(Review) The Kracken, Black Spiced Rum 94 proof

Mystique: 1-10 points
Score: 10 new, big ad campaign, cool, mysterious

Color: 1-10 points
Score: 10 black as night, as advertised, squid ink

Scent: 1-10 points
Score: 9 mixed spices, vanilla, pepper

Initial impression: 1-10 points
Score: 9 looks great hope its not a letdown

Mouthfeel: 1-10 points
Score: 9 slick and oily as expected

Taste: 1-10 x 4 points
Score: 36 Caramel, molasses, big pepper burn but goes away quick

Raw Score: 83 points

Bonus: Value 1-10 points
Score: 8 good price point 19.95 a fifth

Total Score: 91 points

Like the cryptozoological monster from the deep, The Kracken broke the surface with a lot of noise and a unique look. With a 2 jug-handled bottle and a pirate map like label It looks different, but is it up to snuff? A true black rum, dark with a mysterious exotic flavor? That's what the huge marketing campaign for this new product promised. Did they deliver? Absolutely. The Kracken is on par with Gosling's Black Seal and Cruzan Black Strap. It's a real Navy Rum. Black as it's namesake's ink with a flavor that's big molasses, caramel and spices. The pepper taste is strong, but disappears into the briny deep leaving an oily slick. It doesn't quite have the flavor depth of the competition, but it's bolder up front and doesn't disappear in a mixed drink. It's great as a flavor addition to other rums in a variety of cocktails, Like adding just a tiny bit of chili pepper to spice up a meal. It's future may not be in standing on it's own, but as one of those mixers you can't do without. Either they made this rum while thinking of the name or the name came first and they tried to embody it in rum, either way it's spot on, and a welcome addition to my collection of Black Rums. It gives us a little more choice in this small niche. Hunt The Kracken!

(Cocktail recipe) The Chinese

1 1/2 oz Jamaica rum
1 tsp triple sec
1 tsp maraschino liqueur
1 tbsp grenadine syrup
1 dash bitters

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

Lately I've been giving Chris various reprints of old bar books (and by reprints, I mean someone dismantled the old books and scanned, then printed them) for birthdays and Christmas.  Occasionally I'll dig through them to find something interesting.  My most recent discovery was the Chinese, so named for its color - it looks like traditional red Chinese lacquer.  It's not overly sweet, but is very balanced, and it's all booze...so drink carefully!



(Chris's Note) The Jamaica Rum that this recipe calls for is a style of rum, not necessarily rum from Jamaica.  Unfortunately, like many old liquors and liqueurs that are no longer produced we're not really sure what it tasted like.  The best approximation we can deduce is a dark Navy rum (Cruzan Black Strap, Goslings Black Seal, Kracken) mixed with a gold rum.  In order to achieve this easily I would increase the Rum to 1/1 oz pour.  You may need to adjust the triple sec, bitters, and Maraschino accordingly by teaspoon to balance the rum you chose to use.  The finished product should taste completely smooth and balanced when it hits the tongue like a fine Chinese Lacquer finish.

(Review) Cruzan Black Strap Rum 80 proof

Mystique: 1-10 points
Score: 9
Pirates!

Color: 1-10 points
Score: 9
Inky and shimmering

Scent 1-10 points
Score: 9
Molasses and butterscotch

Initial Impression: 1-10 points
Score: 9
Nice label / I love black rum / inky looking

Mouthfeel: 1-10 points
Score: 9
Burn / oily / coating

Taste: 1-10 x 4 points
Score: 36
Heavy / thick / buttery / oak / molasses

Raw Score Total: 79 points

Bonus Points:
Value: 1-10 points
Score: 10 (11.99 750ml)

Total Score: 91 points

Feel like a pirate today! If ye be willin’ I have somethin’ for ye to try. Cruzan Black Strap Rum. Technically it's called a navy rum or a dark rum not a Pirate rum, but you know the pirates must have pillaged it from navy ships. You may not be familiar with this inky treasure as most places only carry gold and light rums. There really are only a few manufacturers of truly black rum, Gosling’s Black Seal, this Cruzan and now Kracken. If you want flavor and complexity try it. It tastes like buttery molasses and it coats a glass like squid ink. The flavor is so strong you may not want to drink it straight or on the rocks. Traditionally after the 1600's Navy rum was used to add flavor to cocktails and cooking. If you get some good ginger beer like Saranac and mix it with that you'll feel the breeze blowing through your hair and smell the gunpowder from the cannons. The true drink of buccaneers everywhere. If someone tries to give you some gold rum and call it navy rum, tell that landlubber to get that sissy crap out of your face and walk the plank. This is a best buy in my opinion.

(Review) Sailor Jerry Spiced Navy Rum (92 proof)

Mystique: 1-10 points
Score: 8
hyped / maybe more if i was into tattoo culture

Color: 1-10 points
Score: 8
Deep gold / this is not navy rum it's gold rum

Scent: 1-10 points
Score: 9
vanilla bean / sugar cane / mace spice / whiff of alcohol

Initial Impression: 1-10 points
Score: 9
No way this is Navy Rum, but it's got a Hula Girl

Mouthfeel: 1-10 points
Score: 8
no aftertaste / disappears quickly

Taste: 1-10 x 4 points
Score: 32
blended / little vanilla / tiny burn / buttery aftertaste

Raw Score Total: 74 points

Bonus Points:
Value 1-10 points
Score: 7
It's priced right in the middle of the pack

Total Score: 81 points

I drink a good bit of rum and this came highly recommended by friends so I was looking forward to reviewing it. It's got some hype about it and appears that is especially so if you're into the tattoo culture because of it's namesake. I held the bottle up to the light and thought it has a nice color, but this is the lightest ‘navy rum’ I've ever seen. It looks like a gold rum and is about the same color as Captain Morgan so I was feeling a little less than full on pirate.

It tastes pretty good with almost no aftertaste or oily-ness. A little vanilla with a buttery finish. I smelled the spices but really didn't taste any of them. Perhaps they were looted by pirates! It has a strange taste that it's blended, like it's not smooth enough or something. I really couldn't put my finger on exactly what that weird taste was. I wouldn't drink this stuff straight so I tried it in some coke. Mixed with soda the flavor almost completely disappears. It just leaves a sweet buttery hint. Not bad for people that don't want to taste the alcohol in their drinks. There are plenty of other rums I like better than this one. It's good, but there are better choices out there around the same price. If you don't want to taste alcohol in your cocktails or you have guests that don't, try mixing up something with this instead of that vodka drink next time.