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Rum is having a bit of a moment. Once relegated to tropical cocktails and beach holidays, the spirit is increasingly demanding a place in serious sipping glasses. And if you are wondering which bottles deserve attention this year, The Spirits Business Rum And Cachaca Masters 2026 offers a good place to start. Judged through a blind tasting format, the competition in 2026 awarded Master medals across an impressive range of styles, with one bottle ultimately taking the Taste Master title. Here are the 5 best award-winning rums of 2026 including Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks, Camikara Cask Aged Rum 8 Year Old, Havana Club Tributo 2025, Angostura 15 Year Old, and Copalli Barrel Rested Organic Rum.
Here are five of the award-winning rums that stood out and emerged triumphant. The Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks emerged overall winner.
Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks Rum Medal: Taste Master + Master
ABV: 43%
Starting with the winner seems only fair. Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks rum went beyond securing a Master medal to take home the overall Rum and Cachaca Taste Master 2026 title. Judges found layers of coffee, dark chocolate and cherry, making this the bottle that sets the benchmark for the rest of the list.
Camikara Cask Aged Rum 8 Year Old Medal: Master
ABV: 42.8%
The Indian entry is also one of the most intriguing. Camikara Cask Aged Rum 8 Year Old took a Master in the Agricole Aged Rum category, with judges noting bright estery aromas, creamy undertones and tropical fruit. It is a particularly interesting result for a category that is increasingly finding room for producers beyond the traditional rum capitals.
Havana Club Tributo 2025 Rum Medal: Master
ABV: 43%
If your ideal rum leans darker and more indulgent, Havana Club Tributo 2025 Rum should be on the radar. The expression earned a Master in the Dark Rum – Ultra-Premium category, with the judging panel highlighting a rich, rounded profile built around spice and chocolate.
Angostura 15 Year Old Rum Medal: Master
ABV varies by market
Angostura 15 Year Old rum brings age and a distinctly fruit-and-spice-driven character to the lineup. Awarded a Master in the Dark Rum – Aged over 13 Years category, it showed notes of prunes, berries, dates, spice and tannins during judging. It is the sort of profile that makes a strong case for drinking rum slowly rather than hiding it beneath a mixer.
Copalli Barrel Rested Organic Rum Medal: Master
ABV varies by market
Finishing on a brighter note, Copalli Barrel Rested Organic Rum won a Master in the Gold Rum – Ultra-Premium category. Its profile leans decisively tropical, with green banana, pineapple and mango among the tasting notes. It is a welcome reminder that award-winning rum doesn't have to mean dark, heavy, or decades old.
The most interesting thing about the winners in 2026 is not that they all taste alike, it is that they do no't. Appleton Estate rum brings depth and age, Camikara puts Indian rum in the international spotlight, Havana Club rum goes dark and decadent, Angostura rum leans into dried fruit and spice, while Copalli rum keeps things bright and tropical.
And perhaps that is the real story of rum in 2026: there is no longer just one way to drink it.
