Cruzan Hurricane Proof

Tasting this neat in a snifter. For better or worse. Nose: All ethanol, but sweet, like you’ve been huffing fumes a bit too long and it’s catching up with you. Palate: Here’s where this gets interesting. Hot entry, but creamy on the palate right away. I get creamy vanilla, some rummy sweetness, then it gets earthier with raw turbinado sugar and some honey toward the back palate. Quite interesting for what this is. Yes it’s hot, but not nearly as much as one might expect at this proof - and this price point. Finish: Medium for the flavor and long for the warmth and earthiness. It’s a smooth flowing transition from the earthy flavors to the honey sweet and bitter oaky finish. The flavors linger somewhat but finally the tannic oak remains, leaving my whole tongue somewhat bitterly coated and wanting another sip. Summary: Well, this is surprisingly good for what it is! I’ve mixed with it plenty, and it provodes a strong rum backbone at an affordable price. In a pinch, if you’re not a rum junky, this might even be able to replace other overproof offerings in a cocktail recipe. I won’t choose to sip it neat, but I’ll enjoy the rest of this pour, and gladly buy again. I think this goes to show, the spirit’s character is all in the proof. And rum, sadly, tends to be bottled at pretty low proofs or very high ones. Not a lot in-between. This is nearly twice the rum of the 80 proofs on the bottom shelves, and with it, you get authentic flavor, not just fumes and fire-tongue. Recommended.

Real sweet raw sugar taste, obviously hot, lotta raw honey on white toast, and certainly rummy, that fermented molasses taste. Tasting it neat in very small sips, surprisingly good, in my opinion.

Actually has more flavor (oaky, fruity, vanilla, brown sugar) than I expected. For well under $20 and a rowdy ass ABV, this is a hidden gem!