7. Montecristo Spiced Rum
Awarded a Gold Medal at the 2006 San Francisco International Spirits Competition. My appreciation for this one is no doubt subliminally affected by the fact that it shares it’s name and logo with a famous line of high end Cubans which are technically contraband in the U.S.–although, since the rum is made in Guatamala the connection is somewhat mysterious to me. Either way, this is the one that put me on to spiced rum in the 1st place and as a seasoned traveler I can tell you that few things can smooth out the effects of Maharajah’s revenge and malaria pills on your stomach better then a good spiced rum.