Tastes

Appearance: Dark brown, presumably heavily colored as with all black rums (not sure I'd touch anything turned this color by a barrel!). A thin body. Negligible legs. Nose: I'd be surprised if this was unusually high-ester, but low-ester it is not, as its heritage is clear on first sniff as it invades the nose with tropical vegetation, a pronounced sour edge, and an undercurrent of gently sulfured molasses. Bright acidic fruits lead - papaya; passion fruit - laced with floral notes, but transformed and deepened by molasses and ripe banana peel. No ethanol singe, but not for the faint of heart regardless. <side rant> "funk" and "hogo" don't resonate with me as descriptors, despite their ubiquity. I get the benefit of a quick way to describe the style, but it seems like they are often used to describe: - all Jamaican rums, even where not applicable whatsoever or extremely subtle (ex: aged Appleton rums) and - extremely complex flavor profiles, in a single catchall word, that can differ wildly from one expression to the next which ultimately throws a lot of beautiful, assertive spirits and all of their myriad component flavors and differences into one "note". </side rant> Opening: sweet and rich syrup, subtle molasses Mid-palate: tart tropical fruits from the nose build then fade to growing oak astringency with a vein of Juicy Fruit gum Finish: brief flash on the swallow; lingering dryness and the molasses returns for a lengthy finish Empty glass: prunes all day; smells like a port and it's delightful Very satisfying overall. Don't have a good feel for value without tasting competition (Corbua? others?). Head and shoulders above Myers's in refinement and depth. Gosling's is half the price and would still be my preference for Dark & Stormys, but this has much more character, plays lead instead of 3rd chair like Goslings, and was a delightful foil for the creamy, sweet spices in coquitos over the holiday.

An interesting approach to a rum, bordering on "the kitchen sink": solera vatting rums from 5 countries (perhaps even more unique recipes) including some of their own distillate, using bourbon, port, and sherry casks, and likely being a little loose in the dosage/flavoring department. Nothing to do but give it a whirl! The bottle and (distillery-only) cap are both extravagantly pleasing to the touch and very heavy. Unfortunately, while this makes the cap feel quite special, like an unearthed Spanish doubloon, the bottle is so heavy, wide, and smooth that its tiny central spout is tragically frustrating to pour. An odd gripe, but prominently noticeable. A very dark brown with long, treacly, sugar-aided legs. The nose is quite appealing but eventually I settled on imitation maple syrup… or a combination of aromas that add up to maple syrup without actually containing it. Strong vanilla. Graham cracker. Shares an unexpected but striking kinship with Angel’s Envy (rum barrel) Finished Rye. Quite pleasant on the surface, but unsettling as a veteran of distilled spirits who prizes authenticity. The palate opens sweet but just avoids syrupy, perhaps due to a thin body. This undoubtedly has added sugar, but I’d wager it is a smidge less than the worst offenders: Diplomatico, Zacapa, et al. More maple syrup and charred oak dominate the flavors. Brown sugar rounds into molasses. Vanilla cavendish tobacco. Sweetness along with the oak, quasi-maple, and vanilla resonate through the finish while a touch of astringency dries the mouth. At the end of the day there are a number of things to enjoy about this, but an impression of artificiality saps most of the excitement.