15 Best Rums for Pina Coladas Tasted & Ranked (2023 Updated)
Last Updated on April 7, 2023 by Lydia Martin
Pina Coladas are truly delicious, most especially when drank while at the beach with the blue sea as your background.
But with lots of variations– from a milder flavor to a rich flavor, you can achieve a refreshingly smooth taste, depending on the rum you use.
So whether you want an authentic Pina Colada or a modernized twist of this tropical cocktail, we listed the best rums for Pina Coladas for an ultimate drinking experience.
Top 15 Rums For Piña Coladas
15. Cruzan Estate Diamond Dark Rum
Average Price: approx. $21/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: This dark rum is made with the finest ingredients and is aged in oak barrels.
We like its complex flavor, a perfect rum for sipping or mixing drinks like Pina Coladas.
Besides, this rum mixes well with fruit, heavy coconut cream, and coconut flavors, making any Pina Colada vibrant and intriguing.
14. Flor de Caña 4 Extra Seco
Average Price: approx. $19/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: This is a light-bodied rum with no sugar additives.
Flor de Caña is a white rum full of sweet aromas with chocolate and citrus essence, followed by a crisp and slightly dry finish.
If you want to tone down the coconut flavor and pineapple juice notes of your Pina Colada, use Flor de Caña Extra Seco to achieve the full rum flavors.
13. Bacardi 8
Average Price: approx. $30/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Bacardi 8 is deep gold rum with a layered and mellow flavor, combining dried fruits, spices, and oaky vanilla.
“Rum is in a unique position because it has a natural warmth that invites conviviality and connection, unlike other dark spirits on the market.”
— Lisa Pfenning, VP of BACARDÍ for North America
Bacardi is one of the best rums (and our go-to rum) when it comes to any Piña Colada recipe–be it Blue Hawaiian, Coffee Colada, Miami Vice, and more.
12. Don Q Gran Reserva Anejo XO
Average Price: approx. $56/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Don Q Gran Reserva XO is made by blending rum, aged 9-12 years, and Solera rums, aged 50 years max.
So, if you want a deep rum but with a balance of dryness and sweetness, this can be your best bet.
It elevates the traditional Piña Colada into a more complex drink.
11. Appleton Estate
Average Price: approx. $24/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Appleton Estate, particularly their Signature Blend Rum, is an aged rum with no added flavors, using sugarcane as its base ingredient.
It’s also a blend of column and pot still types of rum [1] from Appleton Estate, making it one of the best rums from the Caribbean.
We tried it in Miami Vice, and like in Pina Colada, it also complements well with cream of coconut, lime juice, and sugarcane juice.
10. Coruba Dark Jamaican Rum
Average Price: approx. $20/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Coruba Original is a dark rum aged in charred oak casks. We like its caramel and brown sugar flavor, making its profile slightly robust.
Coruba Original is full-bodied with hints of spices – a little more complex than other aged dark rum. But this character makes Coruba the best rum for Piña Coladas.
9. Don Q Cristal
Average Price: approx. $15/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Don Q Cristal is a white rum with a delicate flavor profile, so expect a smoother Pina Colada.
It tastes great with coconut milk or cream of coconut and even in coconut liquor.
Due to its smoothness, it’s versatile, making it a perfect base for cocktails like Piña Colada and other tropical drinks.
In fact, you can substitute Cristal in any vodka-based cocktail, and you can’t tell the difference.
So you better try it or explore any aged Spanish rum or Don Q gold rum.
8. BATI 2yr Fijian White Rum
Average Price: approx. $22/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: This BATI Fijian White Rum is a non-Caribbean rum with a bold vanilla aroma.
BATI is a good rum for Pina Coladas, with sugar cane as its base ingredient, complementing the pineapple flavor of the drink with its citrus, oak, and vanilla notes.
7. Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum
Average Price: approx. $34/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: For a more fruity Pina Colada, try the Plantation Stiggins Fancy pineapple rum—a flavored rum.
We like the real flavors of fresh pineapple juice with sugar cane juice in this drink.
This is a blend of silver and dark rum from the Plantation’s line. This pineapple rind-infused rum is a perfect base for Piña Coladas and other tropical fruit cocktails.
6. Chairman’s Reserve of St Lucia
Average Price: approx. $44/700ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: This aged rum has the perfect balance of complexity and smoothness that makes any Pina Colada variation a good drink at the beach.
Like any other rum, it complements the creamy coconut flavors and pineapple sweetness.
5. Rum Fire Overproof Jamaican Rum
Average Price: approx. $30/750ml
Alcohol Content: 63% ABV
Why We Like It: Want a boozy Pina Colada? We highly recommend this overproof rum from Rum Fire.
It’s a Jamaican rum that shines and complements well with pineapple and coconut flavors.
It gives the boozy vibe, making for a perfect Pina Colada, pineapple juice, and coconut milk.
If this is your first time trying Pina Colada, you might want to mix it with regular spiced rum unless you want a sure kick of alcohol.
Alternative: You can try Stroh 160, an Austrian spiced rum, with 160-proof or 80% ABV.
4. Havana Club 3
Average Price: approx. $30/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Havana Club rum is a blend of aged rums, providing a silky finish with notes of apricot and pineapple.
We particularly like its oak and vanilla notes, which bring vibrancy to any Pina Colada.
It’s not too sweet, but its sweetness is enough to craft rum-based cocktails. It complements the flavor of coconut cream, specifically, so it’s best served in Pina Colada.
3. Myers’s Rum
Average Price: approx. $26/750ml
Alcohol Content: 40% ABV
Why We Like It: Looking for a budget-friendly rum for making Piña Coladas? Try Myers’s rum.
It transforms tropical drinks, like Piña Colada, into a more complex drink, with bolder flavor.
This dark rum has butter, sugar cane, tobacco, and caramel notes with a dark chocolate finish.
Though it seems sweet, its aging process for up to four years in bourbon barrels builds its slightly sweet flavor.
2. Don Q Coco
Average Price: approx. $15/750ml
Alcohol Content: 21% ABV
Why We Like It: For a beginner-friendly rum, Don Q Coconut rum is perfect for you.
This flavored rum is almost the same coconut liqueur for its real coco taste. It’s one the best light rums you can use in Piña Coladas.
Coconut rum is best to mix with other types of rum—darker to spiced rum to aged rums—in cocktails, like in Pina Colada, Dark & Stormy [2], Daiquiri, Caribbean Rum Punch, etc.
1. Plantation 3 Stars
Average Price: approx. $21/750ml
Alcohol Content: 41.2% ABV
Why We Like It: Plantation 3 Stars is a sure winner when it comes to Pina Coladas, as this white rum delivers a good depth and body.
It’s full-bodied, making a classic Pina Colada recipe a savory tropical cocktail with a perfect balance and richness.
If you’ve tried the Plantation Original dark rum, you shouldn’t miss this one.
*Average prices are based on Drizly online. Prices may vary in local liquor shops.
FAQs
What kind of rum do you use for Piña Colada?
The kind of rum to use for Piña Colada [3] is usually white rum or any light rum. But you can experiment using gold, spiced, or dark and aged rum.
Is white or dark rum better for Piña Colada?
White rum is better for Pina Colada, as dark rums are better for sipping.
Lighter rums, like white rum, are mostly used for mixing drinks or making cocktails.
The flavors complement well with other beverages or ingredients. White rums aren’t that complex compared to darker rums.
What is the most common rum in Piña Colada?
The most common rum in Piña Colada is any white rum, but most drinkers and bartenders usually use Bacardi, Malibu rum, and Captain Morgan.
Key Takeaways
The best rum for Piña Coladas boils down to your taste and preference.
Any Piña Colada served with your favorite or preferred rum is the best, and you’ll surely enjoy it regardless of time, place, and occasion.
But if we need to recommend one rum [4] to make a delicious Pina Colada, no one can beat Plantation Stars 3 in Piña Coladas, regardless of the variation.
References:
- https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-rum#best-rum-overall-2
- https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/bermuda-dark-n-stormy-cocktail-history/index.html
- https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/caribe-hilton-pina-colada-recipe
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/rum-liquor
Lydia Martin hails from Redmond, Washington, where you’ll find some of the best cocktail bars and distilleries that offer a great mix of local drinks. She used to work as a bar manager in Paris and is a self-taught mixologist whose passion for crafting unique cocktails led her to create Liquor Laboratory. Lydia can whip up a mean Margarita in seconds! Contact at [email protected] or learn more about us here.
