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Gosling's Black Seal rum

Gosling's Black Seal

JarkkoKoo avatar image had this rum recently

Bermuda | Dark | 40% ABV

The James Gosling family business first produced Gosling Black Seal rum in 1806, and it is now the oldest surviving business on the island of Burmuda.

Gosling 'Black Seal' rum received it's name from the black wax originally used to seal the bottles. It is Bermuda's most widely exported product and considered the nation's national drink.

6.4/10
532 ratings
Tasty, but not quite great
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532 Gosling's Black Seal Ratings

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Paul B 🇺🇸 | 472 ratings
Posted over 5 years ago

After trying a half ounce pour of Blackwell's Black Gold Special Reserve at a rum bar a few weeks ago, I read the reviews on here and many compared it to Gosling's Black Seal. This got my curiosity back onto it after more than 30 years. Back then, when I tried my only bottle of Gosling's, I did not have the palate that I have today, so I absolutely hated it.

When I bought my new bottle, I did the right thing and picked up a six pack of Gosling's Ginger Beer to make their authentic signature Dark And Stormy. The recipe from Gosling's web site seemed to have too little rum for my tastes, with 1 part rum to 3 parts ginger beer. So I kept searching through other recipes until one explained that it is all about getting the right balance between the rum and the ginger beer. Agree!!! It was suggested to use 2 parts rum to 3 parts ginger beer. I also added a bit of the optional lime juice. All I can say is that this is one very strange and unique drink that was never popular where I grew up. It strikes me as a wannabe Tiki drink that was created on the wrong side of the world. I had one recently at a favorite beach bar and thought WTF. The same goes for my home made authentic version. My response is still WTF. I also tried the Gosling's recipe, which tries to hide the taste of this rum.

So this all leads to my initial taste of sipping neat from a Glencairn glass. It is NOT a black rum at all. If you want true black rum, try Cruzan Black Strap. It is reddish mahogany in color, and the color almost matches my new bottle of Ron Zacapa XO. It is also semi-dry with 11 gpl of added sugar. The aroma and flavors are totally alien to me, maybe because Bermuda is way the hell out in the middle of the ocean. I don't hate it, but I surely don't love it. I will figure out what to do with the rest of the bottle and ginger beer. Thank goodness that my creative streak runs high. For right now, it starts out with my rating of a 6. I also have the feeling that I will develop a love/hate relationship with this rum. I have also found a better use for this rum in Bermuda Coffee.

If anything, this bottle finally was inspiration to try their ginger beer, which is non-alcoholic. Ever since my days of cruising in rough seas on craft of 110 feet or less, ginger ale was always present to avoid sea sickness. It is also a great mixer for many rums. Well, the flavors of Gosling's Ginger Beer make my favorite ginger ale seem pale in comparison. Now that I found this out, why mess up a good ginger beer by adding this rum?

Update 9 days later: I tried like hell to find the perfect drink for this crap, but it looks like my original judgment from 30 years ago still holds true to this day. I now drop my rating from a 6 to a 4. As bad as this rum is, I have actually come across quite a few rums that are even worse!

MDrumrunner 🇺🇸 | 42 ratings
Posted almost 2 years ago

This one is ok for me. The nose is one dimensional. The taste is a quick taste of molasses before the spice kicks in with a slight bite and heat. I'll save this one for the Dark and Stormy.

Bogdan 🇨🇦 | 14 ratings
Posted almost 2 years ago

Great for mixing, but I would not recommend it as a sipping rum. The aftertaste is too bitter for my taste and it leaves a burning sensation. As a mixer... a totally different story. It provides a lot of flavor to the drink. Priced higher than the Bacardi Dark Spiced Rum I think is a no go for me.

Kychy28 🇺🇸 | 25 ratings
Posted almost 2 years ago

7.00/10, the only use I have for this stuff is I infuse it with Banana chips (recipe courtesy of Death & Co) and make a couple drinks with the infusion.

Rumrum 🇺🇸 | 1 rating
Posted 2 years ago

Bermuda the beautiful. The one and only for Dark n Stormy.

Davidsbrady 🇺🇸 | 13 ratings
Posted 2 years ago

Good nose and forward flavor but disappointing finish.

Uncledrewbob 🇺🇸 | 5 ratings
Posted 2 years ago

Fine enough for certain purposes and circumstances

Mario Kc 🇨🇦 | 14 ratings
Posted 2 years ago

I would call this a starters sipping rum. It's fine for sipping but made for a dark'n stormy. I like to add a few ice cubes to it as the smell changes as does the taste. You can tell it's a manufactured rum (blend), I smell caramel, brown sugar, molasses and a bit of anise and banana. It's a decent rum for the price, a staple in my cabinet.

Cultov 🇨🇿 | 49 ratings
Posted 2 years ago

Well this rum is for me connected only eith original Dark and stormy drink. It is spiced rum with small esence of caramel.

Captain_Tyson 🇺🇸 | 100 ratings
Posted 2 years ago

Black Seal pretty much has stapled itself as the rum for the drink Dark N Stormy. Alone - meh. In that drink - great.

Bog Monster 🇦🇺 | 42 ratings
Posted 2 years ago

It makes a lovely Dark N Stormy, as does 100 other good rums. Taste of instant coffee and mild caramel when mixed with coke as does 100 other rums. Its ok and a safe purchase, rating this better than the average budget rum but not for me.

Update - My previous consumption of most the bottle was done during hot summer days and nights where I felt it to be just ok. Just consumed the rest during a cool period and its better. I would rate the new experience a 6.




Brand Details

Name: Black Seal
ABV: 40%
Type: Gosling's
Raw Material: Unknown
Process: Pure blend (1 distillery)
Distillation: Unknown
Women leading Rum: No

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