's offering garnered attention. The 2007 C<>H single cask release by Flensburg Rum Company, which was already mentioned in the 'most tasted' section, reached 28 purchases. Hampden’s distillates maintain a steady appeal, as reflected by its average score of 8.7 points. 

Enmore, too, confirmed its high regards with our community. The Spirit of Rum’s Rumclub Private Selection of a 2006 REV cask notched up 24 purchases, justifying the reputation of this Guyanese distillate. Our community's average rating of 8.8 points for this bottling further indicates its quality and explains the high purchase count. 

The Savanna tidal wave, after its triple showcase in August, continues its strong performance. Both the 2006 Unshared Cask for Germany and the 2016 version bottled for France made waves with 23 and 21 purchases respectively. While the quality of Savanna's releases was barely ever in question, we might be witnessing their transformation from an underdog to a giant when it comes to commercial appeal. Well deserved, even though it certainly makes the hunt for new Savanna releases a tad more difficult. 

La Favorite, debuting with its Créolita 2022 release, secured 19 purchases. It stands as the sole Agricole entry this month and likewise represents Martinique uniquely. Still, its average score of 8.5 suggests that even younger Agricole releases, like this one with just over a year of aging, can uphold their allure at top-tier quality.

The champ from June through August, Velier’s joint bottling with Foursquare going by the name of Raconteur, is now seeing the inevitable signs of settling down. With 17 purchases, it's clear that while the enthusiasm for this bottling remains, newer or limited releases are reshaping the landscape.

Bellevue, a distillery from Guadeloupe, with its 1998 bottling via The Rum Cask, indicates a rise in appreciation for French Caribbean rums, having secured 14 purchases. Ten Cane's Wild Series Rum collaboration with Romdeluxe is another noteworthy entry with 13 purchases, potentially hinting at an inclination towards more experimental or lesser-known brands.

Swell de Spirits with their Private Garden release of a T.D.L. rum from 2005 makes a return from July, showing consistency with 12 purchases. Beenleigh, another rum in collaboration with Velier, also maintains its presence with the same count, aligning with the trend we noticed in August.

Reflecting on this summer period, July's dip in bottle acquisitions raised concerns about market saturation and the myriad of choices available. Yet, August marked a resurgence, with brands like Savanna taking center stage. 

September offers a nuanced narrative: While stalwarts like Hampden, Enmore, and Savanna maintain their appeal, we observe emerging interest in labels such as La Favorite and Bellevue. Though these have garnered community admiration, they haven't clinched top spots in our monthly reviews since April of this year. 

In essence, September underscores the ever-evolving landscape of the rum domain. While certain brands fortify their standing, others break new ground, keeping the rum exploration perpetually thrilling. As the crispness of autumn sets in, we're eager to witness the shifting preferences of our rum enthusiasts. Stay tuned; we'll ensure you're always informed.

Most popular tasting locations in

Turning to our beloved monthly roundup of prime tasting locations, September has thrown a few surprises into the mix. Topping the list is Denmark's Whisky Watcher in Odense, recording 42 tastings. This marks a notable shift from its previous month's position and underscores the rum love that continues to burgeon in Denmark. 

Herzogenaurach continues its unwavering passion, securing the second spot with 25 tastings. Nuremberg, another favorite from our past lists, sees a decline to 8 tastings this month. But even with this dip, the city's contributions to the rum-tasting world can't be understated - the Franconian Tasting Gang's dedication to the spirit of rum remains evident. 

Comments

Reflecting on our monthly summaries, we consistently see a select group of distilleries and bottlers securing top spots. What's your perspective? Do you perceive a lack of diversity in the rum world, or do our community favorites merely represent the tip of the iceberg in global rum appreciation?