Kraken Black Spiced

This crap doesn't even taste good in a rum and coke.

I was given a bottle of this by my son for my birthday, how thoughtful is that. I started trying it with my favourite rum mixer, ginger beer, aka a dark & stormy though I believe this is now a copyrighted term, so Kraken in the enclosed advertising talk of a kraken Storm, 1 pt Kraken rum & 3 parts Fever Tree ginger beer. Not being able to source the Fever Tree drop locally, I fell back on my go to Bundaberg Ginger beer. OK, yeah/nah.Not unpleasant but I felt the ginger with the spice was a bit too much, they kind of clashed. From days gone by, I've long rated a Kiwi staple L & P (Lemon & Paeroa), a sort of lemony mineral water as a mixer & the Kraken immediately fell in love with the L & P. It was brilliant. As a control I tried it with coke, not as good as the L & P but better than with ginger beer. I'm not a rum sipper, if I want to do that it'll be a smooth aged Scotch & I don't really rate the kraken as a sipping rum.

When it first came out, it was a novelty.

The fact that I’ve seen it 50+ times on a rum list at a restaurant but never ordered it is all I need to say.

It is a good average rum. Soft smell with great aroma but taste is too sweet (you can feel its sweetened) and too alcoholic with a long burn. Still, for this price it is a good catch, use it for cocktails and so.
Drinking alone, well, I would choose a better one.

Nothing special, but for the price it’s a solid performer. What I like the most is the taste of sour cherries.

Almost an overproof rum at 47% ABV, this is a great rum for a rum and coke, daiquiri or rum punch. However, this can't be considered for sipping. It has a harsh taste of burnt sugar and the burn last for long time. It is better than your budget rum, but far from a premium rum.

God,söt och kryddig.Ingen spritig smak. Snygg flaska och köps alltid en ny när den tar slut.

Many people despise this rum, but I don't really see why. Yes, there is suggar added (~30g/liter), yes, it is a flavored rum, but it still tastes quite good!
Starting with the looks, I enjoy the distinctive bottle design but wish it had a cork stopper.
The rum itself has a really dark color and is strong in aroma. There are notes of that alcohol punch, spice, wood, caramel, and some vanilla too. It is spicy and sweet.
When I tasted this rum for the first time, the first thing I noticed was the strong alcohol kick - this rum is 47% alcohol. That is part of the experience though and is not unpleasant. I can't really taste all the 11 secret spices, although there definetely is some spice. There is also quite a lot of coffee and caramel in the taste.
The alcohol strength continues in the aftertaste together with a subtle spicyness and caramel.
Now don't get me wrong, this is still a ~30 EUR rum, it is not perfect but nonetheless very much enjoyable. It is different and quite strong but worth a try. I think this might become a permanent part of my cabinet as it is good both for mixing and drinking neat.
UPDATE: I found out that two versions exist based on region - 40% and 47% ABV. The 40% is naturally less sharp but it also lacks on complexity and flavourfulness of the stronger one. It is also less sweet.

Great rum with great price. Best choice to start your dark rum carrier.

Nice looking bottle but I`m a bit dissapointed by the contents. diddnt realy like the taste.