Latin American rum

The main Styles of Latin American Rum by producing country

Each country leaves its own signature in the glass, shaped by its history, regulations and raw materials.

Cuban Rum: Lightness as a signature

Cuban rum is the most recognisable of the Latin American styles: light, dry and almost delicate, it is the result of extensive column distillation and careful activated charcoal filtration. Designed from the outset for mixology (the Daiquiri, Mojito and Cuba Libre were all invented in Cuba) it has become one of the world's most widely consumed styles of rum. Cuban regulations require a minimum of two years of ageing in oak barrels, even for white rums, giving them a characteristic smoothness and roundness despite their apparent lightness.

Jamaican Rum: The empire of esters

Jamaican rum is the complete opposite of the Cuban style: powerful, expressive and rich in esters, the aromatic compounds that give rum notes of tropical fruit, ripe banana, exotic flowers and sometimes even varnish. This intensity is the result of long fermentation periods, sometimes lasting several weeks, using wild yeasts and aroma-producing bacteria. Distilleries such as Hampden, Worthy Park and Monymusk produce expressions that are highly sought after by discerning bartenders and collectors.

Barbados Rum: The finesse of the pioneers

Barbados is probably the oldest rum-producing country in the world, with records of sugarcane distillation dating back to the early 17th century. Distilleries such as Foursquare and Mount Gay produce rums of remarkable finesse and complexity, often aged in a variety of casks (ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and ex-cognac) with a mastery of blending that rivals the finest Scottish and Cognac houses.

Rum from Guatemala, Panama and Nicaragua: high-altitude Rums

These Central American countries have developed a distinctive style: molasses-based rums aged slowly, sometimes at altitude, as in Guatemala, where cooler temperatures slow maturation and concentrate the aromas. The result is a silky, vanilla-rich and caramelised profile with broad appeal, introducing millions of consumers to premium sipping rum through producers such as Zacapa, Diplomatico and Flor de Caña.

Brazilian Rum: Cachaça, Rum's close cousin

Although technically distinct from rum under Brazilian regulations, cachaça shares its production method with agricole rum, as both are made from fresh sugarcane juice. Premium expressions aged in native Brazilian woods (such as amburana, jequitibá and bálsamo) offer unique aromatic profiles, somewhere between French Caribbean agricole rum and an indigenous spirit with an identity entirely of its own.

What really makes one Latin American Rum different from another

Beyond the country of origin, several technical variables determine the final profile of a Latin American rum.

● The raw material: fresh sugarcane juice (cachaça and some Jamaican rums) or molasses (Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guatemala) — this initial choice shapes the entire personality of the distillate.

● The distillation method: pot stills for the intense, ester-rich profiles of Jamaica, column stills for Cuban lightness, and a combination of both for the intermediate styles of Barbados.

● The length and location of ageing: a Guatemalan rum aged at altitude will develop a very different aromatic profile from a Jamaican rum aged at sea level in tropical conditions.

● The type of cask: new or ex-bourbon barrels for vanilla and caramel, ex-sherry casks for dried fruit and spices, and local wood for the most distinctive regional signatures.

How to discover Latin American Rum

The best approach is to explore the styles one by one, starting with the most approachable. A light Cuban rum in a Daiquiri will give you a clear first aromatic reference point. Then try a Jamaican white rum in the same cocktail: the difference in power and expression will be immediately noticeable. Next, discover aged rums from Barbados or Guatemala neat, served in a tulip-shaped glass, to appreciate how time in the barrel transforms these distillates into complex sipping spirits. This geographical journey will become your best guide to confidently exploring the My French Comptoir selection.

Discover the flavours of rums from around the world:

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• Asian Rum
• Australian Rum
• Mauritian Rum
• Spanish Rum
• African Rum