The Most Divisive Rums

Some rums split the room. These are the most polarising bottles in the RumX community — each one rated very good or excellent by many, yet below average by an equally vocal minority. There's no lukewarm here: taste them and pick a side.

Curated by , Founder of RumX
1,731 tastings
Ranked by the RumX community
Updated June 2026

Oliver is the founder of RumX, the community behind the world's largest rum database. He works daily with the tasting notes and ratings of tens of thousands of rum enthusiasts.

Rums in this list

  1. Best for: People who love sweet, dessert-style sippers

    Loved by sweet-rum fans for its creamy caramel-chocolate character; dismissed by others as a sugared candy drink that buries the base. The one constant: it's very, very sweet.

  2. Best for: People who like sweet, fruity, liqueur-leaning rums

    Deeply divisive. Fans love the round peach-and-vanilla sweetness; critics find it artificial, over-sugared and barely rum-like. The real catch is that heavy added sugar dominates everything.

  3. Best for: Beginners who like very sweet, fruity rums

    Deeply split. Sweet-rum newcomers enjoy the honey-orange candy character; seasoned drinkers find it artificial, syrupy and barely rum-like. Short finish, lots of added sweetness.

  4. Best for: People who like sweet, soft, banana-forward sippers and rum newcomers

    Loved by beginners, dismissed by veterans. Massive banana-vanilla-caramel sweetness that many find artificial and cloying; best over ice or in a sweet cocktail rather than analyzed neat.

  5. Best for: People who like very sweet, dessert-style rums and rum newcomers

    Loved by beginners and sweet-rum fans, dismissed by many enthusiasts as too sweet and artificial. The pretty decanter gets more agreement than the liquid. One of the more rum-like Riise bottlings, but the sugar still dominates.

  6. Best for: People wanting an easy first Jamaican or a fruity everyday sipper

    Most people love it as an easy, affordable entry into Hampden — banana, esters, gentle spice. Hardcore fans of the Overproof find it a touch watery and short on funk.

  7. Best for: Fans of sweet, orange-forward rums like Don Papa

    Divisive. Sweet-rum and Don Papa fans enjoy the candied orange and vanilla, especially on ice or in a highball; others find it too artificial and one-note to sip seriously.

  8. Best for: People starting out who like sweet, soft, low-heat sippers

    Loved as a first sweet sipper, divisive among enthusiasts. Caramel, vanilla and chocolate, easy and round, but many find it too sweet, thin, and heavy on marketing.

  9. Best for: People who like sweet, creamy spiced rums and dessert sippers

    People are divided: sweet-tooth drinkers find it a smooth, creamy vanilla-coconut treat, while others call the vanilla artificial and the whole thing far too sweet to read as real rum.

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