It's super woody and rich on the nose with some of that dirty socks flavor that usually comes with whiskey, but it blends into the fireworks notes. The palate has a surprising amount of tartness, which actually quickly gives it an overpowering rye flavor. There's also some nice spice - it gets to be a bit to harsh, but the notes of baking spices are nice. The tartness and bitterness really do take over though with an unpleasant effect. Taking a large sip reveals no apparent added sugar and a lot of smoke and Earth. There are some hints of brown sugar and tropical fruits throughout, but they are not strong. It's an OK drink but has these weird tequila elements (like mild mint) that I'm not a fan of. The fruit sometimes really leaps out and that is quite nice. The problem is the bitter tartness. If that were cut back this could be a great rum. As it is, this is a bit on the extreme side. Some added water mellows it out a bit but also makes it more generic. Yeah, it has some extra banana, but none of the flavors really come home. This isn't a sipper though it seems like it might want to be. I can definitely imagine rugged sailors drinking this. The cocoa and molasses blend a bit but the result stays bitter. There's a ton of leather but it's clearly too much for a whiskey. This is kind of interesting, but it isn't great. The finish is quite nice and that's a real selling point There are some off notes and the good notes are not terribly exciting although they are balanced and decently complex (with water added). It's just decent enough to border on sippable without being actively bad (in non-sweet circumstances), but it's never going to be a great to drink. This is somehow continually interesting and tasty, even with water. The nose is rich and strong with a lot of smoke and fireworks. It also has some squash and umami scents. There are tart and sweet smells that remind me of barbeque sauce. The barbeque sauce definitely contains garlic and might also contain soy sauce. It reminds me of a stronger version of Helios Teeda, but more forceful with some of the more traditional smoke, fireworks, and rum notes. The nose is complex and interesting, though questionably balanced and only good if you're looking for its odd profile. The palate comes with a full mouthfeel and it has quite an oily flavor mixed with the fireworks and smoke. There is a tropical fruitiness dancing in the background. That bit of fruitiness is also a little floral and comes with some vanilla. It's incredibly rich with a lot of bitterness bordering on iodine. It's incredibly funky. I appreciate it, though I wish that some of the flavors (especially the fruit and some sort of less salty, bitter richness) stood out more. It's incredibly smoky, with a bit more char than I'd like. Still, it's great as a dark rum and is impressively smooth. The tropical fruits give it life and sweetness, though they are hard to identify specifically. There's definitely no added sugar here. It's very good, but if really love a version with less char. Some beefiness does come in, along with garlic, on the finish. With water added, the smoke and fireworks are still very present, but they are less aggressive. The fruit stands out for a tad longer and the umami is quite present. A bit of Sichuan peppercorn makes it in too oddly enough. I quite like this, even for sipping, and the price is good. It's a weird rum though. With a lot of water added, plenty of smoke still comes through and so does a bit of fruit, so it seems great for cocktails.