The best dark rum in India and how drinking habits are quietly changing

Rum came to India during the rule of the British and was made locally using molasses. Brands like Old Monk, launched in the 1950s, made  dark rum in India extremely popular. 

“Dark rum is sweeter as compared to whiskey or vodka, given that it’s usually made using cane juice or jaggery. And most Indians do have a palate for sweeter drinks. Dark rum is also perceived as brandy is—a spirit that is warming. In north India, during the winter, people will still ask for a drink of rum and coke,” says Ravish Bhavnani, co-founder, Radish Hospitality and Delhi-based eatery Trouble Trouble. 

Moreover, rum is cheaper than other spirits, cementing its mass-market appeal. Dark rum in India also aligns naturally with the country’s climate and drinking habits. 

“Indians enjoy bold and strong flavours, and dark rum fits that taste perfectly. Its sweetness and spice feel familiar, similar to jaggery and warm spices we use in food. Traditionally, people drank it neat, with water, or with cola. Today, bartenders use it in simple stirred cocktails, warm drinks, and light fizzy mixes with Indian ingredients,” Sushil Pant, beverage manager at Gurugram-based restaurant Ikk Panjab. 

The resurgence of dark rum in India

There is a growing curiosity among drinkers in India about how dark rum works beyond Old Monk. 

“[It’s] the same curiosity that gin had caused about a decade ago, but we aren’t there yet. We are seeing a resurgence of premium dark rum and craft rum in India, which has made dark rum more sippable, instead of the extremely popular rum and coke option,” says Bhavnani. 

Newer distillation techniques are also changing how Indian dark rum brands approach flavour. “Ageing in different casks makes a difference. Nuances that set craft gins apart from mass produced dark rums Indians were so used to,” says Bhavnani, who points to Pipa Rum by Nao Spirits for its peppery flavour and Amrut Two Indies for its coconut-based,  nutty, toasty profile. 

Today, dark rums in India lean towards  spice-led profiles, with notes of vanilla, coffee, or orange. Producers are moving away from artificial flavouring and focusing on natural spice and barrel flavours. 

How India drinks dark rum 

Dark rum pairs well with flavours like dark chocolate, passion fruit, salted caramel, and coffee. “Or, even tobacco leaf,” shares Bhavnani, noting that dark rum now lends itself well to tropical cocktails. 

“At Ikk Panjab, we use dark rum in a way that feels warm and familiar. We pair it with jaggery, spices, dried fruits, and light smokiness—flavours that remind you of Punjabi winters and home-style comfort, but presented in a modern cocktail,” says Pant, who also makes the Saddle & Smoke, a smoked butter Old Fashioned made with Old Monk dark rum. 

Across bars, dark rum is increasingly being used in classic cocktails such as Old Fashioned, Negronis, and Manhattan alongside seasonal favourites like hot buttered rum during winter. 

Six Indian dark rums worth making note of

Old Monk

The most commonly available and much loved dark rum of India, Old Monk was launched in 1954 by Mohan Meakin and quickly became known for its distinct vanilla flavour. It began as a brewery in Kasauli in 1855 to cater to the British rulers’ demand for cheap beer, before they started manufacturing rum. 

Their offerings include the Old Monk XXX, a vatted rum aged for seven years, known for its vanilla and caramel notes. The Deluxe XXX rum is aged slightly longer, while the Old Monk Coffee Rum is, as the name suggests, coffee-flavoured. The Old Monk Supreme Rum aged for 12 years and blended with highly matured spirits has dark flavours with notes of dark brown sugar, maple, baking spices, and a less sweet oak taste.

Price: ₹1,790 (Legend) 

Amrut

Though known for its Indian single malts, Amrut also manufactures a range of dark rums. The Two Indies rum pays tribute to farmers of the two rum-producing cultures—India and Jamaica. Crafted from jaggery cultivated in Karnataka which undergoes pot still distillation and matures in American oak barrels, it is then blended with Jamaican rum known for intense character. It has aromas of fruits like blackberries, besides notes of toffee, molasses, and licorice on the nose, notes of toffee and spices blended with saffron on the palate, and an overall flavour of pepper and licorice. The Old Port Rum Deluxe is characterised by a sweet vanilla aroma and flavours of pistachio brittle and spice on the nose, besides a silky, dry yet fruity and medium-to-full bodied flavour. It is further enhanced by a crystalised ginger, nutmeg, and bubblegum spice finish. The Amrut Bella, a darkish Indian rum made from 100 per cent jaggery (unrefined cane sugar), offers fruity, vanilla, and coconut notes with an almond finish. 

Price: ₹1,790 (Two Indies) onwards 

Maka Zai

This Indian craft rum brand from Goa is known for using jaggery and sugarcane to make dark rum. Their Dark Jaggery Rum is distilled from molasses and aged with local jaggery. The main flavour profile entails caramel, honey, dried fruits, hints of spiced oak, treacle, brown sugar, and smoky wood. Maka Zai also makes a Gold Rum withnotes of caramel, vanilla, figs, dried dates, and praline, with hints of cinnamon, honey, oak, and subtle spice. 

Price: ₹650

Wild Tiger Rum

Launched in February 2016 in the UAE, the US, and Denmark besides India, Wild Tiger Rum comprises a blend of molasses and sugarcane juice spirit, which is aged. Produced in Kerala, Wild Tiger Special Reserve Rum uses American-oak bourbon casks which add to the notes of toffee, vanilla, almond, and honey. Additionally, 10 per cent of its profits go toward the cause of tiger conservation via the Wild Tiger Foundation. 

Price: ₹1,800 onwards 

Camikara Rum

The brand’s name, a Sanskrit word for ‘liquid gold’, aims to offer just that with rum that is aged for 12 years in American oak barrels in north India. The 50% ABV and promise of no added colours, flavours, sugar or spices allows the Indian cane spirit to intermingle with the nuances that cask-aging brings. Aromas of honey, ginger, toffee, raisins, prunes, and leather hit the nose, and a deep whiff gives way to a woody aroma.

Flavour-wise, Camikara Rum offers honey, vanilla, and bitter chocolate, with an aftertaste of ripe bananas, orange peel, dark chocolate, and charred wood. It has an almost fruit cake-like finish. There are two variants—one aged for three years and the other for eight years. 

Price: ₹4,590 onwards 

Rock Paper Rum 

Rum that can be mistaken for an extra strong espresso shot dark rumperhaps best describes Rock Paper Rum. On offer is triple-distilled rum handcrafted in small batches. Made using sugarcane, the brand’s Indian Spiced variety has a distinct roasted coffee flavour, besides hints of vanilla. 

Price: ₹1,700 onwards 

Why dark rum also works as a cooking ingredient 

Dark rum is commonly used in baking—the classic rum-soaked plum cakes, for instance, usually comprise a good glug of Old Monk. “Dark rum is also used in sauces and glazes to add sweetness and depth, besides cooking meat curries,” adds Pant.

Dark rum is unlike white rum, which is light, cleaner, and has a milder flavour. “White rum is great for fresh, citrusy cocktails. Dark rum is aged longer in wooden barrels, so it’s deeper in colour and richer in taste, with notes of caramel, spice, vanilla, and molasses,” concludes Pant.