> Rum/rhum I still don’t get the sipping side

There's a vast variety and some is great, some not so much. There are very sweet, delicious rums like Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, which is tasty but a little bit on the syrupy side. Then there are delicious but less sweet rums like Appleton Estate, Flor de Cana, Havana Club, Mount Gay, El Dorado etc. Ron Zacapa is very sippable too, and very approachable, and I think their solera 23 makes a really good entry point to the 'genre'.

As with whisky, the older the rum, the more complex and in general 'better' they tend to be, and the various 'XO' versions of Zacapa etc are more refined again.

I prefer to stick to the bigger names like those above, which is not to say there aren't good rums from newer or smaller places, but if you're just starting out these are some good, solid makers to begin to develop your palate. I guess a bit like recommending someone start an exploration of Scotch with a taste of Ardbeg, Highland Park, Macallan etc - get to know the big names a little before you experiment.

Spiced rums can be delicious sipped, but the cheaper end of the market often use their flavouring to mask a poor underlying spirit. See Sailor Jerry, Kraken, and other highly-flavoured rums like Pink Pigeon. Bumbu is good though and (surprisingly?) so is Captain Morgans Private Stock. I generally stay away from anything else labelled Captain Morgan. Purists will argue that any/all spiced rums are not really rum, because they are flavoured and almost all are heavily sweetened and so should be called 'rum liqueur'. It's not an argument I'd like to partake in particularly.

Avoid white rums unless mixing, IMHO. Anything claiming to be Navy rum is probably a bit rough (I'm not a fan of Pussers). And stay away from "Stroh 80", that stuff tastes like burning tyres.

I don't really drink rum any more, but when I did ... I drank all the rums!

A few years ago, I discovered Rhum agricole (Made directly from freshly squeezed sugarcane, instead of molasses), and it's my preference now.

Longueteau white rhums can be sipped, they are very floral. Taste like pure fresh sugar cane, without the sweet side. Their 62° is great for ti'punch.

Generally with rum, you have to be wary of undisclosed dosing. Spanish distilleries are the worst with this, but even Plantaray (fka Plantation) does this. Single barrels from reputable producers will give you good results.

I'm quite fond of the Bumbu XO, spiced but not overly sweet. Nice bottle too.

Stroh 80 sucks on its own, but as a component of a cocktail it's actually quite nice. Try mixing it into warm toddy or tonic based drink depending on season, and use roughly half the amount you'd use of a 40% spirit.