Gosling’s Black Seal Family Reserve:
The First Impression: I bought this rum to celebrate the birth of my daughter, Emma, back in May. It seemed a fitting rum as per the name “Family Reserve”, so; I bought it! At $100 a bottle, this stuff is pretty damn good! The bottle looks like a fairly standard tall slim necked bottle. It is made of a dark green glass; and is sandblasted, I assume, to help maintain the integrity of the rum within. After the bottle is filled it is corked and turned upside down and dipped into a vat of black wax, sealing the cork to the bottle until it is opened. The bottle is then placed into a wooden box with a plastic front, for viewing purposes, in addition; the box is branded with the Gosling Family name and logo!
In the Glass: Gosling’s Black Seal Family Reserve looks like what nightmares are made of! BLACK! Like the night! While decanting I notice that it is a little on the syrupy side with long thick legs falling back into the glass.
The Smell: The aroma punctures the air like a needle punctures a balloon; the scent of sweet molasses rises from the glass like an invisible fog and fills the air with the sweet smell of molasses and oak! The alcohol is almost non-existent; slight but enjoyable, not too hard on the nose. There is a pleasant scent of molasses, oak, caramel, nuts, vanilla, and slight sense of tobacco. All of these are wrapped in the embrace of aged, charred oak!
The Taste: The smoothest thing since silk! Molasses and oak are definitely the most prominent flavours, a light lacing of vanilla and spices. Not terribly complex, but enjoyable nonetheless, also; the lack of ‘alcohol burn’ makes this rum easy and enjoyable to sip neat.
Alas, The Finish: Leaving a long, lingering trail of warmth and a pleasant aftertaste of sweet black molasses and charred oak. I would love to sip this while puffing a Romeo et Juliette Churchill Short!
Oh! This is Highly Recommended! CA$100 per bottle. Rated 10!
