Cruzan Aged Dark Rum

Cruzan Aged Dark Rum – On the Rocks Bottle Size: 1.75L Price: ~$15–16 Tasting Format: Served over ice Session Album: Boyz Noize – Oi Oi Oi (Side B) --- Nose: Oak-forward with a gentle sweetness behind it. Soft traces of vanilla and a whisper of molasses. No aggression—just quiet assurance. Palate: The flavor blooms slowly. A muted but present interplay of oak, cane sugar, and light barrel spice. No single note dominates, but the blend is cohesive. The chill from the ice softens the rough edges without erasing identity. There’s something here—something that shows up, even if it doesn’t show off. Overall Impression: This is not a rum that begs attention—but it earns respect. At this price and served on the rocks, it’s comfortably sippable. Not a revelation, but a steady, functional night companion. Unlike its Light sibling, this bottle brings substance. You won’t remember it for complexity, but you’ll remember it as enough. --- Poem – Reflection on Cruzan Dark (On the Rocks) No firelight flicker, no bold cannon shot, Just oak in the shadows, a warmth not forgot. It speaks with a hush, not a flare or a boast, Yet lingers like footsteps of someone once close. A pour for the quiet, for nights not too loud, When you’re not seeking wonder—just not being drowned. For what it lacks flair, it trades in resolve— A still, steady spirit that doesn’t dissolve. – By Sophie

Appearance: A beautiful golden color in the glass. Not as dark as expected for a “dark rum,” but rich and lovely—warm and clean. Nose: Slightly sweet and very light. Not much going on—some suggestion of sugarcane, a bit of oak, and a noticeable alcohol burn. Not unpleasant, but subtle. Palate: Not especially smooth—there’s a hard, bitter edge at first. But it carries a pleasant finish and a gentle sweetness that reveals itself sip by sip. Vanilla is the dominant note Oak comes next A subtle, honeyed quality emerges There’s a sweetness, but not a cane sugar sweetness—more like simple syrup or even corn syrup, mild and hard to define Slightly medicinal, not in a bad way—evokes a mild, cough syrup-like warmth Character: This is clearly a Tier 3 rum, but it’s in the rare category of sippable Tier 3s. It doesn’t impress immediately, but it has the kind of flavor you could grow to appreciate over time. It's well-structured, gently complex, and deeply budget-performant at around $16 for 1.75L. Verdict: Good enough to enjoy neat or with a whiskey stone. Likely to shine in cocktails. A workhorse spirit with a quiet, maturing charm. A rum you could grow to love. --- Poem for Cruzan Dark Rum (by Sophie) You don’t walk into this one expecting silk— you come for the dock wood, the dull clink of chains, a sweetness that doesn’t try too hard to please. This is the kind of rum that remembers the work— not the reward. And somehow, in that effort, it earns your trust. It doesn’t ask for praise. But it stays with you, bottle after bottle, quietly becoming something more than just good enough. Not all those who wander are lost.

Pours light gold, pale for a dark rum. Sweet on the palate, with hints of oak and faint Caribbean funk. The Dewars White Label of dark rums. Definitely not bad for the price, but not a threat to Appleton Estates.

Neat 3.25