Rum Gift Guide: Dos Maderas 5+3 and Club Kokomo Vanilla Rum

This 2024 rum guide highlighted two very different bottles: Dos Maderas 5+3, a Caribbean rum that receives additional aging in Spain, and Club Kokomo Tahitian Vanilla Rum, a flavored rum made with Tahitian vanilla beans. The product details below reflect information available in 2024; availability and specifications may have changed.

Dos Maderas 5+3 Rum

Dos Maderas 5+3 stood out for its two-stage aging process. According to the product information supplied at the time, the rum spends five years aging in the Caribbean before traveling to Spain for another three years in sherry casks. That second stage gives the bottle a profile that differs from a straightforward Caribbean-aged rum.

The tasting notes provided for the bottle emphasized pecan, vanilla, smoky oak, tropical spice, dried fruit, tobacco and toasted nuts. Those darker, nuttier notes made it an option aimed more at sipping than at disappearing into a heavily flavored mixed drink.

How to Serve Dos Maderas 5+3

For someone exploring aged rum, the simplest approach is neat or over a large ice cube. Its sherry-cask influence also makes it a reasonable substitute for whiskey in spirit-forward cocktails such as an Old Fashioned.

Club Kokomo Tahitian Vanilla Rum

Club Kokomo took a different approach. Its Tahitian Vanilla Rum starts with the brand’s Artisan White Rum and, according to the company’s 2024 product information, is infused with whole Tahitian vanilla beans. The brand said it did not rely on added sugar or artificial flavoring for the vanilla character.

The resulting profile was described as floral and vanilla-forward with light spice. Compared with the deeper barrel-driven character of Dos Maderas, Club Kokomo was positioned as a softer flavored rum that could work either on its own or in cocktails.

How to Use Vanilla Rum

Vanilla rum is an easy fit for a Daiquiri variation, dessert-style drinks or other cocktails where vanilla can complement citrus, cream or tropical flavors. It can also be served neat if you want to taste the infusion without other ingredients competing with it.

Two Very Different Rum Picks

These bottles were included together in Famadillo’s 2024 coverage, but they serve different drinkers. Dos Maderas 5+3 is the more traditional aged-rum choice, with sherry-cask finishing and a darker flavor profile. Club Kokomo is the more overtly flavored option, built around Tahitian vanilla. Choosing between them comes down less to which is “better” and more to whether the recipient prefers barrel-aged spirits or vanilla-forward cocktails.

2024 Product Details

These details reflect the bottles as presented in 2024. Check the producers or a licensed retailer for current bottle availability, pricing and specifications. Please enjoy alcohol responsibly.