Blackwell Rum

Rating: 15/23 Cool bottle, but I wish it weren't a screw top N: Rich, funky, sweet. I get fireworks, molasses, tropical fruits, chocolate. It retains some youthful character, but doesn't smell overly young. There's some vanilla and a little bit of spice in here too, suggesting bourbon barrel aging. P: Pretty smooth and sweet with the classic dark rum char on top of the usual fireworks, some baking spices, caramel, a bit of chocolate, a hint of vanilla, and some nice tropical fruits (banana, passionfruit, pineapple). The flavor is spicy, but not harsh and is sweet, but not excessively so. It's a quite balanced palate that is reasonably smooth and fairly complex. F: The bitter smoke lingers, along with some spices and vanilla. Chocolate and a bit of dark roast coffee dominate the long finish. It's a nice finish, but the nose and palate are better. For under $20, this is a great buy. It's a solid choice of dark rum for mixing, but a lot of what makes it so good is its balance and complexity rather than one particular flavor. I would absolutely take this over Myer's for sipping on any occasion, but it might be a good idea to stock Myer's (or something else) for mixing because it has a few bold flavors that can standup in a cocktail. Seeing that this is such a solid sipper, I'm inclined to go with at least a 14. Honestly, I might take this over Appleton Estate 12 because I prefer its balance and complexity with just the right amount of added sugar, but I can really see myself going either way, so that opinion might change tomorrow. I think Doorly's 12 is better, but if I were in a dark rum mood, I might pass it over for this. I'm going with 15.

A rich cane liqueur created by Chris Blackwell, who also happens to be the owner of Island Records. The dark rum itself is distilled & blended by J. Wray & Nephew in Jamaica. It was crafted in the style of a traditional recipe from the days when Blackwell's mother's family owned J. Wray & Nephew & the Appleton estate. It has an aromatic birth with notes of cane sugar, oak, herbs & spices; while a rich & spicy life added notes of marshmallow; that led to a long & sweet death. June 2017

Sweeter, fuller, and more interesting than Myers or Beenleigh. Molasses, wood, char, banana, some other tropical fruits perhaps (mango and pineapple?). It's tasty and sippable, but nothing too exciting. There's sort of a butterscotch caramel aspect to it too and some spice - notably black pepper, white pepper, cinnamon, and some sort of baking spice. I'm going to start it at a 12, but it could be an 11.

"the bottle went rather quickly" as one might read in another review. And it couldn't be more true. This bottle, when shared, might not make it the full night. It's tasty! Smooth, fruity as shit, sugary.. bit of spice and just really good! Like salivating, good. All that's missing with this stuff is the sand between your toes! MUCH better than the big brands! (Bacardi/CapMorgan)

I'm newish to rum, so my palate is not very dialed in yet, but here we go. On the nose I got lots of molasses sweetness with some fruit eccence. The fruit sweetness continues on the palate with a hint of chocolate. The finish is sweet and quick. Overall I really enjoy this compared to the Goslings dark rum that I normally get at the same price point.

An approachable, if unsubtle, dark rum. Spicy and super sweet, this one is more comfortable paired with bright citrus flavors than it is standing on its own.