The Best Rum-Finished Whiskeys Money Can Buy, Ranked

Finishing whiskey is a time-honored tradition.

It’s an almost essential tool in every whiskey-producing region’s toolbox, capable of incredibly transforming the base spirit. While several popular secondary maturation casks are out there, rum casks continue to hold particular appeal. Pairing the grain-led sweetness of whiskey with the molasses-led sweetness of rum can result in a sumptuous flavor profile that elevates the quality of both.

That said, since the days of warmer weather are here and rum is slowly becoming in season, now would be the perfect time to shine a light on some of the most successful marriages of whiskey and rum casks.

For this list, we left aside whiskeys made from multiple finishing barrels. This one is all about how rum casks on their own can positively impact flavor. That means that fan favorites like Penelope Rio and Barrell Armida are off the table. Nothing against those expressions (they can be transcendent), but the goal here is to lead you to the best expressions that keep those rum casks front and center without any additional support from other popular barrels like brandy or sherry.

These are the best rum-finished whiskeys you can buy today!

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12. Angel’s Envy Rum-Finished Rye

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This is Angel’s Envy’s bread and butter. The brand was launched in 2010, and in 2013, it debuted its second flagship expression, this rum-finished rye. Once fully mature, the sourced liquid for this release is further aged for up to 18 months in Caribbean XO Rum Casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The always potent nose of Angel’s Envy Rye is full of maple syrup, candied green apples, Tahitian vanilla, apricots, and black pepper. Accents around the edges include nutmeg, thyme, and wet tobacco leaves to go with rye spice and honey.

Palate: The palate begins with a cloying sweetness and the texture of honeycombs as the candied green apple, maple syrup, and vanilla flavors take hold. Soon after, the taste of honeyed rye bread, candied ginger, and fresh apricots join the party. It’s a mouth-coating sugar rush of a rye that thins out as it transitions to the finish courtesy of vanilla, white pepper, and wet tobacco notes.

Finish: The medium-length finish is where the black pepper spice kicks in alongside vanilla extract and hints of molasses-drenched golden raisins.

Bottom Line:

In many ways, this is the rum-finished whiskey that jumpstarted the entire category. Finished whiskey had been a dirty phrase in American whiskey production until Angel’s Envy took the bold step of making finished products their raison d’être. Its competitors have begun to outpace it, but over a big cube, this one still works really well, and thanks to its overt sweetness, it continues to hook newcomers to the rye category.

11. Redemption Rum Cask Finish Straight Rye Whiskey

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

Redemption Rum Cask Finish utilizes Indiana’s famous 95/5 rye recipe and sees it finished in a combination of rum casks from Barbados and Jamaica. The final product is non-age stated and finished in that combination of casks for an undisclosed period of time.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose leads with the light, faintly floral sweetness of Tahitian vanilla before folding in aromas like brown butter peaches, light leather, persimmons, clover honey, and caraway.

Palate: On the first sip, this whiskey blossoms — exceeding the expectations of its generally faint nose with juicy white peaches, apricots, clover honey, and golden raisins. Once that first wave of flavors passes, it picks up steam with a touch of guava, a more forceful infusion of rye spice, and dilute honey with a light dusting of black pepper spice.

Finish: The brief finish is tightly wound with balanced flavors from tropical fruits, allspice, cinnamon brk, and black tea.

Bottom Line:

Redemption’s Rum Cask Finish has been quietly improving under the stewardship of Master Blender Alan Kennedy. By taking the 95/5 rye recipe that whiskey enthusiasts are already familiar with and giving it a new spin with Bajan and Jamaican rum casks, the results gently amplify the spice while balancing it in layers of light sweetness. This is a perfect, easy-sipping whiskey for newcomers to the category.

10. Old Line Double Oak Series American Single Malt Whiskey Finished In Caribbean Rum Casks

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Old Line, out of Maryland, was founded in 2017, and ever since then, they’ve been producing some high-quality American Single Malt whiskeys. For its Double Oak Series, the brand finishes its whiskey in secondary maturation casks. Madeira is one of the standouts from the lineup, along with this Caribbean Rum Cask finished whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this one leads with the sweet barley, which quickly morphs into overripe banana peels, rich Madagascan vanilla, molasses, white flowers, and dilute butterscotch. It’s a light and enticing nose that balances each aroma note well without any of them overpowering the rest.

Palate: On the palate, this whiskey against with sweet barley on the tip of the tongue before brown sugar, tobacco, clementines, and white peach notes start pooling at midpalate. Once you start chewing this whiskey, it unlocks the spice cabinet as waves of clove and black pepper come crashing in while nutmeg and hazelnut flavors start to form on the back end of each sip.

Finish: The medium-length finish introduces hazelnut spread to the party, while black pepper, red chili pepper marmalade, and toffee also sprout.

Bottom Line:

Old Line’s Double Oak Series has done a wonderful job of allowing people to think of the brand in new ways. While Old Line’s standard American Single Malt Whiskey is solid, and its Navy Strength release kicks things up several notches, this rum-finished alternative delivers a punch of sweetness that fans of the brand would do well to appreciate.

9. Starlight Distillery Rum Finished Bourbon Whiskey Selected By Seelbach’s

ABV: 58.2%
Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

Starlight is no stranger to finished whiskey. The brand’s stellar finished releases have been making waves in the American whiskey space for a few years now. This single barrel of rum-finished bourbon was hand-selected by the team at Seelbach’s, aged for 5.5 years, and bottled at full cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose leads with brandied raisins, apricots, and bruleed vanilla custard. With a few waves of the hand, those top notes diffuse, and a darker base of aromas takes its place with brown sugar, smoked toffee, and faint plum notes taking shape.

Palate: The palate of this whiskey begins with a lovely balance of black pepper spice and smoked toffee before the flavor of plums, menthol, and dried apricots start to coat the tongue. Vanilla, herbal tea, and oak tones also begin to creep in as it transitions to the finish.

Finish: Once it reaches the medium-length finish, this whiskey develops a more fruit-forward flavor profile with touches of menthol and black pepper spice combining with oak to provide depth.

Bottom Line:

Starlight’s finished whiskey program is easily among America’s best, and their access to rum casks makes this expression a must-try. While other distilleries are constricted by in-house brands or a general disregard for sourcing premium casks, Starlight prides itself on the practice. The proof is in the pudding.

8. Westward Rum Finished American Single Malt Whiskey

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

This unique expression takes Westward’s award-winning ASM whiskey and sees it finished in Magdalena Rum casks, an all-natural, cane-to-glass Guatemalan rum that the team produces in-house. Of note, Westward doesn’t release the rum on its own — they simply go the extra mile to make sure this bottle doesn’t miss the mark.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on Westward’s rum-finished whiskey is marked by faint stone fruit notes, sweet barley, clover honey, ripe bananas, and gentle molasses tones. A faint brush of orange zest and vanilla frosting can also be found, along with black pepper and woodsy barrel aromas.

Palate: On the palate, this whiskey kicks off with sweet citrus notes before evolving to include bruleed sugar, white peach, chocolate truffle dust, ripe bananas, and vanilla. The mouthfeel is slightly lean, but it works well with the flavor profile and slowly recedes as you roll it over your tongue.

Finish: The finish is succinct and marked by black pepper, orange pith, pineapple, black pepper, and treacled waffle cones. It really winds down with ease, encouraging a second sip soon after your first.

Bottom Line:

This one is a bit bittersweet, not the whiskey itself, mind you, but the fact that this delicious whiskey is in peril of going away. Westward recently filed for bankruptcy, placing their future in jeopardy, but while this expression is available, you’d be well-advised to buy as many bottles as you can find.

7. Sagamore Spirit Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey

ABV: 49%
Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

For this release, Sagamore finished a blend of its 5- and 6-year rye whiskey in rum casks from South America and Jamaica for an additional 10 months before bottling. The limited edition offering can most readily be found via online retailers or in Maryland at the distillery.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nosing notes start with nutmeg, cocoa powder, overripe bananas, chunks of pineapple, and Brazil nuts. This is all before the rye spice starts kicking in, with droplets of butterscotch joining allspice, menthol, brûléed sugar, and black pepper.

Palate: On the palate, the whiskey follows a similar tack, with tropical fruits gracing the tip of the tongue before earthy molasses, allspice, menthol, and oak tones take the fore. As it transitions to the finish, you’ll observe an uptick in the spice-driven qualities as peppercorns, faint cinnamon, and nutmeg start to rise.

Finish: The moderate finish features a final flourish of black pepper and cinnamon as the menthol, butterscotch, and ripe banana notes close things out.

Bottom Line:

Sagamore’s Rye is putting Maryland whiskey back on the map, but it’s the inventive special releases and finishes that really take things to the next level. This well-integrated rum-finished rye balances Sagamore’s mellow, flavorful rye and bolsters it with a welcome infusion of refined sweetness.

6. The Left Cross Puncher’s Chance 14-Year-Old Rum-Barrel Finished Bourbon

ABV: 48%
Average Price: $175

The Whiskey:

The Left Cross, a premium offering from Wolf Spirit Distillery’s Puncher’s Chance brand, features 14-year-old bourbon finished in freshly dumped 12-year-old Jamaican rum casks for two to six months. “The Left Cross” refers to one of Jamaica’s most formidable southpaw pugilists, Donovan “Razor” Ruddock.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this rye is bold, with green apples, black pepper spice, smoked honey, and allspice leading the charge. Further notes of green grapes, vanilla, and caramel can also be picked up while waxy plums kick in with ascending assertiveness — in time becoming the whiskey’s core note.

Palate: On the palate, The Left Cross is led by brown sugar, ripe bananas, waxy plums, and allspice. The dark fruit notes interact well with the brown sugar and spice, which allows the whiskey to evenly coat your palate while vacillating between both ends of the flavor spectrum.

Finish: The finish is warming and medium-length, with a bit of barrel char joining the waxy plums, brown sugar, and vanilla extracy notes to be found.

Bottom Line:

Puncher’s Chance has flown under the radar a bit in whiskey connoisseur circles purely because it’s a celebrity-associated brand (boxing legend Bruce Buffer is a partner in the company), but they’ve begun parrying that reputation with solid releases like this. This isn’t just a great rum-finished whiskey; it’s also Puncher’s Chance’s best expression to date.

5. Glenfiddich 21-Year-Old Gran Reserva Single Malt Scotch

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $300

The Whiskey:

Glenfiddich’s Gran Reserva (formerly known as Havana Reserve) utilizes ex-bourbon barrels in conjunction with the Caribbean casks used for secondary maturation.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet barley, golden raisins, dried apricots, and spiced apple notes come tumbling out of the glass to greet the nose with this whiskey. The 21-year-old whiskey certainly stands tall at the base of this one with the rum’s influence seemingly less pronounced in the aroma profile.

Palate: On the palate is where an infusion of banana peel, golden raisins, caramel, vanilla pods, and sweet barley notes truly go off with a bang. The mouthfeel is lush and buttery, allowing the whiskey to carry multiple layers of flavor and massage them into your palate as the liquid gently coats your tongue.

Finish: The finish here is marked by a bit more citrus and rum-driven sweetness in the form of vanilla, golden raisins, and mellow black pepper spice.

Bottom Line:

Glenfiddich’s whiskey speaks for itself. Artfully aged for 21 years, this expression has a nuanced backbone to carry any finishing cask — but with secondary maturation in rum casks, it truly shines. Think of it as Glenfiddich Single Malt juiced with some extra oomph.

4. Chicken Cock Island Rooster Rum Barrel Rye

ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $200

The Whiskey:

This limited edition whiskey from Chicken Cock showcases the brand’s sourced stock of Kentucky-bred 95/5 rye finished in Caribbean rum barrels. The 25-barrel blend utilizes a level 3 char and a medium toast.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nosing notes kick off with an array of nutmeg, peppercorns, and gentle rye spice. Those baking spices are faintly brushed with brown sugar and molasses notes, with candied orange peels and butterscotch trailing closely behind.

Palate: Once in the mouth, Madagascan vanilla, banana peel, candied oranges, butterscotch, and peppercorn spiced notes do most of the heavy lifting. The molasses flavor from the rum barrels is well-integrated alongside the light intensity of rye spice, and the mouthfeel is generally smooth with punctuations of spice.

Finish: The finish on this one is medium-length, with more tropical fruit and vanilla joining a touch of sweet spearmint and earthy molasses, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Bottom Line:

Chicken Cock’s Island Rooster might cost a pretty penny, but the real wealth comes on the palate where this rye bursts with tropical fruit, allspice, and refined rum-influenced flavors. The price may initially ruffle some feathers, but trust me when I say that it’s well worth it.

3. Bardstown Bourbon Collaborative Series Foursquare Barbados Rum

ABV: 55%
Average Price: $170

The Whiskey:

Bardstown’s Collaborative Series gives the distillery a chance to let its freak flag fly and try some unconventional expressions with a collaborative partner. For this expression, Bardstown teamed up with Foursquare Rum to create a blend of 7-year rye from Indiana (90%) and 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey (10%) that is then finished for 23 months in Foursquare Bajan rum barrels. Originally released as a one-time offering in 2023, bottles of this one can still be found at online retailers like Seelbach’s.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The whiskey begins with a beautifully complex aroma profile. The silky influence of Bajan rum rushes to greet the nose, and then a slight mintiness from the rye joins the fray before milk chocolate, brown sugar, and waxy stone fruit notes add to the chorus.

Palate: In the mouth, one finds dark chocolate before then some mint comes in; the palate isn’t as complex as the nose, but it delivers enough of the promise to make this eminently enjoyable. There’s some nutmeg in the middle of the tongue, and the mouthfeel is just dense enough to avoid being quotidian.

Finish: The lingering finish carries tobacco leaves and the rum’s sweet influence as more red fruit arrives on the tongue, along with white pepper, nutmeg, and brown sugar.

Bottom Line:

Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Collaborative Series has always been a site for intriguing finishes and captivating blends, but with its recent output the brand has proven it’s just getting started. This excellent marriage of straight whiskeys with premium rum casks is predictably delicious yet unexpectedly divine.

2. Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Balvenie’s beloved Caribbean Cask expression is an absolute standout and classic. After patiently maturing for 14 years, the whiskey is transferred into American oak casks that previously held a blend of carefully selected West Indian rums.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on Balvenie’s Caribbean Cask whiskey opens with wildflower honey, rich toffee, and an assortment of red fruits combined with overripe mango, apricots, and white peaches. A few swirls of the glass and the toffee note is supplanted by a faint whisper of mocha, sweet barley, and butterscotch.

Palate: On the palate, this whiskey opens with a bevy of Madagascan vanilla and sweet oak with dried apricots and subtle honey on a bed of malted barley flavor. The mouthfeel on this one is fairly buttery, coating the palate and lingering gently as each layer of flavor unfolds.

Finish: The finish here is medium length, with the oak tones becoming more assertive and baking spices emerging along with more peach and a touch of brown sugar and black pepper capping things off.

Bottom Line:

This bottle is an absolute classic. Perhaps the most beloved of Balvenie’s core expressions, it features impressive balance, restrained sweetness, and a stellar whiskey base. All of the things you’re looking for in a rum-finished whiskey.

1. Peerless Rum Barrel Finished Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

This non-chill filtered, sweet mash barrel-proof bourbon pairs some of Peerless’ finest whiskey with a rum cask finish. With this second batch now under their belt, it looks like we can expect this expression to continue into the future.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The rum is evident in the best way possible, with bananas flambé and brown sugar resting on a bed of dense oak, cooked pear, and candied walnuts.

Palate: Carmelized bananas and custard hit the tongue with gusto on the first sip, along with the walnuts and brown sugar. The liquid has a heavy mouthfeel but couples that with a slick texture that explodes on the back palate, gently spreading up the roof of the mouth with grilled pineapple, joining more vanilla and oak.

Finish: The finish is medium-length, marked by more brown sugar and walnuts, with some black pepper, more muted banana peel, and cinnamon bark rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

Peerless presents: a rum lover’s bourbon. Whereas some brands go too far, allowing the finishing cask to do the heavy lifting while the base spirit is relegated to being background noise, this expression is truly a symphony that shines a light on both the bourbon and the rum. This is one delicious bottle; sipping an island is not required.