I very often compare white Spanish-style rums (like the recent review of Tanduay) with Bacardi Superior, because it’s just so ubiquitous. But the Captain has been taking aim at Bacardi for a while, including their white Caribbean rum, which appears to be a direct frontal assault on Bacardi’s flagship. Which rum should you spend your booty on?

Well, yes, I know most of you would say “neither!”, but maybe someone at some point is shopping the cheap white rums in the liquor aisle and genuinely wants a recommendation among these cheap white rums in particular. I’ll also be comparing these two to Parrot Bay white rum, as it’s also a Captain Morgan product

Review

Smell

Captain Morgan white, much like the other two, smell sweet and like coconut and vanilla (that traditional aroma of a white rum), but Bacardi has a much stronger scent. Though, I noticably get less harsh alcohol scent from Captain Morgan white vs Bacardi or Parrot Bay white, which both have a rather harsh punch of alcohol.

Taste

The taste somehow flips around, with Captain Morgan tasting way harsher than Bacardi. It’s also noticably different in flavor. It has that spicy anise note that I remember feeling in Havana Club (the Puerto Rican one) and not enjoying, and like Havana Club, it also has much less of that good rummy taste of vanilla and coconut. Parrot Bay is a real standout here. I remember trying it for one of my first reviews, and thinking “ah yeah, this tastes like a normal white rum, just like Bacardi. I gave Bacardi a 5/10, and so Parrot Bay gets a 5/10”. What was I thinking? It’s awful. It tastes like vodka and fake coconut flavor.

Verdict 3.5/10

(Edited from 4/10 on 1/21/26)

If Bacardi is a 5/10, then Captain Morgan white Caribbean rum is a 4/10. It’s a solid step down. It tastes pretty much like Puerto Rican Havana Club, and whatever they’re doing just doesn’t vibe with me. But also, this is the first time I try Parrot Bay again ever since I tried it a while back to review it, and man, I was silly. I am demoting it to… maybe a 3.5/10. It’s not horrendous, but also, it really does just taste like someone took neutral spirit and splashed a little bit of Malibu in there.

If you’re reading this, and you were actually considering buying any of these white rums for yourself or for a party… just spend a bit more and get Planteray 3 Stars. It’s only $20 for a 1L bottle as of the year 2025, and it’s worlds better than Captain Morgan white or Havana Club from Puerto Rico. If you’re anywhere outside of the US, then Havana Club 3 Year from Cuba is very good too, and also around $20 US. Barring that, Cruzan lightly aged rum, Don Q Cristal, and Flor de Cana 4 Year Seco are typically around the same price as Bacardi, and I think that they’re slightly better, though I have only tried them in passing, and haven’t closely compared them to Bacardi.

January 21, 2026 Update:

Not much more to add, I am just amending the score down to a 3.5 to reflect my new scoring system.