Me, my brother and dad, sometime after the latter's divorce, went through this phase of trying every rum we could get our hands on. My brother's sojourn in Chile brought us access even to the Cuban product (ironic, that). Dad noted a difference between, as I recall, the cognac and whiskey types. I've been nursing an affliction for Barbancourt, the Haitian rum, particularly the 8-year, which I find to be the sweet spot in value. Goes down smoooth, enough to foil my friend's attempts at a Persian princess when they inadvertently consumed an entire bottle and she subsequently fell down the stairs.
Yes, I'm conscious with every sip of the problem of an excellent value in rum coming from a place like Haiti.
-- Andy