This means that a seven-year-old rum’s flavor – purely based on what it extracted from the barrel in its climate during maturation – is technically akin to a 21-year-old Scotch whisky. Tropically aged rum hasn’t yet reached the price of a 21-year-old Scotch (nor will it probably ever in this lifetime) but in theory, the quality of the liquid inside isn’t drastically dissimilar.It’s one of the reasons why so many whiskey drinkers have become rum converts and why even Scottish whisky distilleries such as Kilchoman have invested in their own Caribbean rum distillery as they realize the unmatched value of tropical climates for rapid aging.