Spiced Rum Challenge
Spiced Rum Challenge
What’s the best spiced rum? The question is simple enough, but ask the average rum connoisseur and you’re just as likely to get a dismissive remark as you are a very short list of small batch rums they half-heartily endorse.
Why is that? I submit it’s because spiced rum has become synonymous with Captain Morgan. No, not the notorious privateer Sir Henry Morgan, but the spiced rum that bears his name.
Introduced by Seagram’s to the U.S. market in 1983, Captain Morgan essentially created the spiced rum category here, and it’s been wildly successful ever since (Diageo bought the brand in 2001). It passed the 10 million global case mark in 2012, moving to a new government-subsidized production facility on St. Croix. And because success breeds contempt, Captain Morgan (and therefore all spiced rum) is contemptible to many, but it needn’t be this way.
Why? Because whether or not you like Captain Morgan, not all spiced rums are created equal, and with a variety of proofs and profiles from which to choose, one is bound to suit your discerning taste buds. Furthermore, there are many ways to enjoy spiced rum besides combining it with Coca-Cola.
As Ed Hamilton said in this Wine Enthusiast article, “The tradition of adding fruit and spice to rum is almost as old as Caribbean rum itself” so let’s all get down off our high horses and see what the modern world of spiced rum has to offer!
Similar to the Light Rum Challenge and the Coconut Rum Challenge, we’ll blind-taste twenty-two different spiced rums to determine which tastes best. We’ll also make our own spiced rum to answer the “DIY vs. buy” question using a well-regarded recipe from renowned rum expert Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove fame.
Here’s what we’ll be tasting (arranged alphabetically):
|
Name |
Company |
Origin |
ABV % |
Price (USD) |
| Bacardi Oakheart | Bacardi | Puerto Rico |
35 |
14 |
| Blackbeard | Serralles | Puerto Rico |
43 |
16 |
| Blackheart | Heaven Hill Distilleries | Kentucky |
46.5 |
14 |
| Brinley Gold Shipwreck | Brinley & Company | St. Kitts |
36 |
20 |
| Captain Morgan | Diageo | St. Croix |
35 |
17 |
| Captain Morgan Black | Diageo | St. Croix |
47.3 |
24 |
| Captain Morgan Private Stock | Diageo | St. Croix |
40 |
25 |
| Chairman’s Reserve | St. Lucia Distillers | St. Lucia |
40 |
20 |
| Corsair | Corsair Artisan Distillery | Kentucky/Tennessee |
42.5 |
30 |
| Coruba | Kobrand | Jamaica |
35 |
13 (1L) |
| Crusoe | Greenbar Craft Distillery | California |
40 |
32 |
| Cruzan 9 | Beam, Inc. | St. Croix |
40 |
12 |
| El Dorado | Demerara Distillers Limited | Guyana |
40 |
15 |
| Homemade | per Martin Cate via BA | Barbados |
40 |
~$40 |
| Kilo Kai | Apostrophe Brands | Curacao |
35 |
19 |
| Koloa | Koloa Rum Company | Hawaii |
44 |
33 |
| Kraken | Proximo | Trinidad |
47 |
20 |
| The Lash | Bacmar International | Trinidad/Holland |
35 |
23 |
| Old New Orleans | Celebration Distillation | Louisiana |
40 |
30 |
| Sailor Jerry | Wiliam Grant & Sons | St. Croix |
46 |
18 |
| Seven Tiki | Bacardi | Fiji |
40 |
16 |
| Shellback | Gallo | Barbados |
40 |
14 |
OK, the slate is set; let’s get down to business!
(Samples were blind-tasted over two sessions on two consecutive days. Crackers, water, and lager served as palate cleansers.)
With twenty-two samples poured, blind-tasted, and scores tallied, the results are in. Here they are from worst to first:
22. Kilo Kai Spiced Rum
ABV: 35%
Origin: Curacao
Price: $19
Color: Bronze
Aroma: Vanilla extract, artificial hard candies: grape and cherry. Smells similar to an old bag of Skittles.
Taste: Children’s cough syrup. Utterly horrible. Robitussin DM. Artificial grape and cherry. Why God? Why?
Sweetness: 5/5
Finish: Grape and cherry
Score: 0/10
21. Blackheart Spiced Rum
ABV: 46.5%
Origin: Kentucky
Price: $14
Color: Dark copper
Aroma: Another cough syrup: artificial grape and cherry. A bit of cinnamon and almond extract.
Sweetness: 5/5
Finish: Robitussin DM, saccharin bitterness
Score: 0/10
20. Bacardi Oakheart Smooth Spiced Rum
ABV: 35%
Origin: Puerto Rico
Price: $14
Color: Copper
Aroma: Bizarre nose of off-brand skittles mixed with band-aids.
Taste: Cloyingly sweet entry backed by tons of artificial fruit flavors: grape, cherry, apple and lime. Trailing far behind is a bit of clove and cinnamon.
Sweetness: 5/5
Finish: Saccharin bitterness
Score: 0/10
19. Corsair Spiced Rum
ABV: 42.5%
Origin: Kentucky/Tennessee
Price: $30!
Color: Golden copper
Aroma: Bright, a bit of nutmeg and anise, cinammon, and black pepper
Taste: Bizarre entry, tastes like an old candy wrapper. A bit of cherry, and a bunch of phenolic (band-aid) flavor. The predominant spice is nutmeg, but the phenolics are the star here.
Sweetness: 0/5
Finish: Black pepper and band-aids. Just terrible.
Score: 1/10
18. Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: St. Croix
Price: $12
Color: Copper
Aroma: Straight up vanilla extract with a bit of citrus
Taste: Bright entry only a bit watery. I think it tastes OK for a moment, and then I’m hit in the mouth with a huge dose of saccharin bitterness. There is artificial grape, clove and cinnamon.
Sweetness: 3/5
Finish: Vanilla extract and saccharin
Score: 1/10
17. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
ABV: 35%
Origin: St. Croix
Price: $17
Color: Bronze
Aroma: Caramel and vanilla, a hint of orange
Taste: Sugar water entry, vanilla and caramel, cinnamon, clove, artificial grape and cherry.
Sweetness: 4/5
Finish: Artificial fruit, simple syrup, lemon, cinnamon
Score: 1/10
16. Shellback Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: Barbados
Price: $14
Color: Copper
Aroma: Bright, dusty, vanilla, caramel, a hint of anise and orange peel
Taste: Watery entry followed by spices: clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Sweetness: 2/5
Finish: Orange peel, clove and saccharin
Score: 3/10
15. Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
ABV: 46%
Origin: St. Croix
Price: $18
Color: Bronze
Aroma: Banana, caramel, vanilla
Taste: Hot entry with a burst of banana and citrus zest. This must be a higher proof. More like an unflavored rum at first, then comes the anise and cinnamon.
Sweetness: 1/5
Finish: Banana, citrus, licorice, saccharin
Score: 3/10
14. The Lash Spiced Rum
ABV: 35%
Origin: Trinidad/Holland
Price: $23
Color: Dark brown
Aroma: Cinnamon, molasses, anise, allspice, clove
Taste: Sweet and smooth. Gobs of licorice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Quite sweet, and a little watery. The anise and cinnamon are the winners here–I feel like I just licked a cassia tree. Tons of real spice flavor, but that doesn’t matter if it’s off-balance, which this is.
Sweetness: 4/5
Finish: Cinnamon, anise and more cinnamon
Score: 4/10
13. The Kraken Spiced Rum
ABV: 47%
Origin: Trinidad
Price: $20
Color: Very dark brown
Aroma: Vanilla, molasses, caramel, just a hint of astringency
Taste: Smooth entry, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, orange, a bit of nutmeg and also a hint of grape
Sweetness: 3/5
Finish: Saccharin sweetness, vanilla and molasses
Score: 4/10
12. Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
ABV: 47.3%
Origin: St. Croix
Price: $24
Color: Dark brown
Aroma: Vanilla, molasses, a bit of astringency and a hint of citrus
Taste: Spicy entry quickly muted by the sweetness. Sugary and watery at the same time. Vanilla, caramel, molasses, orange peel, anise, and clove.
Sweetness: 4/5
Finish: There is a dusty quallity to this one, but the clove and orange win out. A bit thin on the finish.
Score: 5/10
11. Coruba Spiced Rum
ABV: 35%
Origin: Jamaica
Price: $35 (1 L)
Color: Copper
Aroma: Pear and green apple, vanilla, anise, clove, pepper
Taste: Round, somewhat spicy. Different than the others. Vanilla and caramel, licorice, cinnamon and pepper. Has some spice to it.
Sweetness: 3/5
Finish: Cinnamon, pepper and fruit
Score: 5.5/10
10. Seven Tiki Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: Fiji
Price: $16
Color: Bronze
Aroma: Vanilla, citrus, caramel
Taste: Smooth entry, but very thin mouthfeel. Flavors include vanilla extract, pepper, clove, orange peel, and artificial fruit flavors—grape and cherry.
Sweetness: 2/5
Finish: Cinnamon, clove, and black pepper
Score: 5.5/10
9. Blackbeard Spiced Rum
ABV: 43%
Origin: Puerto Rico
Price: $14
Color: Copper
Aroma: Vanilla, caramel
Taste: Bright but smooth–I would call it “lively”. There is cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla, followed by molasses and pepper. There is a hint of anise and clove.
Sweetness: 2/5
Finish: Anise and clove give way to a bit of saccharin bitterness.
Score: 6/10
8. Old New Orleans Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: Louisiana
Price: $30
Color: Gold
Aroma: Very unique nose. More like fennel than anise–very herbal. A bit of banana and cardamom.
Taste: Herbs and spice lead the way. A bit watery and not at all hot. Fennel and sage, a bit of dusty oak, orange and cinnamon, then cloves.
Sweetness: 2/5
Finish: Fennel and sage with clove and cinnamon
Score: 6/10
7. El Dorado Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: Guyana
Price: $15
Color: Copper
Aroma: Orange, nutmeg, vanilla and apple
Taste: Nice entry, bright and spicy but balanced. Cinnamon and clove with a bit of coffee and cocoa.
Sweetness: 1/5
Finish: Apple, orange, clove, coffee and cinnamon
Score: 6/10
6. Homemade Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: Barbados/California
Price: ~$40
Color: Copper
Aroma: Orange and licorice with a hint of clove
Taste: Thin mouthfeel, major spices here: nutmeg, cardamom, lots of anise, clove and allspice
Sweetness: 1/5
Finish: Nutmeg, cardamom, anise and clove, all supported by the orange peel
Score: 6.5
5. Captain Morgan Private Stock
ABV: 40%
Origin: St. Croix
Price: $25
Color: Mahogany
Aroma: Vanilla and caramel
Taste: Super smooth and sweet entry, vanilla and orange lead the way followed by caramel and cream. A bit of pepper and cinnamon, a hint of anise, cardamom and allspice. Would be much better with less sugar.
Sweetness: 5/5
Finish: Vanilla, caramel, pepper and allspice
Score: 7/10
4. Crusoe Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: California
Price: $32
Color: Bronze
Aroma: TONS of orange peel, a hint of cardamom, caramel
Taste: Super smooth entry led by orange peel and clove. The mouthfeel is thin. There is nutmeg, vanilla and cardamom, along with some sarsaparilla and cinnamon.
Sweetness: 2/5
Finish: Cinnamon, clove, orange, but clove is the one that lingers longest.
Score: 7.5/10
3. Koloa Kauai Spiced Rum
ABV: 44%
Origin: Hawaii
Price: $33
Color: Gold
Aroma: Vanilla, caramel, molasses, cinnamon
Taste: Sweet entry, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, maple syrup, citrus, and a hint of coffee and cocoa.
Sweetness: 5/5
Finish: Vanilla, maple syrup, clove, cocoa
Score: 8/10
2. Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum
ABV: 36%
Origin: St. Kitts
Price: $20
Color: Bronze
Aroma: Citrus, clove, cardamom, vanilla, somewhat astringent
Taste: Sweet and smooth. Loads of vanilla despite the nose showing citrus and spice. Caramel and a touch of cocoa with cinnamon.
Sweetness: 5/5
Finish: A bit of spice, cane syrup, clove and cinnamon
Score: 8.5/10
1. Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum
ABV: 40%
Origin: St. Lucia
Price: $20
Color: Mahogany
Aroma: Orange peel, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. Very pleasant.
Taste: Orange peel, cardamom, cane syrup, anise, cinnamon, caramel and vanilla
Sweetness: 4/5
Finish: Orange peel, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove
Score: 9/10
Conclusion
So there you have it, folks–the Spiced Rum Challenge is complete! We tasted twenty-two spiced rums, and at least six of them were actually pretty good.
So what makes a good spiced rum? Here are the components I noticed:
- A quality base rum (duh)
- Balance above all–many are one-note products (macerate individual spices separately [like bitters])
- Natural ingredients–artificial flavors stand out like a sore thumb
- Citrus–it provides a great counterpoint to the sugar and spice
- Sugar–use it to enhance, not mask
Finally, if you’re thinking of going into the spiced rum business, I would suggest using focus groups made up of unbiased third parties. Some of these products are so horrible they could only have been tasted by industry “yes men”. And on that same note, if you are thinking of getting into the spiced rum business, be damn sure yours is better than the top ten of this list, and is comparable on price. I know for a fact that I can’t make a better spiced rum than the top two for $20, so I think that answers the “DIY vs. Buy” question.
If you’ve read this far, give yourself a gold star! Is there a truly great spiced rum that I missed? Please let me know in the comments section below.
Cheers,
Josh
Inu A Kena 
i have a bottle of four square spiced rum, would have liked to see how it matched up.
(I suspect it would be a tough find, but you managed Coruba, so clearly you are a professional.)
Thanks for this, I have several of these, but I had not blind tested.
You’re the second person to mention Foursquare Spiced, Gil. I couldn’t find it anywhere, but I’d love to try it. They make great rums.
The blind-tasting makes a huge difference. We can bring a lot of bias to these things otherwise. Cheers
Foursquare is a seales product and exclusive to Total Wine.
Apparently it is only available at Total Wine. The nearest one is in Sacramento, and they no longer sell spirits online. Sigh…
You’re doin’ the Lord’s work, Josh. Great reviews on a couple brands I’ve seen but walked right by. Now I know what to pick if I need a good, cheap spiced rum.
Thanks, Paul! Yes, this proves that you needn’t spend more than $20 to get a quality product. Cheers
Glad to see you finally tried – and liked – Brinley’s, I think Capn Jimbo and I recommended it to you in the past (perhaps it was the coconut.)
I personally like the Lash a lot, though I admit it is way over the top and a little out of balance – I thought the dominant spice in it was cloves.
I like that The Lash used tons of real spices. It definitely has a lot of clove, but the finish was decidedly cinnamon for me.
I really enjoyed the Brinley Spiced. I did receive a bottle of their coconut, and while it is good, I found it to be too sweet. They clearly know what they’re doing in terms of adding natural flavors to rum, however! Cheers
The most natural tasting coconut I have had is Kalani coconut liqueur – if you can find it in the plain bottle it is only ~$20, but some places have it in a fancy bottle with a shell hanging around the neck for $35-40.
I’ll keep an eye out. I would encourage you to try the Koloa — great stuff, and 40% ABV.
I’ve heard good thing about the Koloa – but balked at the $30+ price tag. Same for Old New Orleans.
This is doing what you do best: horizontal comparisons, bravo again! And again! You’ve made a lot of great calls, and chose a truly representative sample of what’s out there, with the possible exception of Foursquare and to be really, really fair (and one that does not come quickly to mind, but incredibly popular elsewhere): Old Monk XXX. I suspect both of these would score very highly. On the exact opposite end of the teeter tooter might be One Barrel – a rum that is clearly but unadmittedly spiced.
One other note: it’s worth considering using the adjective “real” (which means exactly what you think), instead of “natural” – a term which has been lobbied to death. For example readers should try to answer this question:
Does a “Raspberry Rum” that states “with natural'” flavor” contain anyreal raspberries, or even a single component of real raspberries? Not so fast! The sad answer is probably not. The lobbyists have seen to it that a product can legally use the term “natural” if it contains but a single “natural” component, and it doesn’t have to be from the named flavor.
You should all sit down now. The answer to the question? What if I told you that the word “natural” on the Raspberry Rum label probably refers to beaver butt? Yes, good old “natural”, dried beaver rectum, aka castoreum. The point: The difference between “natural” and “artificial” is for all practical purposes meaningless. “Natural” doesn’t mean what you think beaver fans.
That said we agree that the key – as always – is a good base product using real (not “natural” or “artificial”) spices and like almost all foods and beverages, blended with great balance and harmony. Josh – another really super comparison, do keep em coming… We love em…
Thank you
I rarely buy a spiced rum but I do enjoy it added to hot cider. A little disconcerting this year though to sip hot cider in 70 degree weather, but the holidays demand it. I’ve always wondered if the popularity of spiced rums are because most people don’t get to try higher quality aged rums. I think the wood ageing brings forth many of the spice nots many people are looking for. Since I don’t often have it in my home bar I ply friends who like spiced rum with smith & cross, doorly’s, any of the el dorado’s to great effect.
On the spiced side I like both Blackwell’s and Kraken. Kraken is admittedly a little sweet but the extra proof shines through in cider and a rum sidecar
Great article, my compliments. What surprises me is how many spiced rums you actually managed to get and taste all at once. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen more than eight of these in Calgary. All the best for the season, Josh. Keep ’em coming.
Thanks very much, Ruminsky! Wishing you the best. Cheers
Quite the masochist’s errand, this, thanks for going there… Good to know that Koloa is putting out something worthwhile, and good to know some options for the hot buttered rum thing.
Mahalo piha, Tanuki! Koloa spiced has a really unique flavor profile–I’m convinced there is coffee and cacao in there somehow. A little spendy, but like I always say: “you try doing anything cheap on Kaua’i and let me know how that goes”. 🙂
Next time put Bundaberg rum spiced in the taste testing it not to bad.
I’ll try any rum once, Wayne! Unfortunately the only Bundaberg products that get imported to the States are the soft drinks (ginger beer, etc). Cheers
Hey Josh, awesome article thanks much for this. It’s also interesting how it compares to http://www.rumratings.com/brands?order_by=average_rating&rum_type=Spiced – I wonder if Elements 8 and Foursquare would top your list as well?
Hey Andy, Thanks for reading! Elements 8 is only available in the UK (as far as I know) and Foursquare is only available at Total Wine (no stores near me and they no longer ship spirits) so I wasn’t able to include them. Saw the arrangement on your site–just goes to show how subjective these ratings can be.
Thanks so much for doing this! As a commenter said upthread, this really is the lord’s work! I was pleased to Chairman’s Reserve at the top of the list. A salesperson at Astor Wines in NYC recommended it to us when we were looking for a spiced rum to make a karaoke honeymoon, so props to them for truly knowing their stuff.
Sounds like a winner! Astor has a great selection, that’s for sure. Happy new year!
Hi, Josh, I just recently discovered your site and really liked this spiced rum comparo. I agree with many of your calls, especially on the Koloa Spiced — by far the best thing they produce IMO. (I *really* wanted to like their bottlings, but for the most part and excepting the Spiced, I just don’t.)
Anyway, I wanted to suggest another Spiced to add to your list: Breckenridge Spiced Rum from Breckenridge Distillery in Colorado. It really is the very best I’ve ever tasted; very dry with a completely real, almost raw, spice-and-dried-fruit hit, and bottled at 45% ABV. Unfortunately is very, very difficult to get — Breck makes it only occasionally in extremely small quantities, bottles it only in 375ml splits, and sells it only at their distillery and in-town tasting room (where it sells out almost immediately). I’m only lucky enough to get a bottle every now and then because my brother’s office is right across the street from the distillery and he can usually hustle over there as soon as a release is announced. Still and all, if you really love spiced rum, this one is worth seeking out.
Cheers!
Mike
Thanks very much for the tip, Mike! I’ll keep an eye out for it, but based on your notes, sounds like the only way I’ll get some is if they send it to me. We shall see! Cheers
I agree with you about Koloa. I think their rums come out a bit on the sweet side. They’re smooth, but I did like the spice profile in their spiced rum.
hi there thanks for all this info ,but for it to be called a rum it must be above 37.5% proof ,lambs spiced green label is a rum but there new version over here in scotland is only 35 % and called lambs spiced ,note no rum in the name ,as i said oroiginal sailor jerrys is good and red leg spiced ,i have tried a few ,green parrot spiced ,four square ,bristol black spiced ,kraken ,captain morgans ,they are drinkable ,but the 2 at the top are my prefered choice ,carry on the good work
Thanks for your comment, John! Haven’t seen Lamb’s here in California, unfortunately. As for the ABV, 37.5% might be required in Scotland, but not so here. Cheers
Actually, in the US a legal “rum” it must have been distilled at less than 190 proof and bottled at no less than 80 proof. If it is no less than 37.5% but not 40%, it must be called a “rum liqueur”. US 27 CFR, Chapt 4, § 5.22.
Spiced or flavored rums – in addition to being labled so and featuring the primary flavoring – mus be bottled in accord with the above. Thus a “Spiced Rum” must in fact be labeld “spiced” and must be no less than 80 proof. It is also possible to have a “Spiced Rum Liqueur” under the limits above. Hope that helps…
Oops….
Quick correction Jeff… that’s the trouble with posting at 5am before my very needed second cup of strong black coffee. I left out the key paragraph of the regs, and thus referred to the wrong subsection. I was thinking of your previous posters 37.5% in Scotland. What a blummox! As I immediately realized after clicking on “submit”.
Ouch. So sorry. Quickly poured my second cup and here’s the real stuff.
Same chapter and section: Paragraph (f) (rum) was cited correctly and demands that “rum” be distilled at less than 190 proof, and bottled at 80 proof. Paragraph (h) (liqueurs) states that rums labelled liquerrs must be no less than 60 proof. And perhaps the key paragraph (i) (flavored rum) must like the “liqueurs” be so labelled and also at not less than 60 proof. Per that paragraph the flavor refers to “added natural flavoring materials, with or without the addition of sugar,”
Most bottles labeled “rum” are secretly sugared anyway, and as you discovered the rums flavored with spices are often very heavily sugared (good example is Brinleys). Even though most rums for the American market are altered to market to the well sugared American buyer (not true in Europe) the Brinley’s are exceptionally sweet, as demanded for their local population. Of our collection almost all are between 70 and 72 proof, with only one (Whalers) at the minimum, Cruzan at 80 and Captain Morgan at 92 proof. Most distillers are quite stingy with alcohol, and it’s only the market that has driven most into the low 70’s.
Sorry for the am fubar… again, a great horizontal comparison, brilliant!
I realy like your list. But me the one I prefer is Zaya from Trinidad and Tobago. U don’t find it every where but if u do u have to try it.
I’ve been looking for a bottle of Chairman’s Spiced Rum, but I can’t find any stores here in DesMoines that carry it. I would just order it, but apparently you can’t ship alcohol into Iowa, any suggestions?
I don’t believe it’s distributed in Iowa, and as you pointed out, your state doesn’t allow liquor shipments from out-of-state. You can contact the U.S. importer of Chairman’s Reserve and see where the nearest retailer is. Here’s their contact information:
Team Spirits Imports Company, LLC
2220 91st Street
North Bergen, NJ 07047
USA
Tel: 917 842 2250
Eml: djones@teamspiritsimports.com
Contact: David Jones
http://www.teamspiritsimports.com
Good luck!
Ask the local retailer about special order. Mine here in Atlanta will order any thing if it sells. I’m currently looking to have them get a couple cases of Code Rum made in Florida I have a great many friends that swear by Code Rum it can be bought via online but I’ve yet to do this since I’ve found no.problem with my liquor store buying a case or two
Have you tried Zaya or Diplomatico Excusiva? Would like to hear what you think of those. We enjoy them both.
Indeed. I believe there are reviews of those on the site here somewhere. Happy hunting! 🙂
Blackheart be gunnin for ya now laddie…
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm the fucking booze
Chairman Reserve Spiced Rum is like Christmas in a bottle. Lovely ruby red color in the bottle, and a rose gold color in the glass. Cinnamony smell (I dont normally like cinnamon but in this case it just works) with a slight orangey/citrus scent. Sweet taste in the mouth with a warming (but not burning) aftertaste. Goes down smooth and is best drunk, as a mixer with coke and a lime. Definitely a favorite with everyone who has tried it at our home.
I would like your opinion of Barbarossa spiced . I think it’s superior to Captain Morgan original.
Haven’t seen that one around, Bill.
What about Rumbullion?
Thanks for this!
For those of us living in Europe do you know where one finds any of the top ten?
Chairman’s Reserve is available in the UK and elsewhere. https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/12680/chairmans-reserve-spiced-rum
Living in an ABC state truly sucks. I haven’t send any of the top spiced rums in a store here in NC. I think the best I’ve seen is #12…
I have always liked Captain Morgan’s Spiced but find I have liked Kracken a bit better. But, I heard/read about Captain Morgan Black…. so, I went buy those and found Captain Morgan Spiced Bold…red label. 50% ABV Wow!!!
I’ve had a couple more recently that I liked a lot. Siestsa Key is very nice, full of Christmas spices. Lemon hart Blackpool spiced is fairly intense, similar to the Lash but IMO better balanced.
I would be interested to see what your thoughts are about Three Roll Spiced Rum from Alma Sugar grounds in Baton Rouge, Louisiana?. I have found myself really enjoying it.