With 48,000 members and over 250,000 tasting notes, the RumX app has just announced its Community Awards. No jury: just the power of data. The 2025 awards are based on over 60,000 community-certified reviews. Six categories are honoured, from Single Casks to the public’s favourites. A total of 10,717 bottlings were scrutinised, covering the entire range from mass-market brands to 40-year-old Single Casks.
The winners are determined based on all ratings left by users between 1 December of the previous year and 30 November of the current year. The emphasis is on data reliability rather than volume: to mitigate the influence of extreme ratings, a statistical median is used instead of an average. A security algorithm also examines profiles and ratings to identify suspicious behaviour and weed out fraudulent reviews. Finally, a reinforced threshold of more than 40 ratings per rum ensures a solid and representative level of consensus within the community.
It should be noted that French bottlers dominate their category, with five out of ten representatives in the rankings. This result highlights French expertise. Now for the results.
Best Single Casks 2025
Swell de Spirits – T.D.L Swell & Co. (RumX) 2001
Precious Liquors – Long Pond Jamaican Rum (RumX) 2005
Vagabond Spirits – Savanna Silva Collection 2003
Spirit of Rum – Versailles Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 50 1990
Spirit of Rum – T.D.L Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 52 2003
Swell de Spirits – Savanna HERRLINE No. 2 (SDS) 2017
Spirit of Rum – Hampden Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 53 2014
Swell de Spirits – New Yarmouth Eastern Tales 2009
The Colours of Rum – Hampden Jamaica Ed. 17 2015
Wu Dram Clan – T.D.L Trinidad Rum 2003
Best independent bottlers
Spirit of Rum
Famille Ricci
Velier
Swell de Spirits
The Whisky Jury
The Colours of Rum
Vagabond Spirits
Maison Ferrand
Oldman Spirits GmbH
Compagnie des Indies
Best blended rums
Velier – Foursquare Fidelitas 2004
Famille Ricci – Caroni Navy Blend (RumX)
Hampden – Great House (Distillery Edition 2025)
Planteray – T.D.L Trinidad 2003
Savanna – L’Absolu
English Harbour – High Congener Series (2nd Release) 2014
J. Bally – Brut de Fût 2009
Corman Collins – CRHUM Verytresbon Blend
Savanna – Art of Rum (REPY)
Sipper’s Rum by The Whisky Jury
Best “classic” rums
Planteray – XO 20th Anniversary
Doorly‘s – 14 Years
Hampden – Rum Fire
Ron Zacapa – Centenario XO Solera (3rd Edition)
1423 S.B.S – Single Origin Rum Australia <KLK>
Hampden – Smith & Cross
Mount Gay – XO – Triple Cask Blend
Savanna – Traditionnel Le Must
Appleton – Estate Rare Casks 12 Years
Ron Abuelo – Añejo XII Años (Three Angels)
Best spirits
Dos Maderas 5+5 PX
Cartavio XO
Planteray – Clarendon Canerock
Bumbu – The Original
Planteray – Cut and Dry Coconut Rum
Don Papa – Baroko
Don Papa – Masskara 2018
Bumbu – XO
Plantation – Stiggins’ Fancy Pineapple
Don Papa
The most popular rums
Diplomático – Reserva Exclusiva
Planteray – XO 20th Anniversary
Planteray – Trinidad TDL 2003
Bumbu – The Original
Ron Zacapa – Centenario 23
Foursquare – Exceptional Cask Selection XXVII Equidem 2010
Velier – Foursquare Absolutio 2009
Don Papa
Hampden – Great House (Distillery Edition 2024)
Eminente – Reserva 7 ans