Aroma visualization from community tastings
Bumbu The Original
People are genuinely split here: newcomers call it their gateway rum and love the banana-caramel candy, while longtime drinkers find it cloying and artificial. Big ripe banana, vanilla and toffee up front, a slightly hot, short finish behind. It drinks more like a sweet liqueur than a traditional Barbados rum. Several tasters keep it as a "good dessert rum" or a mixer, not a neat sipper.
The community says- Big banana flavor
- Smooth, easy drinking
- But: Very sweet
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The look inside the bottle
How does Bumbu The Original taste?
Aggregated from 2,105 community reviews.
Very sweet, banana-candy dessert rum 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.
People who like sweet, soft, banana-forward sippers and rum newcomers
Anyone avoiding sugar or wanting a dry, traditional rum
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
225 of 2,105 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is Bumbu The Original rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 7.0 sits in the “Good” band. 33% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 22% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
51% rate it between 6 and 8. 48 selected write-ups from 2,105 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
One of the community's most-rated rums
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is definitely a good rum for beginners. A bit too sweet for me, but still nicely balanced and an easy sipper. The nose is sweet with vanilla and chocolate. The palate is sweet and fruity with spices and caramel. Kind of a smooth rum. The finish is medium and sweet with vanilla.
Review by Dunzi
Most helpful positive review
Who likes banana, will also like Bumbu.many of my acquaintances speak of a "women's rum". I disagree, I like it very much. Smell and taste very "bananig", yet a real rum with slight sharpness. Of course, also sweet, but R.H. Riise is partly much sweeter.
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
Most helpful critical review
Too sweet although the banana note is fun. Toy rum.
Review by LukaŽiga
6,8:The nose is very sweet, opening with notes of banana candy, caramel. This confectionery rum announces a very bubblegum spirit, with peach syrup and a hint of grenadine, pear. Aeration takes us to even sweeter notes of cinnamon and vanilla, with the powderiness of a marshmallow. 6,2:The palate is round and sweet, with a slightly spicy barley-sugar flavor, caramel. The banana candy melts into a syrup scented with toasted oak, pear and develops into roasted notes (coffee). 6:The finish is sweet, round, sticky and roasted. Edit:17.3.26.
Review by Lutz Lungershausen
2022 Interesting development of banana/caramel on the nose, solid on the palate to a slightly toasty finish. Unfortunately very, very sweet, almost sticky, which drowns out any other flavors that may be present. A nice party sipper in an admittedly very succinctly decorated bottle.
Review by Haddox Hebert
My first rum, so I have a nostalgic bias, but it is definitely more of a dessert rum than anything. The banana and candy notes remind me of those artificially flavored banana Laffy Taffys, but in a way that's really endearing. Definitely the kind of rum I'd want to sip on while watching big kid cartoons.
Review by Vincent D
Very sweet. Marketing to the max. But it's still pleasant when you discover rum. Edit: tasted again after a few years. It's really bad. It's the kind of product that doesn't serve rum. It's at best a sweet digestif to be drunk on the rocks. THIS IS NOT A RUM!
Review by Sam 🥃
This rum is very good for initiation to the world of rum, very accessible for beginners who do not want to assault their palate with more robust rums, thanks to its increased sweetness and its strong taste of banana, vanilla, caramel. We can also note the pirate type bottle, rather flattering in its bar and pleasant to look at, for a first bottle of rum. It is also the type of bottle to have in its bar and to share without moderation with guests swearing by Captain Morgan and Malibu. It remains pleasant and festive... For a rum-based spirit.
Review by Oscar Fernandez
Very sweet rum with a predominance of banana in the sensory aspect. In mouth it takes very well and is pleasant. It goes very well with a marijuana cigar and grilled meat. Salu! 🥃
Review by Alco Pilot
Well, what to say. Bumbu is one of my most favorite rums of all time. In the Fun for your buck ratio it doesn't have much contenders at all. Fruity and bananas. Mnam dopici.
Review by Rumpalumpa
out of the bunch of the super popular spiced rums, I guess I like this best (way better than Don Papa). it gives strong Bananabread vibes that are interesting and don't taste too chemical like with Don Papa.
Review by Gregor
This is not a rum but a rum based spirit. The taste and also the smell are very intense like banana which I perceive as positive because the banana does not come across as artificial. However, the product is far too sweet for my taste. Therefore I cannot recommend it
Review by Jürgen Gigl
Quite passable for in between 👍
Review by Justin Baker
Very positive interesting rum, tastes bananig something sharp then again full banana in the finish. Slightly oily which I find very good. Price-performance ratio is really great! Recommendation to those who like sweet rum.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
Very sweet rum. As I've read, they put tropical fruits in the distillate, which makes it extremely sweet. This is not a rum for me, but could be an entrance-rum for someone unfamiliar. It has a sweet nose and heavy notes of banana, vanilla and caramel. Updated with picture from the same tasting
Review by Filip Šikula
Another rum that I came back to after a long time just because I figured I wouldn't do a single rumx entry in retrospect. It's chemical, it's sweet, but it was one of those things that got me on the rum journey. I showed it to a lot of people, and they were thrilled. Nowadays I try to dazzle all those people with rums from Jamaica, for example.
Review by Hans-Peter Jank
Süß und ein schöner Bananen Geschmack. Ein guter Rum für Einsteiger. Mir persönlich ist dieser Bumbu in der Zwischenzeit zu süß und entspricht nicht mehr meinen Geschmacksvorlieben. Etwas zu flach. Passt gut zu karibischen Desserts. Dies ist meine 2.Verkostung dieses Rund und ich setze meine ursprüngliche Bewertung etwas nach unten.
Review by Jonas Kofod
The banana candy rum. Hardly complex or aquired taste but nice and smooth
Review by Fayaman971
Ce rhum est particulièrement doux et facile à boire . Il est très vanillé avec des notes de caramel par contre je ne ressens pas l’odeur de la banane ni au nez ni en bouche mais ça doit venir de moi . Et pour finir , il est facile de le trouver dans le commerce et son prix est abordable .
Review by abaker-rum
The first note that jumps off the page to me is green apple candy, like a green apple jolly rancher. Once you get past that you get vanilla and pineapple. The taste and finish have a lot of caramel, vanilla, and banana, with a very viscous sweet experience. It is a short finish that leaves a sugary sweetness coating your mouth. To me this rum is overly sweet.
Review by Beach-and-Rum 🏖️🌴
Sehr süßer Rum der stark nach künstlicher Vanille schmeckt. Der Alkohol ist leicht spürbar. Definitiv eher ein Rum für Einsteiger.
Review by nick_nick1
Mild and fruity. Almost a little boring, but worth a bottle.
Review by MJ72
Süßrum, vollreife Banane
Review by HenryL
Nothing for me, much too sweet and artificial. Better than Don Papa, but that is not a real opponent.
Review by Jakob Deiner
Aus meiner Sicht das, was die ganzen Don Papas (nicht der gute Rum sondern Baroko, MassKara etc.) sein wollen. Sehr süß, jedoch nicht übertrieben, mit angenehmen, vollen Aromen von Banane und Vanille in Geruch und Geschmack, ohne dabei jedoch unangenehm künstlich zu wirken und der Rum-Charakter bleibt erhalten, leichte Holznoten im Geschmack. Banane-Vanille-Cola funktioniert besser als man meinen möchte. Drinks: - Pur: 4/5 - on the rocks: 4.5/5 - Cuba Libre: 3/5 (Limette und Banane bekämpfen sich) - Rum Cola: 4/5 - Rum Mule: - Rum Punch: 2.5/5
Review by DimHub
very sweet with an abundance of caramel. recommended
Review by helloimduc
The nose is super nice with toffee and vanilla. Unfortunately the taste is disappointing. Too alcoholic to drink alone. Good for cocktails though. Super tasty in Bumbu Sour 😀
Review by Michael Schillheim
Very, very small cinema. Very artificial and unpleasant.
Review by Fred Roccapina
Liqueur et non rhum un peu trop aromatisé à la banane avec un goût trop prononcé d’alcool 90°
Review by Joey Baudier
Odeur de caramel assez prononcée
Review by Артур Ашмонтас
Labai saldus, kvepia kremsoda, atiduoda kriaušemis
Review by Stan Hardy
Kein schlechter Rum, jedoch wurde ordentlich Zucker und Aromen, vor allem Bananenaromen und Vanille hinzugefügt. Im Cocktail, mit Bier, oder auf Eis, bestimmt nicht schlecht. Er ist nicht so überladen wie ein Remedy, Don Papa Mascara, oder die 80-150€ teuren A.H. Riise
Review by Jan Králík
This rum was my first premium rum, which I bought to celebrate the birth of my son. I was surprised by its great sweetness and distinct banana flavor. But the sweetness was too high for me. According to the description, I was hoping to find coconut in the flavor, but unfortunately not. Mainly ripe banana and caramel. For someone who likes very sweet rums, this will be a good choice.
Review by Sascha Merkel
rather than dessert
Review by Anthony
Simple, efficace ! Très facile , trop facile ! Ouvert à tous! sucré et gourmand tel un dessert !
Review by Blaidor
Smell 3/10 Taste 3/10 Aftertaste 4/10 Image 4/10 (info about rum, bottle, carton-box, sugar free, marketing....) Total impression 3,5/10 ------------------ BTL Due to the fake marketing one of the worst enemies at the gates of the real rum world for all newbies 👎👎👎
Review by Rokas V
Sweet, has strong smell of bananas. More like spiced rum. I like it.
Review by Smashed Cherries
Well It's very sweet so you love it or hate it. Blasting with banana flavors that are accompany by vanilla and caramel to balance it out. This is one of my favorite sipping rums because of it's smoothness with just the right bite. In my opinion this is more of a liqueur with a higher alcohol %.
Review by Don Grisu
Mega süß und süffig, nicht wirklich besonders aber irgendwie lecker.
Review by Rumclub Latvia
Overrated Bullshit. Definitely for beginners, who like Don Papa, Diplomatico RE, A.H Rise, Centenario, Millinario and other very sweet “rums”. P.S design are nice for this price category
Review by DutchRumPirate
Nice rum for in the mix. But a little to sweet for me.
Review by Joshua Engels
For me this my nr1 favourite on the moment and it will be hard to get this out of my collection. Its sweet and soft with a vanilla/bananna flavour.
Review by Addison Glen
Chemical forward artificial flavor
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
riecht an der Nase extrem intensiv und künstlich wie Fanta tropical zu Sirup eingekocht. schmeckt dann eher wie Gummibananen und andere künstliche Frucht Süßigkeiten. geht gar nicht...👎
Review by Antoine Blin
Good value for money
Review by Business Liner Ralf
Very sweet, but the pear and banana knock it out of the park!
Review by Roman Lelek
Sweetness, cherries...
Review by Antoine L C
Ceci n’est pas du rhum
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Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 5.0/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by RumRecenze.cz
Read full review →
Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →What appalls me the most is that some Rum Reviewers have given this reviews, which suggest it is worth your time as a rum. Now that really is a joke. This is about as Bajan as Jellied Eels. And just as nauseating. At £35 you could get yourself some absolutely...
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 26 € – 36 €
from 5 sales, latest 12/2024
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 30 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Bumbu The Original
A spirit drink on a rum base from Barbados, distilled by West Indies, at 35%.
Community purchases
2,180 bottles logged by 1,896 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
37% opened, 343 emptied and repurchased.
What does Bumbu The Original cost?
Community paid 25–40 €.
Current best price: 31.09 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+50 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
2,180 purchased · 2,235 tasted · 685 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
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