One of the nice side-effects of the current vodka craze is that less "trendy" spirits like rum and brandy, despite the high quality of many brands, can be found at great prices. Gosling's Black Seal is one such rum. Apparently its distribution is somewhat limited compared to the offerings of the higher profile brands (or maybe that's just a fabrication of Gosling's marketing department), but I managed to find a bottle easily at my local liquor hut. Black Seal is one of the more acclaimed dark rums on the market, and after a taste test it's easy to see why.

As far as rums go, Black Seal's flavor profile is quite complex. It's slightly spicy and very smoky, with hints of cinammon, plum (took me a while to put my finger on that one), caramel, and maple syrup. The flavor slowly unfolds on your palate, rather than slapping you in the face with a one-note "Yo, I'm rum!" taste like Bacardi et al. You can sip it on the rocks and not feel ridiculous, and it mixes wonderfully with just about anything you can throw at it. The sweetness is slight, never overpowering, and the aftertaste lingers for a while. And Black Seal is the stipulated rum in one of the best mixed drinks ever, the Dark N' Stormy.

Bottom line, Black Seal is a winner, and my dark rum of choice. Yo ho ho. A-

This entry was posted by Darryl, on Wednesday, April 11, 2007. You can leave your response.