The color of rum does not predict its flavor when paired with chocolate

The color of chocolate, from light to dark truffles, gives an idea of ​​its flavor, but the same isn't true for rum. A honey-colored rum might whet your appetite, yet have a flavor that makes you want to throw it away. Flavor doesn't depend on appearance, but on what it's made of.

Chemist Robyn Smith, PhD in Chemistry and rum distiller, points out that "rum is the most diverse spirit, with an incredible variety of styles influenced by raw materials, fermentation techniques, distillation methods, and aging protocols." To pair chocolate and rum, it's helpful to understand how the spirit is produced. "The better we understand and appreciate these differences, the better we can match specific rums with the right chocolates," says Smith.

White rums have a wide variety of flavors. Some are practically neutral, while others have notes that Smith describes as savory, slightly fruity, vegetal, or even herbaceous. This depends on the process: charcoal filtration is common and yields a clear, colorless rum, while an agricultural rum, distilled from sugarcane juice instead of molasses, is vibrant and has a pronounced grassy flavor.

Rums contain esters, aromatic compounds that give them a fruity flavor. Therefore, with an unaged rum high in esters, such as Worthy Park Overproof, Smith suggests a chocolate with nuts.

The dark color of rum can come from natural aging or a light coloring, so it has little to do with its flavor paired with chocolate. Aged rums, depending on their production method, offer flavors of oak, spice, dessert, or fruit. Smith notes that "generally, aged rums pair well with dark chocolates due to their more intense flavor profile."

For younger rums, such as Jamaica's Hampden Estate 8, Smith recommends caramel and chocolate: a caramel and chocolate bar for a simple option, or salted caramels covered in dark chocolate for a more elaborate one. With robust aged rums, such as Lost Spirits Navy Style, he suggests chocolates with a hint of spice or those packed with fruit and nuts.