Dark rum
Also called black rum, navy rum, blackstrap rum
A loosely defined term for deep colored rum, whether the color comes from long aging, caramel, or both. Blackstrap and navy styles are heavy with molasses and burnt sugar; Jamaican dark rums add estery funk. Used as a float, a flavoring, or a bold base in tropical drinks.
- molasses
- burnt sugar
- licorice
- dried fruit
- coffee
- ripe banana
- oak
Origin
In most of the world rum is distilled from molasses; only a few producers use fresh cane juice. 'Dark' is a description of color rather than a legal class, and young rums may be darkened with caramel and flavored with oak chips. 'Navy' rum likewise has no legal meaning but implies a dark, strong, tannic blend from the islands the Royal Navy sailed between. The navy's daily tot ran from 1665 until Black Tot Day on July 31, 1970.
Common uses
- pina-colada float
- Dark 'n' Stormy with ginger beer
- Mai Tai blends
- rum punch
- hot buttered rum
Pours that use it
Sources
- Rum: a lexicon of rum terms, Difford's Guide · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11